Bats causing concerns for Linville locals

A NUMBER of Linville residents are becoming prisoners in their own home, with bat colonies roosting in trees in their backyards.

BATTY! The common sight in Linville where thousands of bats are roosting.

A NUMBER of Linville residents are becoming prisoners in their own home, with bat colonies roosting in trees in their backyards.

Linville local Glenn Arentz raised her hand at the Linville community meeting on Saturday, saying she can't leave her driveway without walking under a roost of bats.

"I can't put the washing out on the line, I can't let the kids outside, everything seems to be favouring the bats," she said.

"They (bats) haven't left the area for four years."

The community voiced their frustration surrounding the 500,000-strong roosting bat colony currently living in town causing health concerns and "ruining their lives".

About 60 residents attended the meeting where Somerset Regional Council mayor Graeme Lehmann assured the community they were doing everything they could to relocate the mixed species of bats.

"At council we've come up with a set of plans where we've put money aside for when we can implement our plans," Cr Lehmann said.

However, due to the flying foxes being protected under the Nature Conservation Act, moving the disease-carrying mammals out of the area has caused complications.

"Council will spend more than $200,000 to begin clearing of vegetation surrounding bat colonies in Somerset, as soon as we're able to by law," Cr Lehmann said.

The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection said councils had an as-of-right authority under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 to manage flying-fox roosts (including roost dispersal and vegetation modification) in urban flying-fox management areas, provided they comply with a code of practice.