THE Eurobodalla’s battle of the bats has escalated, with the grey-headed flying foxes reported all over the shire.
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Moruya South Head, Tomakin, Dalmeny, Malua Bay, Catalina and Batehaven are among the suburbs where the creatures have been reported to be causing havoc with their noise, smell and excrement.
Batemans Bay car dealer Mark Flack, whose dealership is close to the notorious Water Garden population, has sent Eurobodalla Shire Council an invoice for cleaning expenses brought about by the bats.
“I used to clean the cars three times a week, but now it has to be every day,” he said.
He’s not expecting the council to pay the invoice, but he is more concerned about the effect on the whole area.
“They are affecting people’s quality of life and tourism to the area,” he said.
“Visitors are saying they won’t take their children to the Water Gardens because it is so putrid.”
Moruya South Head’s Isabelle Jones said the bats were “swarming over there in their thousands.”
“There has been a massive amount of them,” she said.
“They have come over in swarms every night. You wouldn’t stand outside.”
Tomakin resident Christine Ewin said the bats were in big numbers at Forest Parade.
“They got here a couple of weeks ago. We’ve never had them here before,” she said.
Fellow Forest Parade resident Merridith Cummings puts up with the bats at home, and also where she works at Batemans Bay Hospital.
“They are upsetting the patients and the staff,” she said.
“The hospital needs to be clean, but there are layers of their waste on the walls and roof.
“Within two weeks of the bats invading our (home) property, six species of native birds and our possums have gone.”
Bega MP Andrew Constance said council had not applied for the bats to be dispersed from the water gardens.
“The council needs to lodge an application for this to occur and they should do so immediately,” he said.
More on Page 4.
