FAUNA FENCING
Fauna fencing is an essential requirement for major roading projects. Every year at least 20,000 vehicles collide with animals on our roads and in most cases the result is fatal for the animal.
The impact of these accidents on our native fauna populations as well as the human injury rate and death toll are extremely costly.
The insurance costs alone add up to tens of millions of dollars each year. Around 80% of these collisions involve kangaroos but dogs and cattle are also common statistics.
Good fauna fencing or marsupial fence design will not only protect humans and vehicles but needs to protect the animals too.
Poor fence design can trap or injure panicked animals and the RMS fauna fencing specifications are designed to minimise these possibilities.
The RMS fauna fencing requirements are covered under the R0800 standards and specify:
- 50 chain-link fencing fabric 2.5 dia ( knuckle / knuckle mesh )
- 15 dia. heavily galvanized wire cable ties at max 350mm intervals
- Structural grade galvanized steel pipe (intermediate posts) erected vertically (max 400mm between posts)
- Min post heights—1167mm above ground with an additional 4000mm cranked top facing the fauna protection area
- Mesh should overhang the top of the cranked post by 500mm
- Posts should be inserted in 900mm x 300mm footers using 20 MPa strength concrete (for corners and strainer posts)
- Intermediate posts should be inserted in 600mm x 200mm footers using 20 MPa strength concrete
There are additional requirements for ground mesh, domed tops to concrete footers, drainage channels, strainer wires and struts.
You can check out the full list of requirements and drawings for fauna fencing and marsupial fencing here.
