Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale has vented his frustration at legislation limiting his council's ability to move a large flying-fox colony away from concerned residents, and has vowed to take action.
"I'm sick of the bat merry-go-round, everywhere I've gone – to state and federal government – they keep telling me what I can't do, well it's about time I start doing some things I can do, and I'll deal with the consequences," he told 9NEWS.
State government legislation permits the use of some late night and early morning bat-deterring strategies to move along problem colonies, under strict conditions, and Ipswich City Council has employed noise and light deterrents.
However, residents of the Ipswich suburb of Yamanto said they had found such techniques had only succeeded in moving the colony closer to them.
"We've been here 42 years, so we were here first," Lois Dionysius said.
"The noise is just unbearable, the stench is just ridiculous."
Another resident, Kerri Truloff, said she did not let her children play in their backyard due to health concerns about the colony.
"The bats are like royalty [of] the animals I've learnt, I like animals, but five years of this – I can't do it anymore," she said.
Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale wants to move the Yamanto colony on. (9NEWS)
Cr Pisasale said he was upset that the strict environmental regulations were negatively affecting residents.
"I look at these rules and the bats have more protection than people, and I live in a country where the bats don't vote, the people do," he said.
Cr Pisasale said he wanted to start lopping trees force the colony away, and said he would call for funding and support at the next council meeting.
"Even if we got to do it at 2am in the morning, we're going to put the people first," he said.
Flying foxes have taken up residence in the Ipswich suburb of Yamanto. (9NEWS)
However, the presence of a flying-fox usually legally prohibits trees from being severely trimmed or lopped.
Ms Truloff said she was not optimistic that action would be taken.
"I won't hold my breath," she said.
Bat Conservation and Rescue Queensland spokeswoman Madellen Cunningham said the plan to move colonies on could raise further issues.
"If the bats move into somebody else's area and destroy habitat then potentially the council is up for litigation," she said.
In previous years, a large flying-fox colony occupied bushland in the central Ipswich suburb of Woodend, before the animals spread into nearby yards and eventually moved on after stripping most of the trees.
There are four species of flying-foxes in Australia, all of which are found in Queensland and are protected.
11/05/2016
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