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RELATED CONTENT: Class action threat Moving bats ‘not easy’ Letters to the Editor MORE RELATED CONTENT BELOW Eurobodalla Shire Councillors Liz Innes and Milton Leslight have renewed calls for the council and the state government to take action on the bat population in the Batemans Bay Water Gardens. Over several years, the bat population at the gardens has increased in size and many residents say they are at breaking point. There are now reports bats have moved into Catalina and Surfside. Cr Innes said if the gardens hadn’t been neglected, the bats wouldn’t be there. “We are all responsible for this. The neglect that has gone on for at least 10 years has created a nearly perfect environment for the bats,” she said. “As a community, if we had looked after that space, the bats wouldn’t be there. “Community and council neglect has made it like this.” Although people are criticizing the council over the issue, Cr Innes said it fell at the feet of the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH). “The council is coming under fire because Batemans Bay residents don’t feel they are being supported and the bats issue isn’t being looked at,” she said. “This is an OEH issue. The have said they can’t do anything because the bats are a threatened and endangered species. “They value the bats over the human population. The council’s hands are tied to a certain extent.” Cr Innes said it was not as simple as bulldozing the trees and killing the bats. “This is not an acceptable situation for the people of Batemans Bay. Something has to be done,” she said. “OEH said if the bats were to be moved on from the water gardens, they would only move elsewhere. “But, they said in the interim, the bats would not go far from their original nesting site and to get ready to move them on quickly. They identified spots around Batemans Bay that they could potentially move to. “There is no other spot where they could have more of an impact than where they are now.” RELATED CONTENT: Bat poop has them in a flap – 2012 Bats back in town, blossoms slower Bat story creates a flap Cr Innes said it was time for council to stand with the community. “The bats are having a severe impact on people’s state of mind,” she said. “At the very least, the council should look at what we can do, not what we can’t do because of the costs. We need to be serious about finding a solution.” Cr Leslight said the bats were affecting property values. “I would say property values have lost anywhere between 15 and 20 per cent,” he said. “A unit sold for $215,000 recently in South Street, but it should have sold for about $250,000. “Not only that, people can’t rent their houses out and people are moving out of the area because their quality of life is deteriorating. People renting close to the water gardens are moving out.” RELATED CONTENT: Bat busting, Walbunja style Help us stop the bats Goverment strategy for bats Innes wins support for meeting Bats drove teen from disability activity Bats getting bad rap Classical music scares off bats Loud music to scare bats illegal No end to innundation

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