COOLER weather may have encouraged some flying foxes in Machattie Park to move on, but Bathurst Regional Council still has plans to protect the location into the future.
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The colony of grey headed and little red flying foxes have been roosting in the park since early December with as many as 4000 individual animals at one point.
Deputy mayor Bobby Bourke said since the cooler nights arrived many bats had moved on, but around 1000 remained.
Council was recently awarded $38,559 in government grants to clean up mess caused by the colony of flying foxes in Machattie Park, and also to create a Flying Fox Camp Management Plan (FFCMP).
The two grants will be matched dollar-for-dollar by council.
Cr Bourke said the first grant of $16,500 will contribute towards the preparation of a FFCMP.
“The action we take now will prevent any damage they do next time they come around,” he said.
Cr Bourke said a number of trees, some of which were planted to honour fallen soldiers after World War Two, have been left damaged by the colony.
“The trees just don’t take that amount of weight … it’ll take a long time for them to rejuvenate,” he said.
A report by council’s engineering services director Darren Sturgiss said an “experienced ecological consultancy” firm had been contracted to prepare the FFCMP.
“The development of the plan will include a compulsory community consultation period to gauge community concerns, provide education surrounding the risks associated with flying foxes, describe experiences from other colonies withing NSW and develop specific management actions,” the report stated.
The action we take now will prevent any damage they do next time they come around.
- Deputy mayor Bobby Bourke
The consultation will involve a community information session, online survey and letters to key stakeholders and nearby properties.
While a grant of $22,059 would assist Bathurst council to undertake additional clean-up works to “maintain the amenity and usability of Machattie Park” Mr Sturgiss’ report stated.
The projects were funded under the Local Government NSW and the Office of Environment and Heritage under the Flying Foxes Grants Program.