'The worst we've had them': shock flying fox colony causes power outages

The Advertiser

08-05-2025

A colony of an estimated 100,000 flying foxes is wreaking havoc in the Upper Hunter, causing 14 power outages in Muswellbrook and Aberdeen over the past five weeks.
On Tuesday at 5.30am several grey-headed flying foxes flew into wires in Muswellbrook, causing a blackout for 15 minutes across the town.
While neighbouring Singleton has been plagued with bat colonies for 20 years around Burdekin Park, flying foxes have never been seen in such large numbers before in Muswellbrook.
It's believed the flying foxes have been attracted to the area due to an autumn flowering event. The bats eat nectar and pollen from eucalypts.
"We've had minor problems before, but nothing like this," Muswellbrook mayor Jeff Drayton told the Newcastle Herald.
"This is as bad as we've had them. It's estimated there are between 100,000 and 150,000 bats. It's certainly the worst we've had them."
The colony is predominantly roosting in trees along Muscle Creek, which runs through the centre of Muswellbrook between the New England Highway and the railway line and through the golf course.
"Right behind two motels in town is where it's worst," Cr Drayton said. "It's effectively right in the centre of town."
The grey-headed flying fox is listed as vulnerable under the federal Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, and it's illegal to harm or disturb them.
Muswellbrook Shire Council successfully applied for a threatened species licence from the NSW government, which allowed staff to trim trees last weekend at night.
Cr Drayton said the council had applied for another licence to expand the tree-trimming program along Muscle Creek.
"We trim the trees where they roost, and the idea is there are no branches on the trees, so there's nowhere to roost, and hopefully they move on," he said.
Muswellbrook council is providing free hire of high-pressure water cleaners, as well as washing line and car covers for residents whose properties are covered in bat droppings.
Ausgrid's Upper Hunter field manager, Adam Regan, confirmed there had been two power outages in Muswellbrook and 12 in Aberdeen that had been caused by the flying foxes.
"What we're finding in the Aberdeen area is they're roosting on some of the insulated wires and that's reducing the electrical clearance that's needed and causing the power to flash across to the pole and to short out," Mr Regan said.
"We're finding that some of the rainy, misty fog days are worse than others."
Ausgrid is in the process of upgrading the wires with fibreglass insulation on poles that have been "repeat offenders" in the power outages caused by the bats.
"We've got an engineering team looking at swapping them out for big fibreglass arms to increase the insulation properties and also looking to place some temporary insulation on the actual wires themselves to help insulate the bats from the electricity," Mr Regan said.
It is hoped the flying foxes will leave Muswellbrook and Aberdeen once the autumn flowering season ends.
A colony of an estimated 100,000 flying foxes is wreaking havoc in the Upper Hunter, causing 14 power outages in Muswellbrook and Aberdeen over the past five weeks.
On Tuesday at 5.30am several grey-headed flying foxes flew into wires in Muswellbrook, causing a blackout for 15 minutes across the town.
While neighbouring Singleton has been plagued with bat colonies for 20 years around Burdekin Park, flying foxes have never been seen in such large numbers before in Muswellbrook.
It's believed the flying foxes have been attracted to the area due to an autumn flowering event. The bats eat nectar and pollen from eucalypts.
"We've had minor problems before, but nothing like this," Muswellbrook mayor Jeff Drayton told the Newcastle Herald.
"This is as bad as we've had them. It's estimated there are between 100,000 and 150,000 bats. It's certainly the worst we've had them."
The colony is predominantly roosting in trees along Muscle Creek, which runs through the centre of Muswellbrook between the New England Highway and the railway line and through the golf course.
"Right behind two motels in town is where it's worst," Cr Drayton said. "It's effectively right in the centre of town."
The grey-headed flying fox is listed as vulnerable under the federal Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, and it's illegal to harm or disturb them.
Muswellbrook Shire Council successfully applied for a threatened species licence from the NSW government, which allowed staff to trim trees last weekend at night.
Cr Drayton said the council had applied for another licence to expand the tree-trimming program along Muscle Creek.
"We trim the trees where they roost, and the idea is there are no branches on the trees, so there's nowhere to roost, and hopefully they move on," he said.
Muswellbrook council is providing free hire of high-pressure water cleaners, as well as washing line and car covers for residents whose properties are covered in bat droppings.
Ausgrid's Upper Hunter field manager, Adam Regan, confirmed there had been two power outages in Muswellbrook and 12 in Aberdeen that had been caused by the flying foxes.
"What we're finding in the Aberdeen area is they're roosting on some of the insulated wires and that's reducing the electrical clearance that's needed and causing the power to flash across to the pole and to short out," Mr Regan said.
"We're finding that some of the rainy, misty fog days are worse than others."
Ausgrid is in the process of upgrading the wires with fibreglass insulation on poles that have been "repeat offenders" in the power outages caused by the bats.
"We've got an engineering team looking at swapping them out for big fibreglass arms to increase the insulation properties and also looking to place some temporary insulation on the actual wires themselves to help insulate the bats from the electricity," Mr Regan said.
It is hoped the flying foxes will leave Muswellbrook and Aberdeen once the autumn flowering season ends.
