New signs to be installed on Heathcote Rd to protect koalas in mating season
Two new signs will be placed in known “kill zones” along Heathcote Rd to protect koalas in mating season, after 10 furry marsupials were killed in the past year.
St George Shire Standard
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New signs encouraging motorists to watch out for koalas crossing Heathcote Rd will be in be installed ahead of mating season after at least 10 furry marsupials were killed in the past year.
Sutherland Shire Environment Centre has funded the placement of two large vertical mobile signs on Heathcote Rd in time for when koalas are more likely to cross roads and be on the move in search of a mate.
The signs will be installed on Wednesday morning with the message designed to alert motorists to koalas in the area, with the aim for drivers to be extra careful and slow down.
It comes after the state government installed two other static signs about koalas earlier this month.
Environment Centre spokesman John Souvleris said the group’s signs would supplement the two already-installed signs and would be in different ‘kill zones’ along the 24km stretch of road.
He said the three identified areas were Woronora Bridge, ANSTO precinct and Deadman’s Creek and the two government-installed signs didn’t go far enough due to the length of the road.
“The centre has allocated funding for the signs to be installed for three weeks and we are hoping with community donations we can raise $5000 which would enable the signs to be displayed for 10 weeks, which is the length of the mating season,” Mr Souvleris said.
He said the already-installed signs only had one static message and the centre’s signs would be more creative and colourful in the hope to catch motorists’ attention before they entered the kill zones.
“We‘ve tried to keep the messages engaging, and position the signs where they would be most effective,” he said.
Mr Souvleris said Deadman’s Creek Bridge and the Woronora Bridge had underpasses that allowed koalas to safely get to the other side of the road, but they needed to be made more “koala friendly”, and fencing put up to direct koalas to areas they can cross safely.
Mr Souvleris said Sutherland Shire Environment Centre had been liaising with Sutherland Council, Transport NSW, and the NSW Koala Strategy team since 2020, calling for this issue to be addressed.
He said Transport NSW released a consultant’s report with recommendations for Deadman’s Creek in December 2021, but the next stage of works, including fencing, was not due to begin until 2024/25.
“Due to concerns about the delay, and concerns as to whether the newly erected fencing near the Woronora bridge is long enough to stop koalas accessing the road, the centre has resolved to fund two more large signs for Heathcote Rd along the identified kill zones,” he said.
“The funding is caught up in red tape and we don’t see it being resolved until at least 2024 which is two more mating seasons.”
Mr Souvleris said the environment centre had monitored koala road kill and rescue reports since 2020 in order to identify areas along Heathcote Rd.
The area around Deadman’s Creek near Sandy Point saw eight of the 10 recent koala fatalities, while koalas have also been hit around New Illawarra Rd and the ANSTO precinct.
Mr Souvleris said the newly upgraded Heathcote Rd Bridge over Woronora River was another hotspot, with two koala deaths and one rescue within 100m either side of the bridge since July.
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