THE relocation of 150 kangaroos from the Mount Panorama precinct is set to take place before this year’s Great Race.
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The plan comes following land-clearing works on College Road conducted earlier this year which sent resident kangaroos fleeing into the central business district.
The panicked roos had fled their home territory around the old Appleton Orchard, an area of land acquired by Bathurst Regional Council for the proposed second race track on Mount Panorama.
Clearing works were immediately put on hold while a plan for the 150 kangaroos that live in the vicinity was formulated.
That plan, Bathurst Kangaroo Project’s Helen Bergen says, is to dart each of the kangaroos and relocate them.
She said a relocation of this type had never occurred anywhere in the state.
"This is groundbreaking for a removal and relocation of 150 kangaroos,” she said.
“This represents 15 per cent of the total kangaroos on Mount Panorama removed at once.”
Ms Bergen said the relocation will be a safer option for the kangaroos and the community than to continue land-clearing with the marsupials still there.
When clearing began in April, 20 kangaroos fled into the CBD, three were killed on the roads and others were darted and returned to the orchard area.
“It’s a really great solution for council and the community,” Ms Bergen said of the relocation.
Mayor Gary Rush said council had been in talks with the Bathurst Kangaroo Project for many months to plan the relocation.
“The Bathurst Kangaroo Project will oversee the removal of the kangaroos from the site to a suitable new location,” he said.
“We are currently waiting on formal approval from the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the commencement of the project will be determined by approval being granted and consideration of any conditions on the approval.”
Council will cover some of the project’s costs, including medicants to sedate the kangaroos prior to relocation, temporary fencing on site and assistance with travel costs between Bathurst and the release site.