Council trials virtual fence to save wildlife
Published on 20 February 2024
Council has installed virtual fencing in Bawley Point to reduce animal and vehicle collisions in the area as part of a 12-month trial.
The trial is located along Murramarang Road, just south of Voyager Cresent. It is 1km long and has fence posts positioned at 25-metre intervals along the roadside, emitting light and sound when a vehicle approaches to deter native wildlife from the road.
Mayor Amanda Findley is optimistic about the trial, anticipating favourable outcomes particularly between dusk and dawn.
“The trial represents a proactive step towards enhancing road safety and safeguarding wildlife at Bawley Point,” Cr Findley said.
“This area is known to have a lot of wildlife fatalities, which puts our motorists at risk of injury,” she said.
“Eurobodalla has already reported astounding results from their trial with a significant reduction in the amount of wildlife strikes.”
Eurobodalla’s trial yielded impressive results, reducing wildlife strikes from five incidents per week to five incidents in eight months. Therefore, we anticipate a substantial decline in roadkill numbers throughout the trial period.
The trial was endorsed by council in 2023/24 as a means to enhance the safety of our road users and protect our valuable local wildlife.
To support the trial’s data collection and identify future hotspots, community members are encouraged to use the iNaturalist App and website to document roadkill incidents, along with contacting Council on 1300 293 111 to remove deceased animals.