The Cairns Regional Council embarked on a tree trimming program last year to move on a large colony roosting in the CBD.
The state Environment Department has now ordered the council to pay $14,000 for six alleged infringements of environmental regulations.
However, Cairns Mayor Bob Manning said he was not paying the bill and would contest the infringements in court.
"Our legal advice is that the department is relying on a single witness and the grounds on which upon these infringement notices have been issued are certainly contestable," he said.
"We followed very closely what we were supposed to do."
The bats have since returned.
Councillor Manning said the council had formed a partnership with the CSIRO to investigate how to move the flying foxes on, with a meeting scheduled later this month.
"We are employing them to advise us in a way that will be sustainable," he said.
"Council has never been that it wants to destroy roosts or destroy flying foxes, we simply want to achieve a reduction in numbers."
The state Environment Department has now ordered the council to pay $14,000 for six alleged infringements of environmental regulations.
However, Cairns Mayor Bob Manning said he was not paying the bill and would contest the infringements in court.
"Our legal advice is that the department is relying on a single witness and the grounds on which upon these infringement notices have been issued are certainly contestable," he said.
"We followed very closely what we were supposed to do."
The bats have since returned.
Councillor Manning said the council had formed a partnership with the CSIRO to investigate how to move the flying foxes on, with a meeting scheduled later this month.
"We are employing them to advise us in a way that will be sustainable," he said.
"Council has never been that it wants to destroy roosts or destroy flying foxes, we simply want to achieve a reduction in numbers."
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