The parliamentary inquiry into wildlife roadstrike in Victoria has been tabled in Parliament this week.
The Nationals’ Member for Northern Victoria Gaelle Broad said the inquiry was timely as wildlife roadstrike is a huge issue in regional Victoria.
“We know that there have been over 10,000 accidents or collisions, and many, many more are unreported,” Ms Broad said.
The Legislative Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee conducted the inquiry.
Ms Broad said the inquiry had received 469 submissions and held three days of hearings. It heard from wildlife rescue organisations, local councils, research scientists, police, farmers and others.
“We have thousands of kilometres of roads in regional Victoria, so this is a huge issue we face.”
The Liberal and Nationals Minority Report highlighted issues such as; improving the condition of our roads; road maintenance; clearance of roadsides; driver education and training; and the need for a centralised number to call when an animal has been hit.
“If you are in that situation where you hit wildlife, what do you do? At the moment there are a number of different numbers you can call.”
Ms Broad said animal population management was also important considering the large number of kangaroos in the region, as well as wombats and deer.
The Committee has made 32 findings and 18 recommendations.
“I do want to thank all those who made a submission because your contribution was very important,” Ms Broad said.
Ms Broad’s contribution to Parliament is available here: Hansard search – Parliament of Victoria
The full report is available to download from the committee’s website.
Media Contact: Linda Barrow 0484 303 764 linda.barrow@parliament.vic.gov.au
