Cessnock fire brigade fought two blazes at the site on the weekend of May 14-15 before another fire on May 21. All three were started at night.

Hunter Wildlife Rescue spokeswoman Audrey Koosman called the fires terrible and disgusting.

Ms Koosman said she understood residents were concerned, but fire was not the answer.

The bat problem has struck several other areas across the Hunter including Raymond Terrace, Singleton and Blackalls Park. 

The NSW Government announced on Tuesday that a $1 million grant pool would be available for councils across the state to manage flying fox colonies.

Ms Koosman said residents were concerned about disease from smell or droppings, but that lyssavirus was rare and spread through bites.

She didn’t believe cutting trees down would fix the problem, and it wouldn’t be possible to heard bats to another location.

While unsure of the best solution, Ms Koosman said the government needed to consult “people on the ground” to find a proactive answer for everyone, including the bats.

Ms Koosman said bats would normally have gone north by now but the hot weather had allowed them to stick around. 

The colony also contains pregnant bats, which cannot fly as far.

“There is a total misconception of these animals,” she said. 

“They’re not ferals.”

Related content

'Somebody has tried to burn the bats' 

Stock whip 'secret weapon' in fight against bats

The Hunter's bat infestation

Fitzgibbon angered over federal bat funding on South Coast but not Hunter

Fitzgibbon wants bat inquiry

Bat inquiry gathers momentum

Residents welcome call to fix bat problem