The submission, which is a joint effort of Singleton Council, zoologist Dr John Nelson, Hunter Land Management and the Singleton Flying Fox Steering Committee, aims to address the guidelines set out by the Federal Government’s Department of the Environment.

The department has said the requirement for a licence to be granted is for the proposed relocation plan to undergo a public environment report

The report will assess of the impacts of the proposed actions on listed threatened species (grey headed flying fox and little red flying fox) under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

Items that council has to cover in its submission includes any alternatives to the proposed relocation, relevant impacts, safeguards and mitigation measures, consultation, and council’s environmental record.

Council’s submission goes through the process that will be used in the relocation, in that people will generate enough noise to disturb the flying foxes, and they will then be herded from the camp in Burdekin Park by a line of people surrounding the camp on all sides, except for the direction of the new camp, who slowly advance on the colony while making noise.

The submission states that the aim at all times is to use the minimum amount of disturbance to achieve the necessary response.

The preferred site for relocation is Fern Gully.

Singleton Council’s manager of parks and facilities, Alan Fletcher, said the draft document was currently being examined by members of the Flying Fox Steering Committee.

He said he hoped to have a finished copy down in Canberra in the first week of March and hoped to have a pre-lodgement meeting with relevant Department of the Environment representatives.

“The meeting would just be to ensure that we have covered the bases as they wish, and give ourselves a higher chance of success” Mr Fletcher said.