Could ‘virtual fencing’ protect wildlife?

As a founding member of Surfcoast Wildlife Rescue Jason Cichocki made regular patrols of the 12.8 kilometre stretch of road that was one of the area’s worst hotspots for collisions between wildlife and cars.

‘My morning patrol also consisted of removing at least five birds a day off the road that had been squashed by vehicles each and every day. These birds ranged from magpies, ravens, cockatoos, kookaburras, owls and tawny frogmouths,’ he told a recent hearing of the wildlife roadstrike inquiry held in Geelong.

But one small change saw the number of collisions plummet.

Virtual fencing was installed along the stretch of road in June 2022. The ‘fence’ consisted of a series of bollards fitted with devices that emit a sound and set off flashing lights.

Activated by headlights, the devices alert foraging wildlife of approaching vehicles.

‘After the installation I continued to do my four patrols per day and it was really interesting to watch the reaction of the animals at night,’ Mr Cichocki told the hearing.

‘When my headlights would set off the sensors, triggering the light and sound, I could see the kangaroos and wallabies moving off into the bush well before I was there.

‘My lights were setting off the three or four sensors ahead, which was about 75 to 100 metres away, which was giving the animals ample time to move away well before I even got there,’ he said.

At the end of the three-year long trial Mr Cichocki said there had been a decrease in wildlife roadstrike of 81 per cent.

And the five dead birds he used to collect each day?

‘Since the installation of virtual fencing over the past three years, I have only had to remove 16 birds in total. Yes that's right, 16 birds in total in three years. That's 5,459 birds' lives that have been saved by virtual fencing in the last three years,’ he said.

But it’s not all good news.

While the Forest Road trial has been a huge success, a similar trial conducted on Phillip Island saw no improvement from the installation of virtual fencing.

Dr Christine Connelly, of Victoria University, said Phillip Island has seen a massive increase in roadkill numbers since the 1990s.

She conducted a study on the efficacy of virtual fencing on a 3.6 kilometre stretch of Cowes-Rhyll Road. The study, which ran for more than three years, found no statistically significant difference in the areas where the virtual fence was present.

Surfcoast Wildlife Rescue’s Jason Cichocki told the inquiry that a range of other factors, such as the type of roadside barriers being used, could impact the usefulness of virtual fencing, limiting it as a solution in many circumstances.

The Committee is considering the impact of roadstrike on Victorian motorists, including major trauma incidents and motor vehicle damage and focusing on the capacity of relevant legislation and regulation to monitor wildlife roadstrike, promote driver education and raise public awareness.

The Committee is due to table its report to parliament by 30 November 2025.

Visit the website for more information.