The first Habitech nest boxes, developed by Habitat Innovation and Management in association with Charles Sturt University [CSU], have recently been installed as a trial in Batemans Bay [supported by Transport for NSW], with the first production run set to get under way in the coming days.

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Habitat Innovation and Management director and ornithologist Mick Callan said the first production will involve around 2000 units.

"We've gone through the entire design process with industrial engineers and, after a year's worth of research and testing, we've come up with these injection-moulded boxes with a timber interior to provide decades of comfort for birds, possums and gliders," Mr Callan said.

"The boxes were built by Orange-based manufacturer Allmould, and incorporate as much recycled material as possible."

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Mr Callan said the boxes have a 40-year lifespan, four times that of wooden variants, and are designed to protect wildlife from the harshest of environments.

"We did a lot of testing in a temperature-controlled laboratory, and replicated Bathurst's hottest day on record [41.5 degrees Celsius] to test the thermal insulation of the boxes," he said.

"They registered seven degrees below the ambient temperature, which is a big improvement on wooden boxes, which can up interior temperature by 10+ degrees under the same conditions."

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"They create an environment equivalent to a microclimate in a natural tree hollow."

For more information, visit www.habitatinnovation.com.au.

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