Hartsuyker to Maintain Pressure on Maclean Bats

Reports that the Federal Government had removed its opposition to the removal of the flying fox colony in Maclean were welcomed today (Monday) by the Nationals’ Federal Member for Cowper, Luke Hartsuyker.

However, said he would continue to press his Private Member’s Bill to remove the Federal Government from the decision-making process and prevent it putting unreasonable conditions on any removal scheme.  The Bill is due to be introduced next Monday.

“If these reports are confirmed, then I welcome them,” said Mr Hartsuyker.  “At long last, the residents of Maclean can hope to be rid of this colony which has ruined their quality of life and made life particularly unpleasant for the staff and pupils at the school.

“If we now have a means of relocating this colony when it returns to Maclean, that is a very welcome development. I find it suspicious that the Federal Government has finally taken action just one week before my Bill is presented in the House of Representatives. At this stage, I intend to proceed with my Bill as an insurance policy against further, possibly unreasonable, conditions being imposed by the Federal Government.

“For instance, it appears that the Environment Department has placed an upper limit of 2,500 on the number of bats that can be relocated.  My Bill sets no limit.

“I have also written to the Minister for the Environment, Tony Burke, stressing the importance of identifying a suitable alternative site for the colony where it will not cause the kind of nuisance it has caused in Maclean.  If we don’t do this, then we run the risk of the colony returning to another part of the town.”