Kim Anderson, a 5th generation farmer from Montagu, has been documenting Tasmanian devil roadkill on the notorious 25 kilometre stretch of road on Woolnorth Rd and West Montagu Rd in North West Tasmania for over 2 years.
So far Kim has recorded more than 278 devil deaths yet nothing is being to be done to offer devils safe passage in their habitat.
Exerpts from several published articles are included in this blog (see links to articles below). The following article was published by Yahoo News a year ago (Feb 2023). This roadkill death bloodbath still continues to this day and has now exceeded 278 Tasmanian devil deaths.
Michael Dahlstrom is a journalist and documentarian at Yahoo News Australia specialising in wildlife and environment. Send tips to: michael.dahlstrom@yahooinc.com
200 DEATHS IN JUST 2 YEARS - the devastating toll of deadly Aussie road
Michael Dahlstrom
Updated 1 February 2023
WARNING — CONFRONTING IMAGES
If 200 cats, dogs, or even horses were killed by cars on a single road, authorities would likely reduce the speed limit. But a Tasmanian council has defied calls to do the same and protect a native devil population that's being mowed down at a horrifying rate.
Concern is centred around a remote 25km stretch of council-owned road in Woolnorth, in the state's northwest, that concerned animal lovers describe as a "hoon's delight". Across its paved surface, locals have recorded 186 devil deaths over the last two years. (Article from Feb 2023).
Despite overwhelming evidence that high speeds result in wildlife mortality, council has refused to lower the limit from 100km/h to 80km/h.
This article from the Australian newspaper describes Tassie devil roadkill tragedy a 'too tricky'
From the Australian January 19, 2023
MATTHEW DENHOLM: TASMANIA CORRESPONDENT
An environmental tragedy – the death of 200 plus endangered Tasmanian devils on one stretch of road – is finally provoking official action, but councillors and bureaucrats are blocking the key measure sought by locals.
Close to 200 devils from a vital population free of the tumour disease that has wiped out 80% of the species – were killed by vehicles on a 25km stretch of road in northwest Tasmanian road in the space of just two years.
Residents have since campaigned to have the speed limit on the relevant road reduced, especially at night when devils are most active.
The Circular Head Council supported reducing the speed limit from 100km/h to 80km/h but on only a 3km of the stretch on West Montagu road, with no change on the roadkill hotspot Woolworth road.
Wildlife carers and residents believe the move is insufficient to halt the "senseless" scale of roadkill threatening a rare healthy devil population.
Calls to reduce the night time speed limit to 60km/h along the most deadly sections of road were rejected, after state government bureaucrats advised the council it was too "tricky".
The state Transport Department advised the council: "The Tasmanian speed zoning guidelines do not identify roadkill as a justification for reducing the speed limit and it is a tricky precedent to set.
"Further, it is difficult to set proposed times – 6pm to 6am – that meet all year requirements. If we are aiming to cover the dusk to dawn period, the timings would need to be varied with the seasons because sunset is after 8.30pm at this time of year."
Kim Anderson (left) and Alice Carson (right) stand over a dead Tasmanian devil on Woolnorth Road. Source: Supplied
Concerned residents said the very limited 80km/h limit was totally insufficient.
"If we could just drop the limit to 60km/h from 6pm to 6am in the three high-density areas for devil kills that would make so much more of a difference," said Alice Carson, a West Montagu farmer and wildlife carer. "It also has to be enforced because we know the speed limit of 100km/hr is not enforced."
Other measures were also urgently needed, such as installing noisemaking ribbed strips on sections of the road to alert the devils, and a night-time curfew on milk tankers. Also on the mainland, underpasses are put in roadkill hotspots as well as fences and overpasses to assist wildlife near roads. Underpasses would allow devils to travel without risk of becoming roadkill. None of these options are being seriously considered.
Ms Carson said there have been close to 200 devils killed along the stretch of road in the past two years (until Feb 2023), while most vehicles were linked to the Woolworth wind farm, and the Chinese-owned Van Dairy (formerly Woolworth).
Van Dairy supports an 80km/h speed limit but said a night-time curfew on milk tankers was a matter for milk processors, such as Fonterra.
Fonterra, which had already directed its drivers to keep to 80km/h at night, did not respond by deadline.
Artwork by Viola Barnes, https://www.instagram.com/takayna.impressions?igsh=MXd4c2FueWNmcHF3eQ==
Circular Head Mayor Gerard Blizzard said council was guided by government advice, meaning the prospects of 60km/h night time speed limits were "slim".
A government spokesman said speed limit decisions, ultimately made by the Transport Commissioner, were "based on a range of factors including road use, traffic volumes, roadside development and road width and alignment for each application".
The Circular Head Council's inaction in this matter is appalling and is signing the death warrant for many more Tasmanian devils. Surely an endangered species deserves more protection than this.
Dr Colette Harmsen
Formerly with the State Government's Save the Tassie Devil Program (2006 to 2014).
Artwork by Viola Barnes
takayna.impressions on Instagram
コメント