The meeting will look at finalising a draft version of a public survey set to gather detail and local historical evidence about flying fox infestations in and around Tamworth.

Tamworth Regional Council’s environment manager Ross Briggs said the survey was designed to look at the impact, the distribution of bats, and also ask the public what sort of action they want authorities to take about the bat camps now in Tamworth.

The survey is part of designing a management plan.

Mr Briggs said it appeared the main camp which had been centred on an area along the banks of the Peel River down King George V Ave had now splintered.

The camp had grown to about 80,000, made up of grey-headed and red flying foxes, according to recent estimates.

For the past few weeks, the trees of Bicentennial Park in the centre of the city have been home to another invasion of bats but Mr Briggs said it appeared many of these were not new to Tamworth but had moved from the Paradise end of the riverbank to the park, where there was more food. Mr Briggs said TRC staff had been working closely with the Office of Environment and Heritage over the issues but moving bats on was not a simple exercise.