Waikato’s new bat strategy will see mana whenua, Councils, and the Department of Conservation (DOC) work together to protect bats and restore critical habitats. The strategy put forward by the Waikato Bat Alliance was endorsed unanimously today (22 February) by Hamilton City Council’s Environment Committee.

“It’s exciting to see a framework for collaboration in this strategy, that boosts the work we’re already doing to protect the city’s beloved long-tailed bat” said Environment Committee Deputy Chair Councillor Sarah Thomson.

At the centre of the new strategy is the vision that pekapeka-tou-roa – the long-tailed bat is flourishing and treasured in a growing and developing Waikato region.

While the long-tailed bats are widely distributed across the region, Hamilton is unique as it’s the only large urban environment with significant bat populations living in the city. Our bats are concentrated in the southern end of the city, where they roam the deep, dense gully systems and along the Waikato River.

“We’re already doing a lot of work across Council that supports the strategy” said Jamie Sirl, Team Leader – City Planning.

Council is currently reviewing parts of the District Plan – our rule book for development – to identify and protect significant habitats of indigenous fauna while the city grows.

“We take our role seriously when it comes to balancing Hamilton’s growth and new residential developments alongside protecting known bat habitats and ensuring the species thrives the city” said Sirl.

In Peacocke, in the southwest of the city, we’re making Hamilton’s biggest investment in growth while protecting and enhancing the environment through gully restoration, pest control and the installation of artificial bat roosts.

The strategy sets the framework for the ongoing partnership and Council supports the three key workstreams :

• collaborative planning and policy development,
• coordinated research and data sharing, and
• community-focused education and empowerment.

Education is a critical component of the strategy and Council will continue to work with Project Echo and University of Waikato students to support ongoing bat education and research.

“There’s still a lot of work to do to increase awareness of our critically endangered bats. We know that the more people learn, the more they will want to celebrate and protect them” said Thomson.

The Waikato Bat Alliance is a partnership between Hamilton City Council, Waikato-Tainui, Te Haa o te whenua o Kirikiriroa (THaWK), Nga Iwi Toopu o Waipa (NITOW), Waikato Regional Council, Waipaa District Council, Waikato District Council and DOC.

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