Volunteer says Hume freeway motorists face risk because of displaced kangaroos

A mob of Epping kangaroos displaced by a new development are fleeing onto the Hume freeway. Wildlife campaigners say they fear a motorist could be killed. So why is an offer to relocate them going ignored?

Michelle Peggie with her daughter Heidi at the Carlingford Estate site.

Epping wildlife campaigners say Hume freeway motorists are dodging kangaroos as they flee a development site which was once their home while an offer to relocate them goes ignored.

Developer Cedar Woods began construction of the Carlingford Estate on land behind the Melbourne Wholesale Market in June.

Australian Society for Kangaroos president Nikki Sutterby said a mob of about 30 kangaroos remained on the site.

“We have serious concerns for the public and road users as these kangaroos start to disperse as a direct result of this building activity,” she said.

Ms Sutterby said if a relocation permit was approved by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning the mob could be darted, sedated and relocated “within a matter of days”.

Campaigner Michelle Peggie said it was a “matter of time” before a collision between a kangaroo and motorist resulted in an injury or death of a driver.

Whittlesea Council city transport and presentation director Nick Mann said the developer was still “preparing a plan to better manage kangaroos”.

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Mr Mann said the council worked on the “challenging issue” of managing kangaroos on the edge of urban areas with the DELWP.

But DELWP environmental compliance program manager Suriya Vine said it had not been involved in the planning process for Carlingford Mosaic Estate.

Cedar Woods state manager Lloyd Collins said it had erected boundary fences around the site.

“We have also appointed an independent consultant to develop a management plan and ensure our contractors continue to act in accordance with best practice,” Mr Collins said.

DELWP and Cedar Woods did not respond to a question about whether they would support the development being paused to enable the kangaroos to be relocated.

Department of Transport director David Teague said there had been no reported causality crashes involving wildlife on the Hume freeway between Epping and Donnybrook in the past five years.