Thursday, 18 June 2026

 Gaelle BROAD (Northern Victoria) (03:53): (2613) My adjournment is to the Minister for Education. Bendigo Senior Secondary College, which has more than 1800 students, is adjacent to Rosalind Park, where a colony of grey-headed flying foxes has at times exceeded 38,000 bats. There is constant screeching and smell and the excrement on the footpaths has caused both staff and students to slip or fall over. The school recently purchased 30 umbrellas for staff undertaking yard duty to protect them from bat droppings as thousands of bats constantly fly above the school grounds. Rosalind Park was once a stunning public park and a space where students could go to relax during breaks. Many residents are saying that the smell and noise of the bats have made the park unusable. The fernery opposite the school’s front entrance remains locked up and closed to the public because it is now home to the colony of bats. When a colony of bats were located at the botanic gardens in Melbourne, they were relocated. Will the government take action to relocate the bats from Rosalind Park in Bendigo and protect the health, safety and wellbeing of staff, students and the wider community?