Around 150 bats arrived at the park in early December and since then have multiplied to a staggering 3000 animals.

The colony contains two types of bats – grey headed and little red flying foxes – and both have left council concerned about health risks to park users and possible long-term damage to the park itself.

The park now smells of urine and faeces with staff and park users reporting being sprayed with excrement.

The protected animals also have the ability to carry the rare, but life-threatening, Australian bat lyssavirus disease.

On Tuesday, council met with Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) and acting mayor Bobby Bourke said they were sternly told that they risked a fine if they attempted to move the bats on.

“If I went in there and made a lot of noise I could be fined by the OEH,” he said.

“The State Government and OEH are just sitting back and saying they [the bats] might go away.

“They say it’s not a big deal and other places have worse problems.

“I’m very disappointed that nothing really came out of the meeting.”

The OEH’s advice was that council should instead hire a consultant to work out a management plan.

Cr Bourke said he had received advice from council’s environment section that the bats may naturally migrate away from the area in April or May.

But, he said he does not want to wait that long and have park users impacted by up to six months since the animals arrived.

“We need to do something now before it’s too late,” Cr Bourke said.

Cr Bourke said he had received many reports from people in the community who were concerned about the growing numbers of bats.

“We don’t want our hands tied, we want to protect our heritage, and that’s protecting not just houses, but natural heritage,” he said.

Cr Bourke has now called on the community for its feedback about what action they would like council to take.

He said council’s only options were to: close the entire park to the community, fence off the bat-affected areas or nothing and to leave the park open.