Roo cull standstill
Posted by David Reynolds | February 11th, 2010
Waroona Shire wants kangaroos at Preston beach culled.
THE Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) has still not responded to a second request lodged two months ago by the Shire of Waroona seeking permission to shoot 100 western grey kangaroos that live in bush around Preston Beach Golf Club.
Club members claim the roos damage fairways and threaten golfers.
The council, which uses an appealing photo of a western grey joey on its website home page, first applied for a damage licence last July so it could cull the marsupials but the DEC responded by asking that non-lethal control methods be used.
Last week, the department said it would reach a decision later this month.
In February, 2007, the DEC gave the council permission to cull 50 kangaroos at the golf club, and in May that year, 42 were shot under controlled conditions and processed for pet food.
The DEC has suggested the council employ an environmental consultant to survey the kangaroo population and make recommendations for its control, erect a fauna fence to exclude kangaroos from the course, sedate and move the kangaroos, or install a noise barrier fence to deter them.
Waroona council was presented with a 299-signature petition at its November meeting, appealing for the kangaroos to be saved but the council was unmoved, saying just 34 of the signatures, or 18 per cent, were from Preston Beach electors.
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