Roadkill ‘massacre’ alarms locals

A BRUNY ISLAND resident has recounted a horrifying experience seeing animals “drag themselves off the road with broken backs” as calls grow for drivers to slow down to avoid further carnage.

Great Bay local Kylie McKinnon posted in the Bruny Notices Facebook group about her early morning drive to the ferry, with a tide of locals responding in agreeance that something had to be done about wildlife deaths.

“We catch the 6.30am ferry from Roberts Point every morning,” she wrote.

“This morning, that short stretch of road was a massacre of wallabies and quolls – some dead, others trying to drag themselves off the road with broken backs.

“If drivers slowed down, the number of animals hit by cars would be dramatically reduced.”

Commenters echoed her sentiments.

“Something has to be done urgently,” Allison Jacobsen wrote.

“How incredibly sad that some drivers are so heartless,” Carolyn Loxton wrote.

Another commenter, Phil Hastie, suggested reducing the speed limit from 90km/h to 80km/h.

Bruny Island Community Association president Bill Hughes said he didn’t feel an overnight speed limit would make “a great deal of difference” to the roadkill issue.

“Sometimes no matter how slow you go it happens, they just haven’t got any road sense,” he said.

Mr Hughes said preventive measures like virtual road fences emitting sound deterrents on Tasmania’s West Coast could be duplicated at Bruny Island.

He said people should also take care not to exceed the speed limit.