Every year, thousands of native animals are killed or injured on Victorian roads. It's one of the leading causes of harm to our wildlife – and it's largely preventable.

Right now, the response falls almost entirely on volunteers. There's no dedicated state funding, no coordinated data collection, and no consistent safety standard for the people who stop on the roadside to help.

Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell secured a Parliamentary Inquiry into Wildlife Roadstrike to change that – to find out what's driving these numbers, and what it would actually take to bring them down.

In November 2025, after a year of public submissions, surveys and hearings with rescuers, carers, vets and experts, the Inquiry handed down its final report. It sets out a clear picture of the problem, and a practical set of recommendations to fix it. The government now has six months to respond, and we'll be holding them to it.

What the Inquiry found

Wildlife rescue is skilled, physically demanding and sometimes dangerous work – yet it's carried out almost entirely by unpaid volunteers, with little consistent support or protection when they respond roadside.

The Inquiry's recommendations fall into four broad areas:

Supporting rescuers and carers

• A small, optional vehicle registration contribution so Victorians can directly fund wildlife rescue.

• Ongoing funding and reimbursements for wildlife rescuers and carers, so they're no longer left out of pocket.

• Properly professionalising and funding the volunteer wildlife rescue sector.

• A Code of Practice for accredited agencies responding to wildlife roadstrike.
  
  

Data, planning and infrastructure

• A centralised, publicly accessible wildlife roadstrike data collection database.

• Wildlife-sensitive planning measures applied to all new housing, infrastructure projects and planning schemes.

• Connected wildlife corridors, so animals aren't forced to cross major roads.

• Major wildlife crossings, beginning with pilot sites in high-risk corridors.

• Updated road design standards that reflect the technology and infrastructure available today.

• Proactive population management, paired with targeted investment in crossings and fencing at verified hotspots.
  
  

Technology on our roads

• Examining the feasibility of variable speed limits in high-risk areas, backed by cameras and enforcement.

• Intelligent signage and animal detection systems, already used internationally but underutilised in Victoria.

• Trialling innovative AI-based animal detection systems.

• Continued funding for virtual fencing, tied to the emergence of new and more viable technologies.
  
  

Education and driver responsibility

• A statewide education campaign so Victorians understand the risks, the signs, and what to do in cases of wildlife roadstrike –  including seasonal risks and safe driving practices.

• Requiring motorists to stop and assist wildlife they've struck, when it's safe to do so.

One thing this report makes clear is that this crisis is being responded to almost entirely by volunteers – and the sector has reached breaking point.

We’ve given the government the solutions. The evidence is clear, and so is the path forward. The recommendations are practical, costed, and backed by the people doing this work every day. What's needed now is political will.

You can read the full report online here:

https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/4acc3b/contentassets/f8aae7e23c694b3e93961bb509061f61/lceic-60-07-wildlife-roadstrike-in-victoria.pdf