RE Bathursts bats in Machattie Park have to go
THE flying foxes in Machattie Park may have attracted the ire of Bathurst Regional Council, but overwhelmingly Western Advocate readers think the animals should be left alone.
Councillor Bobby Bourke has been firm in his view that the 3000 bats should be moved on due to potential health risks and the possibility of long-term damage to the park itself.
At a recent meeting with the Office of Environment and Heritage, council was warned that it risked a fine if they attempted to move the bats on.
The day after the meeting Cr Bourke called on the community to have their say on what council should do about the animals.
He asked the Advocate to put three options to readers, which were: should council close the entire park to the community; fence off just the bat-affected areas; or nothing and to leave the park open.
As of Thursday, 643 people had their say in the Advocate’s poll.
Overwhelmingly, readers said the park should remain open and the bats left alone, with 53.03 per cent (341 votes) choosing this option.
While, 29.55 per cent (190 votes) said the bat-affected areas of the park should be closed to the public.
Finally, 17.42 per cent (112 votes) said the entire park should be closed to the public until the bats go away.
WIRES bat co-ordinator Storm Stanford said while all types of bats can carry life-threatening diseases, such as Australian bat lyssavirus, infections were extremely rare.
She said the protected native animals were migratory and follow food sources, in particular flowering eucalyptus trees, and once their feed around Bathurst has run out she expects they will move on.
- Bathurst's bats: Leave them alone, Western Advocate readers say
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