DEAR News Of The Area,

ON 3 and 4 November two more koalas were found dead on the side of the road on the M1 struck by cars near Repton in the Pine Creek area.

This is in addition to other koala deaths further up the highway at Bonville in September which NOTA reported on.

I am in the process of discussing with authorities what can be done to prevent further deaths as with another local Bonville koala death, this brings the total to five in three months.

Remembering that the koala is an endangered species and that our local koala population in nearby Pine Creek and Bongil Bongil is one of the few populations that have not been in rapid decline. Yet.

Koalas naturally roam in the mid to late spring mainly to mate and the highway obviously interrupts their movement.

They need to do this for genetic diversity to prevent inbreeding.

There are underpasses and an overpass in the area discussed but if wildlife fences are down, damaged or have trees acting as convenient ladders, they will use them.

Recent high winds and storms as well as accelerated weed growth and perhaps lack of maintenance, has caused the fence integrity along here to be compromised.

I am hoping Transport for NSW will respond promptly but from what I have seen of the fencing this will be a very large task.

It most likely involves other organisations such as councils, National Parks, and Forestry Corporation NSW, all who border on or near this area near Repton.

I have written to our MP Gurmesh Singh but have not received a response as yet.

I believe there needs to be an organised approach to the retrieval or checking to confirm the animal is deceased.

Time is wasted by registered volunteer wildlife groups looking for a koala, when perhaps some well meaning person has taken the remains to bury.

If there was a system, perhaps similar to the checking of deceased kangaroo pouches for joeys and leaving a tag or message, they have been checked.

So a solution whilst waiting for fencing to be repaired or in some cases erected?

Having visited Crescent Head recently I was very impressed with their respect and concern for their local koalas, with at least four types of signage including mobile flashing warnings such as ‘Watch out… Koalas about’.

Simple, practical and possible to do on a main highway.. I am hoping something similar could be employed in this stretch of a few kilometres between Repton and Bonville perhaps with speed reductions during periods of high koala mobility.

Tweed Council have responded with koala zone safety radar speed activated signs and green road markings.

Truly this is not good enough Coffs Harbour and something needs to be done now, not later, to help prevent further deaths.

I am hoping for a prompt response in this matter.

In the meantime just letting the public know to be wildlife aware particularly in this area at this time of the year.

Kind regards,
Angela WALLACE,
Bonville.