THE impact of flying fox colonies in urban areas is set to be debated in the NSW Parliament following the tabling of a petition with more than 10,000 signatures.
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And Port Macquarie resident Brian Redding is ecstatic.
He said the matter was a public health issue which needed to be resolved.
Mr Redding has lived opposite Kooloonbung Creek Nature Reserve for the past seven years.
"At 3.30 in the morning when they come back from their feeding session, it's a screaming match for about three hours," he said.
"The noise is so loud it does wake you up and the smell hits you right between the eyes."
Mr Redding would like to see the flying foxes moved further up the creek to opposite Lake Road and Ocean Drive.
Port Macquarie MP Leslie Williams launched a local petition in May after a growing number of people complained about the smell, noise and potential health related issues arising from the flying fox colony in the Kooloonbung Creek Nature Reserve in Port Macquarie.
"The petition's release coincided with similar petitions from a number of other areas around NSW with the same community concerns," Mrs Williams said.
"I believe we need a sensible and mature discussion about how best to manage the co-habitation of flying foxes and humans and I don't think what we currently have is working.
"At the moment nothing is happening to move forward on this issue and if that means discussing ways to potentially relocate the flying foxes or to leave them where they are then it should be done."
Mrs Williams said if relocation was determined as the best option, then it must be done with a workable and practical management plan.
"Conversely if leaving the colonies alone is decided, then implementing council's adopted management plan must be done immediately and be adequately funded with state government financial assistance if requested," she said.
"Clearly 10,000 people were concerned enough to sign a petition calling for action on this environmental issue and I look forward to the debate in Parliament.
"I thank the more than one thousand local people who signed the petition as well as the many community members who made the effort to collect signature."
