A Huon Valley and Kingborough-based community group has animal welfare at the forefront of its focus and is making a commitment to change the community’s views on road safety for wildlife.

Wildlife and Community Together Tasmania is only three months old and is made up of a group of five to six volunteers who all have previous experience as rescuers, carers and advocates and were disgusted by the constant sight of roadkill on local roads.
Group member Kim Rettig said that the volunteers have banded together to change the mentality of the public regarding wildlife around roads and want to enforce change on the system.

“We have been contacting our local councils and government representatives to ensure that something is done to protect our wildlife,” Ms Rettig stated.
“We are also rallying for virtual fencing and similar technologies to be implemented around the state.
“It’s not good enough and it’s sickening that Tasmania is known as the roadkill capital of Australia.”

Ms Rettig expressed that the group is working overtime currently to enact change in the transport system of Tasmania to protect native wildlife, including contacting and communicating with both the RACT and the Department of State Growth to lobby them to protect wildlife safety around the state’s roads.

Image: Friends of Summerleas Wildlife has been producing signage to urge locals to slow down and look out for wildlife as part of a recent push in the Huon Valley and Kingborough areas for increased wildlife road safety. (PS)