Media release – Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania, 12 July 2023
Report roadkill these school holidays
These school holidays road users are reminded to take care and slow down while driving on our roads between dusk and dawn and report roadkill on the Tasmanian Roadkill Reporter app.
The new app, developed by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas), makes it easy for people to report roadkill. The data from the app provides important insight to road owners and managers to help reduce roadkill in the state, including identifying roadkill hot spots and helping inform management and mitigation techniques.
The new app follows a three-year roadkill reporting app trial by the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program.
NRE Tas’s Acting Program Manager for the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, Sam Fox, said all road users can do their part to help reduce risk of roadkill in the state by using the app.
“Reducing risk of roadkill relies on the collective actions of road owners, road managers, and drivers.
“All road users can do their part by ensuring they scan the sides of the road for wildlife, take note of wildlife warning signs, drive with extra care on roads that have steep banks on either side, and not throw any rubbish from the car that can attract wildlife to feed on the sides of roads.
“Importantly, road users can report roadkill on the new app which can record a range of native species including wallabies, pademelons, quolls, Tasmanian devils, and raptors such as wedge-tailed eagles and feral species. It also allows users to note diseases on Tasmanian devils and wombats.”
The public can view data from the app on the Natural Values Atlas and The LIST.
“The app has already received good engagement from the public which provides us with important data on roadkill in Tasmania. However, we need more people to be reporting on the app to give as accurate data as possible to help identify ways to reduce roadkill and protect our wildlife,” Sam said.
The Tasmanian Roadkill Reporter app should only be used when safe to do so. It is illegal to touch your mobile phone while driving or waiting at traffic lights.
For more information and to download the Tasmanian Roadkill Reporter app visit the NRE Tas website: https://nre.tas.gov.au/roadkillapp.
