Reform urged as native animals face deadly spring
Koala Azaliah and Joey Zali were hit by a car shortly after 40 eucalyptus trees at their home were destroyed.
Mother and baby recovered after intensive care at the Northern Rivers Koala Hospital in Lismore, NSW, and were released back into the wild in October.
But Guinevere, another Joey, was not so lucky; He died after being hit by a car with his mother.
The pair were among the estimated 10 million native animals killed on Australian roads each year.
Although there are measures known to make roads safer for wildlife, new research has warned that these optional design standards are often ignored.
Wildlife could be protected through underpasses, shade bridges and exclusion fences, but their construction was often left to the discretion of budget-conscious developers, according to an analysis led by Griffith University.
“Ten million animals… that’s an incredibly large number,” road ecologist and lead author of the study Christopher Johnson told AAP.
“If we approached building a wildlife bridge with the same approach as a pedestrian bridge, we would have much better results.”
Queensland and Victoria are the only states that include wildlife-sensitive rules in their road designs, although their standards are voluntary.
“These rules are not a must-have, they are a nice-to-have,” Dr Johnson said.
“Nice-to-haves don’t always make it to the end of the project.”
The study called for biodiversity to be at the center of infrastructure planning rather than being left open to interpretation.
Dr Johnson said wildlife-sensitive road design should be part of the government’s ongoing nature law reforms.
“This is a really good opportunity to try and get more ecology advice early in the project stages,” he said.
Spring is a high-risk season for wildlife; because animals move on roads to breed and search for food.
According to statistics from the local koala hospital, up to 80 koalas are killed on Northern River roads every year, and 80 percent of koalas hit by cars do not survive their injuries.
Drivers are warned to slow down, especially in known habitats, and pay attention to signs indicating recent sightings.
“These events often occur along major transport corridors where habitat has been cleared or fragmented, forcing koalas to travel through busy roads to reach food trees, shelter or breeding partners,” said the hospital’s chief veterinarian, Kate Thomas.
“We cannot continue to rely on voluntary rules that leave wildlife exposed in known hotspots.”
