Locals plead for sympathy for the Tasmanian devil

An environmental tragedy is unfolding in Tasmania’s northwest, with 158 endangered Tasmanian devils from a vital population killed on a 25km stretch of road in just 18 months.

Tasmanian devil. Picture: Devils@Cradle

An environmental tragedy is unfolding in Tasmania’s northwest, with 158 endangered Tasmanian devils from a vital population killed on a 25km stretch of road in just 18 months.

The population of devils near Woolnorth is one of the few free of the tumour disease that has wiped out 80 per cent or more of the ­iconic carnivorous marsupial.

Locals who have documented the devil deaths, and pleaded unsuccessfully for reduced speed limits and enforcement, fear the carnage may threaten the key population.

With state government so far resisting calls to lower the 100kmh limit along Woolnorth and part of West Montagu Road, they are pleading for intervention by federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.

“This population is unique in that it doesn’t have the facial ­tumour disease and yet we are just smashing them at a rate of knots,” local wildlife carer Alice Carson said. “We had 28 dead in two weeks. It’s nothing to see three a day. There are probably more getting hit but dying later in the bush.

“We have trucks doing 150- 160kmh. Reducing the speed limit and having someone policing it with a speed camera would be a great start. And rumble strips on the road (to alert the devils).”

Concerned locals attributed most of the road kill to trucks and other vehicles used by the local dairy, beef and wind farm industries, notably the large Chinese-owned Van Dairy.

“Those industries can be part of the solution,” Ms Carson said. “Will it take another 150 dead devils before anyone does anything?

“This cannot just be ‘the cost of doing business’.”

She joined other locals in calling on more companies to follow milk processor Fonterra in voluntarily instructing workers to lower their speed to 80kmh.

However, they wanted an immediate drop in the mandated speed limit to 60kmh or at least 80kmh, especially at night when devils are most active.

“Speed is a very major contributor to these deaths,” Ms Carson said. “Across the state, it’s said 400 devils are killed (on roads) each year. That means in this 25km section of road, we have about a quarter of those.”

Circular Head mayor Daryl Quilliam said council would back an 80kmh dusk-to-dawn mandated speed limit, but this was a decision for state government, which had not commented by deadline.

State and local governments have formed a “working group” to tackle the issue but appear determined not to mandate or enforce lower speed limits, which may be unpopular with some locals and companies.

Measures adopted include more devil road signs and “virtual fencing” that emits noise or light to alert wildlife.

Ms Carson and other locals said the virtual fencing was “not particularly effective”, and independent studies have found the method ineffective.

Ms Plibersek did not respond to requests for comment. It is understood current environmental law does not allow for federal involvement unless there is a new “action” requiring approval.

A Van Dairy spokeswoman said the company backed a community awareness campaign and “continues to communicate with staff … around the importance of this issue”.

The Cradle Coast Authority verified 448 confirmed devil deaths on the road stretch since 2004, with 211 since January 2020.