A colony of an estimated 100,000 flying foxes is wreaking havoc in the Upper Hunter, causing 14 power outages in Muswellbrook and Aberdeen over the past five weeks.
On Tuesday at 5.30am several grey-headed flying foxes flew into wires in Muswellbrook, causing a blackout for 15 minutes across the town.
While neighbouring Singleton has been plagued with bat colonies for 20 years around Burdekin Park, flying foxes have never been seen in such large numbers before in Muswellbrook.
It's believed the flying foxes have been attracted to the area due to an autumn flowering event. The bats eat nectar and pollen from eucalypts.
"We've had minor problems before, but nothing like this," Muswellbrook mayor Jeff Drayton told the Newcastle Herald.
"This is as bad as we've had them. It's estimated there are between 100,000 and 150,000 bats. It's certainly the worst we've had them."
The colony is predominantly roosting in trees along Muscle Creek, which runs through the centre of Muswellbrook between the New England Highway and the railway line and through the golf course.
"Right behind two motels in town is where it's worst," Cr Drayton said. "It's effectively right in the centre of town."
The grey-headed flying fox is listed as vulnerable under the federal Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, and it's illegal to harm or disturb them.
Muswellbrook Shire Council successfully applied for a threatened species licence from the NSW government, which allowed staff to trim trees last weekend at night.
Cr Drayton said the council had applied for another licence to expand the tree-trimming program along Muscle Creek.
"We trim the trees where they roost, and the idea is there are no branches on the trees, so there's nowhere to roost, and hopefully they move on," he said.
Muswellbrook council is providing free hire of high-pressure water cleaners, as well as washing line and car covers for residents whose properties are covered in bat droppings.
Ausgrid's Upper Hunter field manager, Adam Regan, confirmed there had been two power outages in Muswellbrook and 12 in Aberdeen that had been caused by the flying foxes.
"What we're finding in the Aberdeen area is they're roosting on some of the insulated wires and that's reducing the electrical clearance that's needed and causing the power to flash across to the pole and to short out," Mr Regan said.
"We're finding that some of the rainy, misty fog days are worse than others."
Ausgrid is in the process of upgrading the wires with fibreglass insulation on poles that have been "repeat offenders" in the power outages caused by the bats.
"We've got an engineering team looking at swapping them out for big fibreglass arms to increase the insulation properties and also looking to place some temporary insulation on the actual wires themselves to help insulate the bats from the electricity," Mr Regan said.
It is hoped the flying foxes will leave Muswellbrook and Aberdeen once the autumn flowering season ends.
A colony of an estimated 100,000 flying foxes is wreaking havoc in the Upper Hunter, causing 14 power outages in Muswellbrook and Aberdeen over the past five weeks.
On Tuesday at 5.30am several grey-headed flying foxes flew into wires in Muswellbrook, causing a blackout for 15 minutes across the town.
While neighbouring Singleton has been plagued with bat colonies for 20 years around Burdekin Park, flying foxes have never been seen in such large numbers before in Muswellbrook.
It's believed the flying foxes have been attracted to the area due to an autumn flowering event. The bats eat nectar and pollen from eucalypts.
"We've had minor problems before, but nothing like this," Muswellbrook mayor Jeff Drayton told the Newcastle Herald.
"This is as bad as we've had them. It's estimated there are between 100,000 and 150,000 bats. It's certainly the worst we've had them."
The colony is predominantly roosting in trees along Muscle Creek, which runs through the centre of Muswellbrook between the New England Highway and the railway line and through the golf course.
"Right behind two motels in town is where it's worst," Cr Drayton said. "It's effectively right in the centre of town."
The grey-headed flying fox is listed as vulnerable under the federal Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, and it's illegal to harm or disturb them.
Muswellbrook Shire Council successfully applied for a threatened species licence from the NSW government, which allowed staff to trim trees last weekend at night.
Cr Drayton said the council had applied for another licence to expand the tree-trimming program along Muscle Creek.
"We trim the trees where they roost, and the idea is there are no branches on the trees, so there's nowhere to roost, and hopefully they move on," he said.
Muswellbrook council is providing free hire of high-pressure water cleaners, as well as washing line and car covers for residents whose properties are covered in bat droppings.
Ausgrid's Upper Hunter field manager, Adam Regan, confirmed there had been two power outages in Muswellbrook and 12 in Aberdeen that had been caused by the flying foxes.
"What we're finding in the Aberdeen area is they're roosting on some of the insulated wires and that's reducing the electrical clearance that's needed and causing the power to flash across to the pole and to short out," Mr Regan said.
"We're finding that some of the rainy, misty fog days are worse than others."
Ausgrid is in the process of upgrading the wires with fibreglass insulation on poles that have been "repeat offenders" in the power outages caused by the bats.
"We've got an engineering team looking at swapping them out for big fibreglass arms to increase the insulation properties and also looking to place some temporary insulation on the actual wires themselves to help insulate the bats from the electricity," Mr Regan said.
It is hoped the flying foxes will leave Muswellbrook and Aberdeen once the autumn flowering season ends.