Flying fox phase one thanks

Batemans Bay's flying fox dispersal crew returned from their final pre-dawn mission on Saturday morning to find a big thank you breakfast ready for them. Council's Director of Planning and Sustainability, Lindsay Usher, who was a regular member of the dispersal team since they started in mid-June, thanked everyone for their dedication to an often difficult task.

"What we've achieved is a credit to the personnel who have worked together to nudge the flying foxes away from residential areas. This allowed Council to get in and clear vegetation buffers around the Water Gardens and residential areas of Catalina. We know that moving the flying foxes away from people's homes and the clearing has brought huge relief for many residents already, and that was our main objective for this stage of the dispersal," he said.

"This year's flying fox population was absolutely unprecedented and with any luck we won't see them back in those numbers. It was the extraordinary spotted gum bloom that attracted the huge population this year and the science tells us that won't happen again for at least a few years. However, we know the flying foxes move to food sources and there will always be a good food supply in Eurobodalla.

"The vegetation buffers mean there is now a good separation between people's homes and flying fox habitats, so when the flying foxes do return later this year, hopefully we won't see residents so badly impacted.

"We'll still be monitoring the flying foxes, but we're not permitted to do any more active dispersal while they're pregnant and with their young. We will continue to take action in accordance with the NSW and Australian government approvals and our three-year dispersal plan."

Mr Usher urged the community to keep letting Council know if they see flying foxes roosting anywhere during the day by using the online form to report it.

Council continues to clean up the cleared areas and will return the Water Gardens to turfed and natural areas.

Left: Shawn Warren, 10, and his brother Connor, 8, joined their dad Dan Bell on the final day of dispersal activities on Saturday. The boys were up before dawn, banging pots and pans and sounding sirens at the dispersal site behind the golf course. Dan's family were badly impacted by the flying foxes and they eventually moved, but that didn't stop him joining the dispersal crew every morning. "As a family, we like to be part of the community. There's lots of older people where we live who aren't able to help, so we said ‘let's do it'."

Right: Colin Gibson and Daniel Hogan, both from Broulee, have been part of the dispersal crew from the start. Pictured with ecologist Jason Berrigan (left), who ran the dispersal site for Council, both men say the results of this first stage of dispersal should make locals happy. "Council's done a great job of the vegetation clearing, and those buffers should make a big difference," Mr Gibson said.

Below: Batemans Bay's flying fox dispersal crew enjoyed a celebratory breakfast on Saturday at the Batemans Bay Community Centre after their final morning of dispersal.