2019-03-12 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                     12 MARCH 2019


Consultants have provided a cost estimate of $2.45 million for these works in koala hotspot areas
across the shire. Further details on the audit and estimated costs can be found in Attachment 2.
Exclusion fencing and underpasses
Background
Structural fencing is designed to stop fauna accessing road ways and is often used in conjunction
with fauna underpasses or overpasses. Structural fencing is expensive both to build and maintain
and can restrict the natural movement and breeding behaviour of wildlife. If not properly designed
and maintained fences can act as a trap for fauna that wander onto the road. One-way escape
hatches can help mitigate this risk but would be required at regular intervals to be effective.
Fencing is more effective on long stretches of road. In residential areas it is impractical to fence
and gate roadways with many driveways, side road entry points and roundabouts. Small sections
can be fenced but koalas may walk around the end of the fence and can become trapped on the
roadway.
Some fauna fences are designed to direct koalas to underpasses beneath the road which are
ideally fitted with climbing poles and log crossings. Fauna will sometimes avoid culvert
underpasses that are excessively overgrown or have standing water.




                     Photo 2: An example of a fauna underpass with a log crossing

Consultant recommendations
Based on current best practice the consultants have recommended repairs, upgrades, and
extensions to existing koala fencing and vegetation clearing along fence lines at: Walter Hay
Drive and Eenie Creek Road and new fences and underpasses along Noosa Drive (near Weyba
Bridge), McKinnon Drive (TMR) and Noosa-Cooroy Road (TMR) near Tinbeerwah.
Council officer comments
Council officers have considered the consultant’s report and recommend that infrastructure works
be targeted in areas where there is a recent and concentrated record of koala activity. There are
some sections of road that have multiple koala observation records, while on other stretches
there has been very few sightings over the last 4 years. The sections of road recommended for
new/upgraded infrastructure by consultants and associated koala records are summarised in
Table 2 below.



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