Safer Roads for Wildlife in The Hills District
Published 04 April 2022
An improved existing fauna underpass, guard rail, exclusion fencing, pedestrian and vehicle gates and road marking and stencilling will be installed along Collins Road in Everton Hills.
Acting Mayor Jodie Shipway said the project was another step forward in Council’s mission to ‘Go Green As We Grow’ in the face of booming population growth.
“Over the last few years, we’ve retrofitted 32 fauna underpasses and constructed 26 rope bridges in key corridors to boost safety for our wildlife as they move around their natural habitat, plus more than 10,000 metres of exclusion fencing and 50 wildlife road stencils in key crossing locations,” she said.
“This is particularly important in leafy suburbs like The Hills District, which is an essential link for wildlife out to our hinterland area.
“With koalas now sadly on the endangered list, I’m proud that we are home to Australia’s most successful breeding program at The Mill but it’s clear all levels of government need to step up and do more.
“That’s exactly what Moreton Bay Regional Council is doing, putting our money where our mouth is with $57.8 million for our parks and environment and $18.4 million for our waterways and coastal areas in our record $743 million 2020-21 Budget, as well as our new $1.8 million environmental land buyback initiative.”
Division 10 Councillor Matt Constance said Council was also working to boost animal habitats through its commitment to plant another 45,000 trees in the next three years.
“Our local area is home to some of the largest and most densely-populated wildlife corridors in the region - and I feel privileged to say that,” Cr Constance said.
“We’ve made significant improvements for wildlife safety around Bunyaville Conservation Park, connections with the Cabbage Tree Creek Green Infrastructure Corridor Network, and there’s more in the works around the Samford Conservation Park and the Kedron Brook West Green Infrastructure Corridor.
“This project will also install 364m of guard rail, which is vital to maintaining and improving road safety along Collins Road.
“Sadly, Council still gets more than 700 calls a year about animal strikes on our roads, and we are committed to do all we can to reduce that toll.
“The tender for the project has been awarded to Ryan Civil Contracting Pty Ltd, with works to start next month, and expected to take about six weeks to complete, weather-permitting.
“I look forward to seeing these works make a real difference to our wildlife and the community.”
For more information on Council’s Green Infrastructure projects, visit Green Infrastructure Network Delivery Program - Moreton Bay Regional Council