State Member for Northern Victoria Gaelle Broad said the inquiry would consider the impact of road strike on drivers, including trauma incidents and motor vehicle damage.
“This is very timely as I am hearing from a lot of people who have been involved in collisions with wildlife on our roads recently,” she said.
“The inquiry will look at the current legislation and regulations for monitoring wildlife road strike, promoting driver education and raising awareness.”
According to Wildlife Victoria, animals hit by a vehicle was the second-highest rescue case last year, with over 13,600 recorded.
Senior wildlife rescuer Ian Slattery made a submission to the hearing, focusing on the impact road strike could have on animals and drivers alike.
Having worked in central Victorian for over 15 years, Mr Slattery said road strike was the number one cause of injury to wildlife in the region, accounting for the vast majority of rescues.
“Aside from the immense suffering to wildlife, it is traumatising to members of the public who are involved and takes an enormous emotional and mental toll on rescuers who have to deal with these incidents,” he said in his statement.
“Road strikes on wildlife are highly preventable, as has been clearly demonstrated in other countries.”
Mr Slattery called for preventative technologies to be trialled on roads, including virtual fencing, dynamic signage and wildlife detection systems.
He also urged the committee to reduce speed limits in known wildlife hot spots, and to build infrastructure that allowed animals to bypass roads, among other measures.
Melbourne University research fellow Dr Kylie Soanes, an expert in road ecology, questioned the effectiveness of virtual fencing as a preventative solution.
An emerging technology, virtual fencing uses a system to detect wildlife on roadsides and attempts to prevent them crossing with sound and light.
“It frequently gains media attention and is subject to many ‘trials’ across the country,” she said in her statement.
“However, these trials are rarely accompanied by evaluation, and evidence of their success is scant.”
Dr Soanes said current evidence suggested physical fencing targeted to species was the clearest way to reduce road strike.
Two more public hearings will be held for the inquiry, which has already received over 460 submissions.
To view the current submissions, visit parliament.vic.gov.au/wildliferoadstrike
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