New light tower trial to prevent koala deaths on Byron Shire roads

Published on 26 September 2024

Byron Shire Council and Bangalow Koalas are joining forces to trial a new temporary solar powered lighting tower near the golf course on Broken Head Road, to help stop koalas and other wildlife from road strike in this area.

The initiative follows the death of Moji the koala who was killed by a car on this stretch of road in August this year.

“This section of Broken Head Road is very poorly lit and is regularly used by local koalas moving between food trees on either side of the road,” Council’s Biodiversity Team Leader, Liz Caddick said.

“We’re also in the middle of koala breeding season, which goes from June to December, so young males are moving around, crossing roads, finding new territories and finding mates. 

“These are healthy young koalas, and we can’t afford to lose a single one of them.

“Koalas aren’t quick enough to get out of the way of cars, so the onus really is on motorists to look out for them, and we are hoping that a new lighting tower will help,” Ms Caddick said.

Bangalow Koalas’ Linda Sparrow said it was the first time a temporary lighting tower had been used to reduce wildlife road strike in this area.

“Extra lighting is not appropriate in all locations and is only likely to be useful as a temporary measure, but the aim of this trial is to help us understand if lighting can be an effective tool to save our koalas,” Ms Sparrow said.

“In the meantime, we already know that the best way to reduce wildlife road deaths is for all drivers to slow down on the road and look out for local wildlife,” she said.

“Koalas are hard to spot, but there are some very active ones in Byron at the moment, from Suffolk Park to The Pass, so people should drive as if they’re expecting to see one, especially between dusk and dawn,” Ms Sparrow said.

Council also congratulates Bangalow Koalas, who started planting trees in Byron Shire in 2019, and today celebrated the planting of their 400,000th tree.