The Adelaide Koala and Wildlife Hospital asks the South Australian Government to urgently install over/underpasses in the Adelaide Hills on the South Eastern Freeway, particularly in “koala blackspot” areas such as in the vicinity of the Heysen Tunnels.

The government should commission studies to locate other “koala blackspot” areas along the freeway, with a view to installing over/underpasses in these areas.

Fencing needs to be constructed adjacent to the freeway, in areas deemed appropriate, to stop koalas accessing the road.

Signage needs to be increased along the freeway to warn motorists of the possibility of seeing koalas on or near the road, particularly in “blackspot” areas.  Signs also need to be installed to provide information on what to do in the event that a koala is hit or injured, and telephone numbers to call for assistance.

South Australia is lagging way behind the eastern States of Australia in terms of care for and protection of our native wildlife, and this is especially so in relation to the dangers presented by Adelaide’s major freeway.  Queensland is the leading state in this area, but New South Wales and Victoria are also far advanced of South Australia in addressing and remedying these dangers.

These other State Governments, Queensland in particular, confronted the issue years ago and have committed millions of dollars in that time and commissioned studies to identify the main risk areas and have installed many over and underpasses along their main roads in koala populated areas.

Approximately five koalas are hit and killed on the South Eastern Freeway each week, meaning there are approximately 260 koala fatalities per year.  Added to this is the number of koalas who are hit along the freeway, but who do survive.  When koalas are hit, it is not only that koala that is affected – some of these koalas have joeys in their pouches.  The joeys may survive the initial accident, but then become orphaned, or worse, they die while trapped in their deceased mother’s pouch lying on the side of the road.  The survival rate of hit koalas is extremely low.

Anyone who denies the need for these incredibly important over and underpasses along the freeway is urged to visit the Koala Hospital and listen to the horrendous and gut-wrenching scream of a dying koala in agony from its injuries after being hit by a car.

An article in Adelaide’s Advertiser on 29 May 2015 provided details about the government sending some of Cleland Wildlife Park’s koalas to China, at a cost of $200,000.00, with more to follow – a cost that is likely to increase as the koalas in China are struggling to eat the locally grown eucalyptus.  Our government then has to ship leaves over to feed them.  This is purported to be of substantial benefit to tourism in South Australia.

The same article reported the government’s plans to spend $100 million upgrading Cleland Wildlife Park.  Even a small portion of this money would be of great benefit to the local koala population along the freeway.  Instead, the koalas at Cleland will benefit from this planned upgrade, whereas their wild counterparts outside the perimeter are left neglected to – quite literally – fend for themselves and play Russian roulette on the freeway.  A car is no match for a small koala simply trying to find its next feed.

Koalas face various other threats and challenges, such as urban development, dog attacks and medical issues (including diseases such as Chlamydia, and renal failure).  It is time our government stood up and helped in one area where they can do something – drastically reducing the number of koalas killed on the freeway each year.

We urge everyone to sign this petition to help save our koalas from this terrible but avoidable fate.

The photo above is a patient of the hospital, Goldie, who was orphaned when his mother was hit and killed by a car on the freeway.