City of Casey will be installing new electronic bollards along a one kilometre stretch of Churchill Park Drive in Lysterfield South as part of a new road safety initiative aimed at reducing the number of collisions between cars and kangaroos.
About 40 bollards will be installed on both sides of Churchill Park Drive west of Parkside Boulevard towards the Churchill Park Golf Club boundary. The bollards are activated at night by approaching vehicles and emit a flashing light and sound to repel wildlife from approaching the road while the vehicle is in the area - effectively creating a virtual fence.
The bollard technology, created by Wildlife Safety Solutions, has been successfully used across Tasmania and in Victoria by VicRoads on a section of Wellington Road in Lysterfield. The early indications are that call-outs to injured wildlife on Wellington Road have reduced significantly since the bollards were installed earlier this year.
City of Casey will be the first Victorian Council to adopt the new technology and Mayor, Cr Amanda Stapledon said Council was happy to support an innovative solution that improved road safety and protected local wildlife.
"As a Smart City, Casey is committed to solving Council and community challenges with innovative solutions and making use of new technology to tackle a long-standing problem," Cr Stapledon said.
"Council has responded to ongoing resident concerns in this part of Lysterfield South where we know there are far too many collisions between vehicles and local wildlife and we hope this technology will help to improve driver behaviour and protect animals."
Council has also been successful in receiving funds under the Federal Government's Black Spot Program for six solar-powered flashing signs that will be installed on Churchill Park Drive between Police Road and the golf course, and a nearby section of Power Road.
These vehicle-activated warning signs are designed to alert motorists that it is a high-risk zone for kangaroos and encourage drivers to slow down, especially during the hours between dusk and dawn when most collisions with wildlife occur.
Council will monitor the bollards and signage to assess their effectiveness.
