Photo by Mertie flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/
Fences designed to provide crossing points for emus are proving successful along the $4.36 billion Woolgoolga to Ballina Pacific Highway upgrade said roads and maritime services spokesperson. They have been trialling the emu fencing and crossing points along the Glenugie to Tyndale section of the upgrade where emus are regularly sighted.
‘The Woolgoolga to Ballina project team wants to ensure the ongoing safe movement of local wildlife under or over the new highway now and in the future,’ commented the spokesperson. ‘Monitoring pictures and videos shows this initiative is working with footage of emus regularly captured using the designated crossing points.’
During works on the highway crossing points will be maintained to ensure emus and other wildlife continue to to be able to cross roads and road works in safety.
‘At one location a hybrid fence was installed which consisted of two strands of plain wire, two strands of barbed wire and a squeeze stile, large enough for emus to use but too small for cattle. Importantly, the plain wire was installed on the top and bottom strands to minimise injury to native fauna.
‘On previous Pacific Highway upgrades, five strand fencing was used however the four strand fencing has been demonstrated to enable emus to pass through the hybrid fence more easily as captured in the video.
‘Based on this evidence the right arrangement of stock and fauna fencing close to crossing zones should ensure successful emu crossings when the upgrade is completed.’
It would have been simple. They followed the zebra
I can’t see why they are maintaining this dubious farce,
as all concerned realise that these Emus won’t stand a chance with the Pacific Highway bisecting their last habitat on the coast. This is just the legacy of NSW political populist infrastructure “upgrade” with no care or interest in the effect on the future of any type of local populations.
I wonder what will become of Grafton?
G”)
I will not comment on the highway’s impact on Emu’s but I note u wonder what will become of Grafton. As highways become motorways, bypassed towns can suffer temporary setbacks as people pass them to the stop at other centres on the highway. But over time it evens out, and the bypassed towns prosper become much more pleasant places. Who in Byron Bay, Ballina or Brunswick would lobby to have the Pacific follow its earlier route through those towns? As the road is reduplicated and the heavy traffic leaves the current highway through South Grafton, Grafton will become a more accessible place from Brisbane or Sydney, and is well placed to attract tree changers looking for an affordable and very charming city.