The sky turns black when close to 20,000 bats take flight in the middle of the day, says Macquarie Fields resident Jim Bucknall.
“It’s just terrible here living with so many bats around the neighbourhood,’’ he tells the South West Voice this afternoon when we call to discuss a letter he has sent Campbelltown Council pleading for urgent action to clean up the home of the bats, Redfern Creek, pictured above.
The Myee Road resident sounds exasperated by council’s continual lack of urgency to attack a problem that’s been going on for more than a decade.
“We started complaining to council in 2017 and we’re still waiting for something to happen,’’ Mr Bucknall said.
“And in the meantime the bat colony just got larger and larger.’’
The letter on behalf of the residents was sent to Kevin Lynch, the Campbelltown Council director of city delivery.
There has been no reply as yet.
“The residents are getting frustrated as you and your staff have known about this matter for some time and still no action has been taken,’’ Mr Bucknall said in the letter.
“Mr Lynch, no practical work has been done for the residents.
“Redfern Creek is so overgrown with weeds and vegetation … residents would appreciate more action from you and your staff to remove obnoxious weeds and vegetation from Redfern Creek starting immediately.’’
Mr Bucknall says currently most of the bats [also known as grey headed flying fox, a protected species] have left the Macquarie Fields colony, so it’s an ideal time to clean out their “home’’ in Redfern Creek.
“If we clean up the creek the bats may be gone for good,’’ he says.
“So will the rats and snakes.’’
Mr Bucknall said morale among residents was “low’’ after years of living in such nightmarish conditions.
“The stink in summer is just unbelievable,’’ he says.
