The Issue
A family of local kangaroos and several native magpie families are being pushed to the brink of survival in our new residential estate in Lochinvar. As clearing and construction phase scaling ramps up, these animals have seen their habitat slashed, forcing them closer to active construction zones.On June 29, 2026, the devastating reality of this displacement hit home when a resident kangaroo was struck and killed by a subcontractor's vehicle within the estate.With heavy machinery, delivery trucks, and trade vehicles pouring in daily, the surviving members of this kangaroo mob and local bird populations are facing an extreme safety crisis. They have nowhere else to go. This destruction of our local wildlife cannot be treated as unavoidable "collateral damage" for new housing.

Why This Matters
Under New South Wales legislation, failing to stop and inspect a struck native animal or report it to local authorities is an offence. Furthermore, developers are required to abide by strict environmental guidelines to prevent unnecessary harm to local fauna.
Right now, a lack of driving vigilance and zero on-site traffic calming means our estate has become a construction hazard zone for the native animals who lived here first. If we do not act immediately, more of this kangaroo family will be killed.

Our Concrete Demands
We are calling on Maitland City Council and the estate's primary project directors to immediately implement the following mitigation policies:
1. Enforced Construction Speed Limits: Impose a mandatory, strictly monitored 40km/h speed limit for all tradespeople, delivery trucks, and construction vehicles within the estate limits.
2. Mandatory Site Inductions: Require all subcontractors and builders to undergo a mandatory wildlife awareness briefing during their initial on-site safety inductions.
3. Official Safety Signage: Install highly visible, Council-approved permanent "Wildlife Crossing" and "Slow Down for Kangaroos" signs at all main entry points and high-risk zones across the estate.
4. Toolbox Talk Notices: Compel the head contractor to immediately issue an official site-wide notice regarding wildlife protection during morning safety briefings.
5. Safe Wildlife Corridors: Halt any further blocking of natural exit paths to ensure the remaining kangaroo mob has a clear, unblocked path to migrate safely away from active machinery without crossing dangerous roadways.

Please sign this petition to demand that developers and Maitland City Council step up, enforce environmental accountability, and protect our iconic native wildlife.