Bathurst car rally

National Parks & Wildlife have given two licences to Bathurst Regional Council to shoot 140 kangaroos on Mnt Panorama, home of Bathurst’s car race to be held in 2 weeks.

The Western Advocate said they were advised this was for “public safety” for the race.

The NSW Wildlife Rescue and Education Service, WIRES[1] members have to continually deal with kangaroos at Mount Panorama tangled in fences, hit by cars, dispersing into suburbs etc.

These are the last of the actual town’s kangaroos – the last of thousands of generations that have been pushed into the small pocket of Mnt Panorama and managing to survive.

Out of proportion

140 roos is certainly much more than the 15% allowed in commercial killing zones, and observers who have walked the environs over many years specifically noting the kangaroos in the area, suggest this represents most of the remaining population there. NPWS reportedly refused to answer the question of what percentage it represents.

National Parks and Wildlife have also reportedly refused to answer the following questions, which should also be asked of Bathurst Council:

· How many kangaroos are actually up on the Mount and its “nature reserves” and environs?

· What consideration has been given to the wallaroos and swamp wallabies on the Mount – are they to be shot also?

· What is happening to the young at foot – who are still fed by their mothers?

· What about the young in pouch?

· What consideration is given to the big male roos, who represent the most important genetic lines for the future?

· Has any consideration been given to creating corridors to allow roos to disperse, eg at the back of the Mount?

· Where is the kangaroo management plan that has determined this is to happen after due consideration of all other ecological factors – or is this a knee jerk reaction to terrified kangaroos on the racing track at last year’s Big Race?

Do the race sponsors condone this cruelty?

Questions of the sponsors of the race – SuperCheap Auto; Lawrence & Hanson; XXXX beer; as well as the sponsors of the driving teams

· Would you be proud to publicise that 140 kangaroos were shot as part of the preparation for the Bathurst 1000 race?

Are you prepared to allow this to happen without a whimper?

WIRES spokesperson, Helen Bergen, in Bathurst, said, "Platitudes to do with 'public safety' (the big race) [and even with] with 'sustaining the kangaroo population' [!] do not provide answers to the questions above.

"Is this how we thoughtfully care for our wildlife? This is how wildlife disappears from our landscapes – and we accept it as inevitable, so make no noise as it happens."

What you can do

Bathurst NPWS, Bathurst Regional Council, the media and the race sponsors all need to realise that some people feel extremely distressed about this situation.

Motor Racing Circuit Bathurst (official Bathurst Regional Council website):-

http://www.mount-panorama.com/contact-us
PMB 17 or 158 Russell Street
Bathurst
NSW
2795

02-6333 6158
02-6331-7211

NOTES

[1] WIRES - NSW Wildlife Rescue and Education Service is the largest wildlife rescue group in the country and has branches across NSW.
The website is www.wires.org.au