Legal action wins favour
CAIRNS AFL has backed conservationists in tackling the Queensland Government over relocating wallabies away from Trinity Beach.
The Agile Project says it will be taking legal action against the Department of Environment and Science after the department refused to allow the group to shift 150 agile wallabies from the northern beaches suburb to a private sanctuary.
Cairns AFL has been trying to prevent wallabies from straying on the football oval at Trinity Beach for several years.
Club president Gary Young said dead wallabies were found daily on the grounds.
“We are now confronted with, literally, thousands of wallabies roaming the streets of Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach and Bluewater, eating gardens, chewing up and defecating on our sports grounds, and dodging cars on the highway and suburban streets,” he said.
“Dead carcasses are a daily occurrence being hit by cars, mauled by dogs, or taken out by anonymous, fed-up residents.
“This must stop and the State Government has the power to make it happen.”
He said he was supportive of The Agile Project’s efforts and said the group’s legal action against DES should only be a last resort.
“There is a logistically sim- ple and humane solution which has been presented to the department,” he said.
“Unfortunately, they refuse to acknowledge it, placing systematic roadblocks in place with every effort made to remedy the problem.”
DES is investigating a video posted on social media at the weekend of several wallabies violently throwing themselves at a perimeter fence around the football oval.
The department says there is evidence to suggest the animals may have been disturbed by people at the scene and is considering legal action.
Mr Young said it was unusual to see so many wallabies inside the football grounds since fencing was installed about six weeks ago.