Resident earmarks Southern Highlands village as option for dusk to dawn initiative

Andy Carnahan wants to see an advisory speed limit of 70km/hr from dusk to dawn on the roads leading into his home town village of Bundanoon.

He said he believed the initiative would help in the protection of local wildlife and motorists.

Meanwhile a Wingecarribee Shire Council spokesperson said that the council recognised the ecological impacts of wildlife road strikes and was currently investigating a range of mitigation tools and strategies.

However, they said that should new signs be the preferred option it was likely that other stakeholders such as the local Police and the Roads and Maritime Services may need to be involved in the conversation.

According to Transport NSW Centre for Road Safety one in every 41 casualty crashes on country roads involves a vehicle hitting an animal.

Mr Carnahan said the dusk to dawn initiative could play an important role in reducing the damage to vehicles and potential harm to human and wildlife in the case of collisions with animals on the roads at night.

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He said he was inspired by the initiative after traveling in regional Victoria in the Trentham and Daylesford area.

Mr Carnahan said was pleased to see signs featuring a wombat, similar to those in various parts of the Southern Highlands including the outskirts of Bundanoon.

However, it was the additional warnings under the wombat sign that impressed him even more.

One of these signs said '70km/h' and another said 'Dusk to Dawn'.

"My immediate thought was 'what a great idea!'," Mr Carnahan said.

"VicRoads also promotes wildlife advisory signs as the most cost-effective traffic management tools on tourist roads where protection of fauna is valued and expected.

"While the option of a wombat warning sign is good, the added sign with suggested speed limit further helps motorists to make a more informed decision.

"This is especially helpful for people from out of town who are traveling in the area."

Mr Carnahan said that while the speed limit signs were not legally binding they provided a safety guide.

"I love this idea because it is an advisory on a suitable speed limit," he said.

"It could be especially helpful for people who don't know the area."

Eager to ensure the initiative is introduced locally, Mr Carnahan has even offered to pay for the signs at the roads leading into Bundanoon.

He is also looking to the council for official support for the idea.

To promote the idea and help fund road signs, Andy designed and had printed swing tags saying "I go 70km/h from dusk to dawn" which can be displayed in the back window of vehicles. They are now available for sale at several locations in Bundanoon. The aim of the tags is to further drive home the message to encourage motorists to drive at a slower speed.

The tags are also available on line at dusk-to-dawn-70kmh.square.site

The council spokesperson said that changes to speed zones were entirely in the jurisdiction of the NSW State Government.

They said that studies by the NSW Government and universities had shown that static road wildlife signs had little impact on driver behaviour.

"It's also important to keep in mind that too many road signs can lead to sign blindness," they said.

"The council isn't aware of any studies into the effectiveness of Dusk to Dawn signage but would certainly consider their use if there was strong evidence to support this measure.

"The council reminds residents and visitors to always drive to local conditions. We would also remind residents that the installation of new signs or devices or interference with existing ones without authority is an offence.

"Our Environment and Sustainability team would love to hear from anyone interested in working with the community on awareness campaigns," the spokesperson said.

The team can be contacted on phone 4868 0888 or via email to citizen.science@wsc.nsw.gov.au. To report sick or injured wildlife contact Wildlife Rescue South Coast's 24 hours hotline on 0418 427 241 or WIRES on 13 000 WIRES or 1300 094 737.

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