And that’s exactly as it should be.

While a project to permanently relocate up to 300 kangaroos from the Mount Panorama precinct to an undisclosed location outside of the region has already taken longer than hoped, those delays have been a result of bureaucracy rather than bungling.

And if the main expense for council during this stage of the project is $8000 a month to pay for the fencing around a temporary compound on College Road, then council is getting an unmitigated bargain.

No amount of costly reports and fauna management plans have achieved a fraction of what the Bathurst Kangaroo Project has done in just five months to get kangaroos off local roads, off the Mount Panorama race track and away from other local sporting venues.

Scientists and volunteers connected to the Bathurst Kangaroo Project have so far contributed more than $300,000 in pro bono services – all at a direct benefit to council and carried out at the initial request of council.

It would be nothing short of churlish for council to turn around now and claim the relocation project has gone on too long for it to keep funding the temporary fencing, just as an end to the kangaroo problem is clearly in sight.

If anything, councillors on Wednesday night should be committing extra funding to the project to acknowledge the benefits it could bring for the region.

Previous council reports have sought to rid Mount Panorama of kangaroos but none of the culling or “shoo ’roo” projects of the past have had any lasting success.

And while the final results of the relocation project are not yet known – nothing like this has ever been attempted before – it already shows enough promise to warrant council’s input.

This project is gaining international attention and showing Bathurst to be a progressive regional city that respects its local wildlife.

That is a much better message to send around the world than Bathurst is a city that shoots its national icons.

The potential upside of this project is huge while the downside is a paltry $8000 a month. That’s the easiest maths councillors will do all year.