Kangaroos put lives at risk
The lives of motorists using the Eyre Highway are at risk because of huge numbers of living and dead kangaroos on the road, Shire of Dundas president Jacqui Best says.
A frequent user of the road during her 20 years in Norseman, Ms Best said the kangaroos were "the worst they've been since 2003" and scavengers attracted to roadkill were exacerbating the problem.
Her comments raise further questions about a controversial ban on commercial kangaroo harvesting, which has been in effect across WA's section of the Nullarbor Plain for six months.
The moratorium was introduced by the State Government after an aerial survey counted a record low number of kangaroos, triggering a quota freeze which has been disputed by Nullarbor pastoralists and kangaroo shooters.
Ms Best disputed the survey's findings and claimed the number of kangaroos on the roads was evidence the Nullarbor harvesting ban was unnecessary and creating a risk to road users.
"The roos are the worst they've been since 2003," she said.
"These are big boomers.
"They're not 30kg kangaroos, these are big fellows."
Furthermore, Ms Best said wedge-tailed eagles, which gorged themselves on roadkill and as a result had trouble avoiding oncoming traffic, were also proving a hazard to drivers.
"I've heard of eagles flying through windscreens … it's a disaster waiting to happen," she said.
Ms Best said she understood a crew from Main Roads WA had been tasked to remove kangaroo carcasses from the Eyre Highway.
However, Main Roads Goldfields regional manager Shane Power said this was not unusual and crews on the highway worked consistently to clear litter and roadkill.
Kalgoorlie MLA Wendy Duncan, who has been campaigning to have the Nullarbor's kangaroo population resurveyed, said the feedback from the Shire of Dundas was part of mounting evidence against the shooting ban.
"It's quite obvious to all concerned that there are a lot of kangaroos on the Nullarbor Plain," she said.
However, Ms Duncan said she was "at a loss" as to how to proceed to get the ban lifted after continually being sent "backwards and forwards" between State and Federal environment ministers.
"If neither Government agency is willing to take responsibility, than where do you turn, the Queen?" she said.
