Update - Werrington Kangaroos, Western Sydney

Firstly, I want to thank you for your support in protecting the 100 (approx.) Eastern Grey Kangaroos on what has been the Werrington Park campus of Western Sydney University. This land has been their habitat and source of foraging for decades and, until now, sustained by Western Sydney University (WSU).

WSU is not now consulting with us so we have been somewhat in the dark as to the activity of WSU.

We are aware that WSU has partnered with the property developer, Stockland, to come up with a plan for development on the land. We have also been informed from a source within a so-called “Kangaroo Committee” established by the aforesaid parties, that a strong push within that Committee has been to slaughter the Kangaroos.

It has also been said that what WSU earlier said to us was going to be a 20ha area retained for “open space” is now reduced to 10ha. If true, that lie facilitates an argument within these characters to mount a case for slaughtering the Kangaroos because of the limited area being able to sustain the Kangaroos. This all from an institution which, for the past four years,  has promoted itself as No.1 of all educational institutions in the world for “sustainable development”. See image.

That rating scheme seems somewhat dubious. We have contacted the agency that is involved with that and which seems to pursue a United Nations strategy. Our appeal for review of WSU’s rating because of its potential involvement in the slaughter of as many as 100 Kangaroos received, in part, the following response: “THE rankings are entirely data driven, and are open to all universities that meet our entry criteria, submit and sign-off on the accuracy of submitted data, and that are also “in good standing” in their national regulatory systems.”

So, it appears that despite an unsustainable act of slaughtering a local population of Kangaroos, WSU can provide its own statistics to derive a ranking that it can trumpet itself as No 1 in the world for an educational institution achieving sustainable development. If WSU goes ahead with this slaughter, it makes a mockery of the whole sustainability scheme.

If you, like us, are angered by this scheme and WSU’s role in it, you can email the rating agency via: impact@timeshighereducation.com and let your concerns be known.

We’ll keep you posted on what unfolds for the welfare of the Kangaroos at Werrington.