THE state government has encouraged Port Stephens Council to apply for a share in $1 million to assess the Raymond Terrace bat colony and devise a strategy to manage them.
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The assessment could form part of a Hunter region strategy to manage how the grey-headed flying fox and other species interact with residential populations.
“Ideally the application will be part of a regional plan that OEH would assess,” Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald MLC said.
“We have been getting representations from this [Port Stephens] council about the issue.”
The bat population swelled to 20,000-head last month in the Ross Walbridge Reserve to the distress of residents. Since then the colony has dipped to 10,000 and returned to its usual habitat in Newbury Park where council continues to monitor them.
“We have to be careful to manage people’s expectations because they’re a part of our ecosystem and we do have to live with them,” Mr MacDonald said.
“It’s where they interface with residents that it can cause a problem.”
The state government announced $2.5 million to help Batemans Bay and its 100,000 bats two days prior. Mr MacDonald said the Raymond Terrace colony was much smaller.
“Batemans Bay has continually sought assistance on this issue,” Mr MacDonald said.
“Looking at the size of the colonies this is only a fifth of the size.”
The council’s general manager Wayne Wallis spoke to Mr MacDonald at Raymond Terrace on Wednesday.
“If we can access some funds it would help greatly around this issue,” he said.
The council recently carried out selective clearing around the Ross Walbridge Reserve to create a buffer to nearby residents. In the past week alone the colony has dropped from 17,000 to about 10,000 across Adelaide Street at Newbury Park.