In the Media 2005

Koalas' climbing frame to road safety
16 June 2005
Sunshine Coast Daily, page 11

NOOSA Council Works and Planning department will build 10 timber climbing frames along a Sunshine Beach street in an effort to prevent koalas being run over and killed by passing cars.

Working in consultation with The Koala Foundation, Custom Lattice and local koala experts, Noosa council works planning officer Dallas Bickley devised two different prototype wooden ladder-like devices to give stranded koalas a safe passage up the vertical rock wall flanking busy Edward Street, which links Noosa with David Low Way.

Local residents sparked the move when they contacted Noosa councilor Frank Pardon over concern that too many koalas were being hit by cars after becoming stranded on the narrow shoulder on the wall side of the road.

The frames are made of wooden lattice mounted in hardwood frames to be bolted onto the wall, giving koalas a safe passage from the narrow road shoulder up the wall to safety.

"Timber poles like the ones in Leslie Drive were suggested but these are not suitable for the narrow sections of road on Edwards Street," Mr Bickley said.  "So I looked into building a two metre wide hardwood climbing frame in two different styles, horizontal and diagonal,"

Both prototype ladders were taken to Australia Zoo to be trialled with sick and injured koalas in the zoo’s veterinary clinic.

"We found that the koalas prefer the horizontal frame the best," Mr Binkley said.

Mr Binkley devised the ladder concept after inspecting the site with a koala expert, before running the idea past The Koala Foundation.

"They hadn’t come across anything like it before but they seemed to think it might work," Mr Binkley said.

Mr Bickley said the 10 climbing frames, which would be installed on the wall between Adonis St and 150m north of the Hill Street roundabout, were expect to cost $5,500.

Mr Bickley hopes to fund the project through the 04/05 Division 4 budget.