Draft Upper Hunter Flying-Fox Camp Management Plan

Upper Hunter Shire Council has developed a flying-fox camp management plan to provide Council and the community a clear framework for the management of the Murrurundi flying-fox camp and the Aberdeen and Scone flying-fox camps.

The objectives of the camp management plan is to:

• Minimise impacts to the community, while conserving flying-foxes and their habitat
• Provide a reasonable level of amenity for the surrounding community
• Manage public health and safety risks
• Clearly define roles and responsibilities
• Enable land managers and other stakeholders to use a range of suitable management responses to sustainably manage flying-foxes
• Effectively communicate with stakeholders during planning and implementation of management activities
• Ensure management is sympathetic to flying-fox behaviours and requirements
• Improve community understanding and appreciation of flying-foxes, including their critical ecological role
• Ensure flying-fox welfare is a priority during all works
• Ensure camp management is consistent with broader conservation management strategies that may be developed to protect threatened species/communities
• Ensure camp management does not contribute to loss of biodiversity or increase threats to threatened species/communities
• Clearly outline the camp management actions that have been approved and will be utilised at the camp
• Ensure management activities are consistent with the NSW Flying-fox Camp Management Policy (OEH 2018)

Although the flying-fox camps at Aberdeen and Scone have now dissipated, the adoption of the management plan will ensure that contingency measures are in place in the event that the flying-foxes return in the future.

The draft management plan can be viewed at Council’s Offices at 135 Liverpool Street, Scone and 47 Mayne Street, Murrurundi during normal business hours. The draft plan can be downloaded below:

Draft Upper Hunter Flying-Fox Camp Management Plan(PDF, 5MB)

Exhibition Period: from 8 October 2025 to 5 November 2025

Written submissions should be addressed to:
General Manager
Upper Hunter Shire Council
PO Box 208, Scone NSW 2337
Email: council@upperhunter.nsw.gov.au

Written submissions are invited from members of the public, and should be addressed to the General Manager. Submissions should be received by close of business 4:30 pm, 5 November 2025.