Safeguard our Wildlife
We are privileged to live in amongst an incredible range of wildlife in Nillumbik. We have some stunning species of birds, frogs, reptiles, kangaroos, wombats, phascogales and many more. We want to protect our wildlife so we can continue to experience its beauty.
Council can play an important role in protecting wildlife and as a councillor, this is one of my top priorities.
There is a lot that council can do to safeguard native wildlife. A large part of this is protecting its habitat in the Green Wedge. See here to find out about my stance on the Green Wedge.
Simple strategies to protect our wildlife include taking measures to reduce pollution and litter in our Green Wedge, working with schools, Landcare and other community groups to educate the community about how to care for wildlife, and setting up gardens for wildlife to provide safe havens where habitats are protected.
Roadkill
We lose far too much wildlife to roadkill in Nillumbik. Not only does this reduce biodiversity but it also puts drivers in danger and results in some very distressing situations for local drivers.
Roadkill is a problem in Nillumbik and there’s a lot that Council can do about it.
There’s a lot that we can do right now to reduce roadkill. Simple measures include installing better signage by the road and constructing roadside wildlife fencing and rope bridges across roads where appropriate. Measures also need to be taken to discourage wildlife from grazing by busy roads. The reason we see so many kangaroos at the side of the road is because that’s where the best food is, especially during the drier months. This can be limited by protecting habitat and encouraging edible vegetation to grow away from the side of the road. Solutions such as this are already available to us. We just need to implement them.
New technology gives us a fantastic opportunity to pioneer new, more effective measures to reduce the wildlife toll on our roads.
In the past, Nillumbik has led the way in pioneering new technologies and processes to protect the environment. There is currently an emergence of new technology that is able to reduce rates of roadkill, such as devices at the roadside which emit sonic sounds to ward wildlife away from the road when a car is approaching. I am working hard to put Council in a position to advocate for funding for projects to implement technology such as this on our roads, starting with roadkill hotspots. By leading the way with the most recent technology, alongside other measures, we can reduce the wildlife toll on our roads, which is good for wildlife and good for drivers.
Community
Whether we like it or not, Climate Change and habitat loss are a growing threat to our wildlife. These issues can be tackled on a wider scale but in the meantime, there is a lot that the community can do to help our wildlife out and Council needs to encourage and support the local community to take part in this. This can include putting out water for wildlife on hot days and installing nesting boxes for birds and other animals so they have somewhere to live.
Council can help local organisations provide landowners with nesting boxes and other resources to help make their properties wildlife-friendly.
By working with Landcare groups, Council can develop a plan to provide information and resources to residents to help them create a safe, comfortable home for wildlife on their properties. Among other things, this can come in the form of providing training sessions and producing educational materials.