A EUROBODALLA Shire Council steering committee formed to help steer the Batemans Bay Water Garden bat population away from people had its first meeting at Batemans Bay Community Centre last Friday.
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The group will guide the preparation of a management plan for the Batemans Bay Water Garden flying fox camp and comprises representatives from council and state government, as well as Eurobodalla residents and special interest groups such as WIRES.
“Members of the committee will share information about the project with their local networks to help guide preparation of the plan,” a council spokesman said.
Mayor Lindsay Brown chairs the committee and said members were excited to be involved in the project.
“We had a good first meeting and our next steps are to begin talking with the community early next month to get their views about what action needs to be taken and what the priorities should be,” he said.
“We’ll be using computer software designed specifically for this project to help us survey the community. It is a mechanism for the users to learn about, rank and make informed decisions about flying-fox camp management options.
“The online tool is called Flying Fox ENGAGE, and it will ask people a series of questions, then guide them through a range of possible outcomes.
“The information we get will help guide the steering committee in the preparation of the management plan,’’ Cr Brown said.
The council will also hold face-to-face consultations.
The council has also started the vegetation pruning and removal works in the Water Gardens to create a buffer between houses and roosting areas. The works were to have continued this week but will start again when the rain clears.