Rural
20 December, 2023
Koalas get a grip on bridges
Monitoring of Australia’s largest wildlife road crossing project, spanning throughout key transport corridors within the City of Moreton Bay, has now revealed that several priority species such as gliders and koalas are moving safely across the region.
City of Moreton Bay’s Green Infrastructure Network includes ‘fauna rope bridges’, ‘fauna underpasses’, exclusion fencing, and other purpose-built infrastructure designed to provide native animals with safe passage across busy roads and intersections.
A City of Moreton Bay spokesperson said green infrastructure plays a critical role, especially given some 1.3 million motorists use the roads and highways throughout the region daily.
“Our green infrastructure safely connects animal habitats while reducing the risk of wildlife-related vehicle collisions, roadside injuries, and deaths impacting native animals,” the spokesperson said.
“The system improves overall safety for motorists. “Our wildlife crossing monitoring network is also the longest-running of its type in Australia, having been established in 2019.
We believe the data collected since then – including some 54,000 photos of native animals using custom bridges and tunnels to cross busy roads safely – may be the largest dataset of its kind worldwide.”
Wildlife monitoring cameras have photographed koalas using underpasses to safely move beneath roads. Underpasses developed as part of Council’s Green Infrastructure Network are designed to incorporate ‘fauna furniture,’ such as climbing logs and platforms.
