A petition calling on Moyne Shire to lower the speed limit on the rim of Tower Hill State Game Reserve in a bid to save the lives of precious wildlife has received more than 600 signatures.
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Suzanne Hughes, who lives on Lowery Road and runs Possum Place Wildlife Shelter, said on average one animal was struck by a car and killed each week on the 80km/h road.
Those animals include wallabies, emus, kangaroos, echidnas, turtles and possums.
She said in April one of the reserve's resident emus - a single dad - was killed by a passing car.
He left behind an eight-month-old chick.
Ms Hughes said the father's body was moved from the road and placed safely back into Tower Hill.
"The baby kept returning to its dad for three days and slept with him at night," she said.
"I went there several times a day just to make sure the chick was alright. Fortunately the baby was uninjured so we didn't have to capture it and take it into care.
"But that chick is now alone. It would normally be with its father until it's 12-to-18 months old and sexually mature. Now it will spend many months alone, being exposed to the elements and to predators such as foxes and birds of prey. Without that protection, it is very vulnerable."
Ms Hughes is urging Moyne Shire to reduce the speed limit to 60km/h from the intersection of Lake View Road and Princes Highway through to the school bus stop on Koroit-Port Fairy Road.
"It's just unacceptable that we have an 80km/h stretch of road in a residential area, right next to a scenic place like Tower Hill," she said.
"Some weeks we see seven animals die on that road and then we might not see anything for a couple of weeks but if you average it out over 12 months, it would have to be at least one animal dying per week. If that was a human being, it would be a totally different story.
"It is frustrating because it is preventable. But most of all it is heartbreaking."
Ms Hughes submitted a petition signed by about 640 people to the council last month.
The petition was accompanied by nine recommendations, including:
- Making application to VicRoads to reduce the speed limit to 60km/h from the intersection of Lake View Road and Princes Highway through to the school bus stop on Koroit-Port Fairy Road and 40km/h on Scenic Drive;
- Placing rumble strips at 50-metre intervals on Lake View Road;
- Flashing warning speed lights; removing vegetation and any structures that prevent a driver seeing an animal;
- Placement of large, colourful signage informing drivers they are entering a tourist section of road;
- Installing single lane concrete mound roundabouts at intersection;
- Investigating the cost of virtual fencing and
- Declaring an open space around the perimeter of Tower Hill.
Ms Hughes said she was cautiously optimistic with the council's response.
"They listened and were fairly receptive to what we had to say about reducing the speed limit," she said.
"Some councillors live around here so they understand. They're familiar with the area and the concerns the community has. It is an emerging developing area and they've got their eye on it.
"I think they are interested in what is transpiring, which is really encouraging. This is really just the start of the movement."
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