A $15,000 grant for the Nambucca Shire Council was approved in order to manage the fallout from the flying fox camps, with council contributing a further $19,200 as a requirement of accepting the grant.

The funding is part of the $1 million Flying-Fox Grant Program, which is funded by the Office of Environment and Heritage and administered by The Local Government NSW (LGNSW).

The grant allows for the removal of dead trees and debris blocking the walking trail and minor improvements to ensure it is safe for public use.

There will also be action to regenerate the rainforest canopy and provide educational signs about the rainforest and the flying foxes to the public.

While the grant is good news, there is still no answer to the question on everyone’s lips.

Nambucca Heads locals are generally united in their enmity of the flying ferals.

Many have expressed their frustration at the slowness of a resolution to this problem and show concern that the council may have been ignoring the problem and favouring other less-sensitive issues.

The council is waiting to see if it will be allocated more funding through the program as part of a long-term management plan of the colony. 

The draft version of the Flying Fox Management Plan which has been developed by EcoSURE for the Nambucca Shire Council is currently being exhibited to the public until July 28.

As far as the handling of the actual flying foxes themselves is concerned, any further action will have to wait until the finished plan is approved by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage.

Mayor Rhonda Hoban is pleased that the grant has been approved and is keen to move on the problem.

“One way or another we've got a lot of cleaning up to do, so we’ll do a clean-up while we’re waiting to hear what’s to be done with the bats,” said mayor Hoban.

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“Flying foxes are a protected species and play a crucial role in pollinating native forests and spreading seeds to ensure longevity of the Australian bush,” an LGNSW spokeswoman said.

“But in recent times these camps have come into greater and greater collision with residential areas – possibly due to the greater reliable food supply offered by native eucalypt plantings and backyard fruit trees, although climate change and the warming created by increased urbanisation may also play a role.”