Around 150 flying foxes first arrived in early December, and since then the colony has multiplied to at least 3000 individual animals.

And, the arrival of the two species of bats – grey headed and little red flying foxes – has left some in the community concerned.

Cr Christian is a horticulturalist by trade and he said people were “ignorant” to the damage that could occur.

“They might be new and exciting, but the reality is they can damage trees,” he said.

“Bats are heavy on the branches, particularly in the hot weather, the trees are already struggling. You can see damage and I have seen branches snapping already.”

Cr Christian said while it was “early days” of having bats in Machattie Park, he cited Burdekin Park in Singleton as an extreme example of what can go wrong if bat numbers are left unchecked.

This park had a population of around 30,000 flying foxes and this, The Singleton Argus newspaper reports, caused many issues since the colony first arrived in the year 2000.

The same two species of flying foxes currently living in Machattie Park, were also living in Burdekin Park.

In 2010, eights trees from the park were removed and 26 were trimmed.

In 2013, the Argus reported that: “the dynamics of the park have changed” and it could no longer be used for Anzac and Remembrance Day services, Christmas lights and carols, weddings, markets and concerts.

“Many methods including noise, water sprays and reflective objects have been tried over the years to remove the bats from the park but none have worked,” it reported.

By 2016, the park was closed due to safety fears with damaged trees dropping large branches to the ground.

The Argus reports that Singleton Council had spent an estimated $180,000 trying to relocate the protected species in accordance with government guidelines.

A museum located near the park was shut for six months due to the bats, while a school was also closed down for short periods after the bats flocked to trees in the school.

In the end, around 80 per cent of the park’s trees were felled due to irreparable damage and bat numbers then dropped significantly.

Cr Christian said while the Burdekin Park may be an extreme example, it was exactly the reason why Bathurst’s bat colony needed to be moved on now rather than when numbers multiplied.

“If they bring more with them, or they continue to multiply, they will cause more damage,” he said.

​“You can see the bats attacking the new growth and it’s just destroying the trees.

“Because they damage the new growth it can leave the trees barren.”