At the recent council meeting Cr Griff proposed a three-pronged attack to help deal with the potential conflict between residential and conservation land uses.

In her successful motion Cr Griff has asked council to prioritise completion of the Bega Valley Shire Flying Fox Camp Management Plan and to identify appropriate management measures for grey-headed flying foxes in the shire.

Cr Griff said there are two semi-permanent flying-fox camps: one at Glebe Wetlands in Bega and one at Panboola wetland in Pambula.

"In addition, there are several other smaller, intermittently used camps in the shire (at Eden, Wallaga Lake Heights, Candelo and Cobargo) and potential for new, seasonal camps to become established," Cr Griff said.

"While flying-foxes typically don't occupy these camps in winter, their presence in the vicinity of residential populations of Bega and Pambula creates conflict between residential and conservation land uses and has the potential to adversely affect the viability of the flying-fox populations in the shire."

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As part of the motion Cr Griff asked council to engage with relevant officers in Eurobodalla and Shoalhaven Councils to investigate successful strategies that have been applied.

Numbers in the shire increased after the Black Summer bushfires due to loss of habitat further north.

The motion also asked staff to work with key stakeholders such as the Bournda Environmental Education Centre, Pambula Wetlands and Heritage Projects Inc, Friends of Glebe Wetlands, and the Biodiversity and Conservation Division (BCD) in Department of Planning and Environment to increase community understanding of the importance of protecting the grey-headed flying fox and its habitat in Bega Valley Shire.

The grey-headed flying fox is listed as a threatened species under both NSW and Commonwealth threatened species legislation.

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