WHILE Bathurst Regional Council wrestles with the question of what it can do with the flying foxes in Machattie Park, at least it now knows what it can’t do.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Acting mayor Bobby Bourke has reported the message from a meeting between council and the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) this week was firm: council was warned that it risked a fine if it attempted to move the flying foxes on.
So that makes that clear.
Cr Bourke also reported that the OEH’s advice was that instead of trying to get the flying foxes to move, council should hire a consultant to work out a management plan.
What any such plan would involve is less clear – though it’s a fair bet that hearing the phrases “hire a consultant” and “work out a management plan” invokes the same reaction in the average ratepayer as receiving a dollop of flying fox faeces on the head.
As the flying foxes – and there are estimated to be 3000 of them now – settle into Machattie Park, council and councillors seem to be gradually coming to terms with the fact that not a lot can be done and the situation is just going to have to play itself out.
Cr Bourke wants action and new councillor Alex Christian referred to the flying foxes as “vermin” this week, but it would seem they are going to have to put up with the visitors for many months yet – possibly until April or May.
In the meantime, the decision has been made to move the Australia Day events from Machattie Park and into the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre and further major events in the park are likely to follow for as long as the flying foxes remain.
It’s a strange situation.
In a different location in the city, the flying fox population might have become a local attraction – a chance to see dramatic, wild creatures right here in our backyard.
If they were down by the river, for instance, we might be seeing convoys of cars heading that way in the evening to see the flying foxes spread their wings and take flight.
A few people might grumble about damage to the riverside trees, but the majority of locals would either not know the flying foxes were there or not care.
Instead, our winged visitors have taken up residence in the centre of town and everyone knows about it.
It looks we’re all just going to have to get along. Maybe that’s what the consultant was planning to say in the management plan.