RESIDENTS living near the Bushmead housing development site say the lives of motorists and kangaroos are being put at risk by fencing installed around the site.
Maida Vale resident Kareena Waters said since Cedar Woods installed fencing around the entire 273ha estate the animals were trapped because there was no clear path to Gooseberry Hill National Park.
“I have lived here for 14 years and have never seen so many kangaroos in daylight near Midland Road, Sadler Drive and Ridgehill Road,” she said.
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READ NOW“At night it’s becoming very dangerous for both kangaroos and motorists and there has been a noticeable increase in the number of kangaroos being killed along Ridgehill Road.
“On Saturday morning I saw three dead kangaroos at the south end of Midland Road.”
A Helena Valley Estate resident said three kangaroos were killed near the new roundabout on Helena Valley Road over the past week.
Cedar Woods state manager Ben Rosse said while the fencing was permanent, apertures along Ridgehill Road allowed the kangaroos to jump over into adjoining national parks.
“The fencing that runs along the Ridgehill Road boundary will remain at 1.2m which is the standard recommended by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) to allow kangaroo and joeys to jump over,” he said.
“In time we will also be upgrading the fencing around the majority of the perimeter with four wires similar to around Midland Road.
“Mr Rosse said fencing, up to 1.6m high, was installed around the site to deter illegal trail bike riders.”
However, Ms Waters called on Cedar Woods to remove the fence along Ridgehill Road to allow the kangaroos to move easily into the national park across the road.
“Since the fence went up many kangaroos have nowhere to go,” she said.
“Now the only way out is through properties on the south side of the fence.
“The development is taking away their habitat but the fence is locking them in.”
But Mr Rosse said the Bushmead project aimed to conserve and protect habitat and provide a biodiversity corridor for local fauna.
“Given so much of the property is being handed back to the DBCA as parks and recreation, it is in our interests to make sure that it will be a thriving ecosystem for both flora and fauna,” he said.
City of Swan Acting chief executive Steven Tan said so far this year there had not been an increase in the number of kangaroos killed on Midland Road.
The City has received five requests from July 1, 2017 to collect deceased kangaroos from Midland Road in Hazelmere.
This is a decrease from 2016-17, where the City received seven requests to remove nine deceased kangaroos.
“If community members have any concerns regarding this fencing, they can write to the City of Swan and staff will investigate the matter accordingly,” he said.
The City of Kalamunda was unable to provide a response on how many kangaroos had been killed along Ridgehill Road.
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