Tuesday, 21 March 2023

Wildlife road strike

Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (17:05): (112) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Roads and Road Safety in the other place, and the action I seek is for the reporting of wildlife road strike to be made mandatory. From 2021 to 2022, 9225 native animals were hit by cars on Victorian roads. It has been confirmed that there has been a more than 53 per cent increase in road strike over five years. These figures are devastatingly high, and they do not factor in animal strikes reported to other authorities and, importantly, those not reported at all. As road users we have become desensitised to the carnage of road strikes and oblivious to the very real threat our native animals face.

The Macedon Ranges, which I live in and represent, has some of the state’s highest death tolls. After travelling extensively across Northern Victoria I have been personally taken aback by the increase in deceased wildlife and the amount of pouches I have had to stop and check. It is not-for-profit organisations and volunteer wildlife carers that are cleaning up and rehabilitating our wildlife in huge and increasing numbers.

This crisis is not just devastating our wildlife – it is putting Victorians at risk on our roads and costing us money. The average crash costs motorists $5123, and many of them can be easily avoided with education and regulatory change. Our native icon, the kangaroo, is involved in the overwhelming majority of animal collisions, contributing to nine out of every 10 claims. Despite this, they are mentioned nowhere in the roads act. In fact the term ‘wildlife’ is not mentioned at all. Just recently a koala was left dying in the middle of the Hamilton–Port Fairy road. More than a dozen motorists failed to stop and assist as the koala lay still, alive but motionless, unable to move with broken legs and severe internal injuries. Finally, and unsurprisingly, it was a dedicated wildlife carer who eventually assisted. The koala was silent when the rescuer approached, but screamed loudly when she collected his broken body from the asphalt. His injuries were far too extensive and he was later euthanised, suffering that could have been alleviated much earlier if motorists had simply stopped to assist or to report his injuries.

This is just one story of many that regularly come through our office. By implementing mandatory reporting of wildlife strikes for road users we will not only get an even clearer picture about just how severe this problem is, we will protect our native animals from suffering drawn-out, painful deaths, and our fellow road users.