HIS FAMILY farm rests on the edge of the Condamine River, opposite the racecourse, which also happens to be the new home of the bats.

Steve Clarke races and breeds horses, some worth more than $50,000.

But for Mr Clarke the decision to vaccinate his horses against hendra virus didn't come lightly.

"I can't keep the horses in the far paddock anymore," he said.

"I'm extremely concerned about my horses, but the vaccine against virus is concerning as well.

"No one seems to know the side affects of it. What happens if my breeding horse becomes infertile after the injection?"

Mr Clarke said the bats welfare seemed to be more important than humans.

"Does someone have to die before they will start culling the bats? They need to be culled. They can't just be moved on to be someone else's problem."

Mr Clarke said he also had concern for the river system.

"They are destroying all the trees along the river," he said.

"Their faeces is going in the river and livestock drink that water. There's also farmers using that water to irrigate crops."

Mr Clarke received a letter from the council yesterday stating they would not continue to move the bats on because some had young.

Doctor Jonathan Luly from the School of Earth and Environmental Services said it would be a couple of months before the bats moved on.

"At the moment the black headed flying foxes have young," he said.

"The bats are still able to fly when they have young, the babies just hold onto the mother.

"When the young get too big to hold on they will be left at the tree while the mother goes in search of food.''

Dr Luly said the little red flying fox young matured more quickly than the black headed foxes.

"The little red flying foxes usually give birth around April," he said.

"Their young do grow up quicker than the black ones but it will still be a few months before they can fly. The flying foxes won't leave the area while they have young."

Mayor Peter Blundell said he was concerned about the bats' location.

"I'm concerned the flying foxes are still located in the urban area," he said.

"I am aware there are horses in close proximity to the colony."

Cr Blundell said the council had been advised by the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection that a recommendation to cease relocation would be passed on to the delegate who had responsibility for overseeing permit operations.

"This is based on the fact that there are now grey headed flying foxes included in the colony, and they have young," he said.

"They are also on the Federal Environmental register. Federal approval would need to be sought to continue relocation."

Cr Blundell said as the little red flying foxes became more heavily pregnant, further attempts to move them would cause excessive stress.

Cr Blundell said the council was trying to ensure the roost was "unappealing'' by managing vegetation along the Condamine River.