Residents in south Maitland are fed up with the stench and noise from the local flying fox population.
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The story of Cessnock’s bats prompted a call for Maitland City Council to deal with the animals that have established themselves near the Maitland Showground.
“They are in Blomfield Street, Wallace and Evans streets,” resident John Carlson said.
“I have lived here for 40 years and every night I can hear them.
“They get in your roof and your gutters and the smell is disgusting.”
The mess on the kerbside is the main issue because it is not regularly cleaned and causes the smell to linger, Mr Carlson said.
He said it was only cleaned up every few weeks unless the annual show is on.
“It is disgraceful,” neighbouring resident Pat Underwood said.
“It has gotten worse, especially between dusk and night fall.
“I ring up nearly every week and council does nothing.”
Residents want to see the flying fox habitat trees, such as the Moreton Bay figs, trimmed so there is less space for the bats to roost.
A council spokesman said residents had advised that flying foxes are feeding on the fruit of the Moreton Bay figs in the showground and this has been a regular occurrence for many years.
“The flying foxes are feeding, not camping, so the numbers would be dependent on the availability of feed at any particular time,” the spokesman said.
“The feed trees are on private land, so at this stage the landowner would need to consider what, if any, action they might like to pursue.
“Council can assist with advice.”
