The government announced this week it would make $1 million available to councils for preparing flying fox camp management plans, implementing plans and emergency actions for camps where there were significant community impacts.

The grant allocation process will be administered by Local Government NSW in accordance with terms agreed with by the Office of Environment and Heritage.

At the same time, Mr Speakman also announced $2.5 million to assist with managing a flying fox colony at Batemans Bay that numbers more than 100,000 animals, and revealed Singleton council had been issued with a licence to deal with a colony in Burdekin Park, which has sustained so much damage it’s been closed to the public.

Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall, who tabled a petition in state parliament in 2014 calling for a better management strategy in dealing with flying fox colonies in urban and built-up areas, urged local councils to apply for the funding assistance.

“I’ve seen first-hand the devastation that flying fox camps cause,” he said.

Mr Marshall referred to a colony that camped on the McIntyre River in Inverell several years ago that “laid waste to riparian vegetation and was problematic for residents”, and another at Blair Athol near Inverell that destroyed century-old trees and severely damaged the business operated from the property.

“The smell and noise was horrendous, and very damaging to a once-thriving hospitality business. At Blair Athol and nearby, people could not use their rainwater tanks because of contamination from the bats,” he said.

“And flying foxes carry Hendra virus and lyssavirus, both potentially fatal diseases.”

Ross Briggs, manager regulatory services for Tamworth Regional Council, said they were keen for more information about the initiative and to look at how the council could tap into the available funding.

The council area has had problems with colonies in Tamworth, Barraba and Manilla, and last year secured $10,000 from the Office of Environment and Heritage to help draw up a flying fox camp management plan.

Mr Brigss said this week’s announcement was welcome given it was coming up to the time of year when the animals would start to return in numbers.