UPPER Hunter Shire Council has been working with Hunter Councils, the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) and the local community to develop a camp management plan for the Upper Hunter Shire to minimise the impact of the flying foxes.
Aberdeen has had a camp for some years and in recent months a rapidly growing camp or colony has established in Murrurundi, along the Pages River and around the school.
This week councillors had a presentation by Dr Kerryn Parry-Jones, a research scientist from University of Sydney who has studied flying foxes for three decades.
Having inspected the Murrurundi camp, she believes there could be as many as 100,000 flying foxes.
Dr Parry-Jones also said that in her opinion there is no effective way of completely dissipating a colony permanently and the Murrrurundi camp cannot currently be moved.
Efforts to disrupt flying fox camps will generally not relocate them, just make them more active!
Where camps have been dispersed, they generally break into several smaller groups, based not too far from the original camp, primarily due to staying close to their food source.
They will move when the food supply runs out or when the weather changes.
Obviously this is not good news.
The Murrurundi camp is creating serious problems for residents including, noise, smell and safety concerns.
Council is pursuing all legal options however residents should understand flying-foxes are a protected species because they help pollinate plants and spread seeds.
Residents are urged to follow safety precautions.
All available information suggests that the risks to public health is low. Nevertheless, human health will always be foremost in any of council’s actions.
Council contacted the Department of Education and the Murrurundi Public School and actions taken include parts of the grounds being partitioned off, eating inside, wearing hats outside and, of course, hand-washing.
Dr Parry-Jones also said that in her opinion there is no effective way of completely dissipating a colony permanently and the Murrrurundi camp cannot currently be moved.
Efforts to disrupt flying fox camps will generally not relocate them, just make them more active!
Where camps have been dispersed, they generally break into several smaller groups, based not too far from the original camp, primarily due to staying close to their food source.
They will move when the food supply runs out or when the weather changes.
Obviously this is not good news.
The Murrurundi camp is creating serious problems for residents including, noise, smell and safety concerns.
Council is pursuing all legal options however residents should understand flying-foxes are a protected species because they help pollinate plants and spread seeds.
Residents are urged to follow safety precautions.
All available information suggests that the risks to public health is low. Nevertheless, human health will always be foremost in any of council’s actions.
Council contacted the Department of Education and the Murrurundi Public School and actions taken include parts of the grounds being partitioned off, eating inside, wearing hats outside and, of course, hand-washing.
The camp is not impacting on the water supply in Murrurundi which is being sourced from further up the river.
Murrurundi’s drinking water is chlorinated and tested daily to ensure the water meets Australian drinking water guidelines.
Information on flying foxes has been distributed to households and council staff have been door knocking residents and businesses in Murrurundi.
Interactive surveys about the Murrurundi and the Aberdeen camps are on council’s website www.upperhunter.nsw.gov.au and their results will help create a camp management plan for the Shire
Council will soon be holding a public information session about flying foxes in Murrurundi.
Murrurundi’s drinking water is chlorinated and tested daily to ensure the water meets Australian drinking water guidelines.
Information on flying foxes has been distributed to households and council staff have been door knocking residents and businesses in Murrurundi.
Interactive surveys about the Murrurundi and the Aberdeen camps are on council’s website www.upperhunter.nsw.gov.au and their results will help create a camp management plan for the Shire
Council will soon be holding a public information session about flying foxes in Murrurundi.
sm done
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