As flying foxes begin to migrate back to the Hunter for the summer, momentum is building for government action to assist communities impacted by the bats.
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The House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy will hold an inquiry into the matter, at the request of Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon.
Mr Fitzgibbon said the committee will inquire into the status of the flying foxes, the manner in which such species become listed, whether the listing is scientifically robust, and the circumstances in which species listed might be de-listed.
“I acknowledge that flying foxes are decreasing in numbers, and play an important role in our ecology,” he said.
“But if they can be de-listed, managing them would be a far easier proposition.”
Mr Fitzgibbon has also asked the committee to investigate the interaction between state and federal agency listings, which he said “further complicate the issue and restrict our capacity to deal with flying fox problems”.
Mr Fitzgibbon’s seat includes Cessnock and Singleton – where the bat problem reached fever pitch last summer.
“People were effectively trapped in their homes, community events were being disrupted, and the noise and smell was becoming unbearable for many residents,” he said.
The East Cessnock colony grew to an estimated 30,000 bats, and was set on fire four times in May.
As most of the bat camp is on Crown land, Cessnock Council has received $25,000 from the NSW Government for a camp management plan, which is due for completion in April.
Singleton’s Burdekin Park was closed in March after an increase in flying foxes put additional strain on the trees and was deemed unsafe.
Several damaged trees were removed from the park and it re-opened in July.
Lorn and Blackalls Park were among the other Hunter suburbs impacted by bat colonies last summer.
Numbers receded over the winter but the problem has not gone away.
Hundreds of bats have returned to East Cessnock, and many have also been spotted in Sempill Street, Maitland.
“There’s a fair risk it will build up again in the future, and I want to be prepared for that day,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.
Mr Fitzgibbon fought for a Senate inquiry into flying foxes during his federal election campaign, but said a House of Representatives inquiry will be “just as effective and just as powerful”.
