Wollongong City Council will implement a Microbat Management Plan at the construction site of the West Dapto Road upgrade after a colony of a threatened microbat species was recently discovered in a culvert set for demolition.
Southern Myotis microbats are known for their disproportionally large hairy feet and feed on mosquitos and small fish. They're listed as a threatened species under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. The recent find came at a key phase of the road works that have required a full closure to vehicle traffic since July last year.
How they were discovered during West Dapto Road Works
The colony of Southern Myotis microbats was discovered following demolition of the pavement above a culvert between Shone Avenue and Rainbird Drive
Inspection of the culvert had been undertaken as part of Council's environmental assessment of the site prior to the works starting but found no indication of microbats. Their presence only became apparent once demolition of the culvert began and they were found in narrow gaps within the concrete structure. Demolition was immediately halted to allow an ecologist to survey the site through ultrasonic testing to confirm the finding.
Why are Southern Myotis bats important?
The colony of microbats are among only 10,000 surviving Southern Myotis bats in Australia, which have only recently been discovered in the Illawarra region by the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) researchers.
The largest bats of the species only weigh around 40 grams and are typically found in heavily wooded areas. However, in areas undergoing urbanisation, they have increasingly been found seeking shelter in bridges and road culverts.
Microbats play an important role in our ecosystem and, where discovered, must be carefully managed to ensure their survival. Council is working with our contractor to develop a Microbat Management Plan and seeking approval from the DCCEEW to proceed with microbat relocation measures.
The Southern Myotis is listed as a threatened species under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and unlawfully harming, killing, or intentionally damaging a colony's roost can result in significant fines for individuals or corporations.
What this means for work on West Dapto Road
Wildlife behaviour is difficult to predict, so there is currently no fixed timeframe by which we anticipate the colony will move on, particularly as this species is known to hibernate over winter.
The need to responsibly manage the discovery and eventual departure of the microbat colony will likely extend the full closure to vehicle traffic beyond the initially planned mid-2026 re-opening. Council can only continue demolition of the culvert once the microbats have moved on.
At this stage, we're working with DCCEEW to get a plan in place as soon as possible. It's not the first time Council has had to develop and enact a Microbat Management Program with the mammals found in other culverts in the past. This has been successfully managed and the projects able to be completed.
Lord Mayor of Wollongong Councillor Tania Brown said it is not news Council wanted or expected to deliver.
"It's the nature of these projects to expect hurdles and issues will arise, but it's fair to say microbats are an unwelcome hurdle as we reached this stage of construction,' Cr Brown said.
"We understand it's extremely frustrating for residents who've already shown so much patience and understanding through the road closure. It's something entirely unexpected, but we do have to act in an environmentally responsible way in all we do, particularly when it comes to threatened species.
"We'll put a plan in place to manage the presence of the bats and make sure we take all the right steps to mitigate the impacts on the project, bearing in mind that we can't put a definitive timeline on their departure.
"We're working with our contractors to limit the impact of these issues and minimise delays as much as possible through changing the order of works and looking at project staging to work around the sensitive site.
"We still have fixed detours in place so people can reliably plan their journeys, and we'll continue to look at options to re-open the road to traffic as soon as possible. I thank West Dapto residents for their continued patience as we deliver this vital road upgrade to meet the long-term needs of this rapidly growing community."
What happens next on West Dapto Road?
To date, Council has completed extensive works on the site, including the modification and relocation of essential electrical, gas, NBN, communications, wastewater and water supply infrastructure, as well as extensive earth works on the northern side of the road. Work has also progressed in the milling of the existing road pavement in preparation for new pavement construction.
Works to the east and west of the microbat habitat will continue, including stormwater pit and pipe construction, remaining culvert upgrade works, remaining service relocations, pedestrian bridge construction, with shared paths and road pavement to follow shortly thereafter.
While we are unable to re-open the road to traffic prior to reconstructing the culvert where the microbats were discovered, we will work as quickly as possible to get West Dapto Road reopened to traffic. Alternative routes will remain in place for all traffic, including school buses.
We are committed to keeping our community updated as we finalise the details of the Microbat Management Plan and get a clearer indication of anticipated timeframes.
You can stay updated by checking out our West Dapto Road project page
