People ranked second to bats It's just plain batty, Barry / Digitally altered image Source: DailyTelegraph THE notorious Pacific Highway has claimed more than 850 lives over the past 23 years but now a colony of endangered bats threatens to delay the much-needed upgrade by more than two years. After The Daily Telegraph exposed the delay last night, Premier Barry O'Farrell directed the Roads and Maritime Service not to change the approved route and he wants an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Tony Abbott to discuss slashing federal green tape delaying the project. His orders come despite the RMS already commissioning a detailed study into potential alternatives to save the Hendra virus-carrying bats and the launch of another community consultation process. The RMS is considering redesigning a 3km section of the proposed highway near Macksville, on the state's north coast, two years after it was given the green light because a colony of up to 10,000 endangered grey-headed flying foxes has been found living in a forest set to be cut down to make way for the new road. Despite the bats having not been spotted since July, the state government is canvassing four other routes that could see the construction cost of the project blow out by up to $10 million and 24 homes bulldozed. Aleesha Ward says her family will lose under one proposal / Picture: Lindsay Moller Source: No Source The Warrell Creek to Nambucca Heads upgrade was approved in July 2011 after eight years of design and environmental checks, with early construction works already under way. But the project is under review after the bats set up camp along the route later that year. The original route that runs through the flying fox habitat is still on the table, but if an alternate route is selected, a new environmental impact study would have to be completed, adding at least 18 months to the project. Options for an alternate alignment south of Macksville due to the establishment of a grey-headed flying fox camp. Mr O'Farrell said federal legislation was holding up vital NSW projects and he wanted to discuss the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act with Mr Abbott. "We both share concerns about green tape, and I have had a gutful of federal legislation holding up the delivery of vital infrastructure upgrades in NSW,"" Mr O'Farrell said. The grey-headed flying foxes are listed as "vulnerable" and are protected under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act. Aleesha Ward, 24, said her family would lose part of their property if the government went ahead with the recommened route D option that would cut across the backyard. Nationals MP Luke Hartsuyker, whose Cowper electorate is home to the worst sections of the road, slammed the hold-up saying people should be put before bats.