Western Victoria Region
Mr MEDDICK (Western Victoria) (12:48): (1796) My constituency question is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety in the other place. Lake Wendouree is known for the black swans that take residence around the lake. They are loved and admired by the people of Ballarat and all who visit. However, in the past few years there has been a concerning increase of swan and cygnet deaths. These deaths are caused by both carelessness and cruelty. Swans have been hit by cars as they attempt to cross the road, and on a number of occasions swans have been found decapitated. This happened again just last week. It is yet to be determined if the headless swan was killed intentionally or perhaps by a dog that was not under control at the time. But what is clear is that more needs to be done to protect the swans around Lake Wendouree. Speed bumps, a speed reduction to 40 kilometres an hour and CCTV around the lake would all act as preventative measures to stop swan deaths or to catch those who cause them. Will the minister for roads install these safety measures to protect our wildlife?