Byron Shire Council and The Farm team up to help wildlife

Published on 20 June 2023

Council has teamed up with The Farm Byron Bay to install wildlife friendly fencing and is encouraging landowners in the Byron Shire to do the same. 

Staff from Council and The Farm Byron Bay recently installed aluminium tags on barbed wire fencing, a simple measure to help wildlife such as birds and flying-foxes see fences, and reduce the risk of them becoming trapped. 

Liz Caddick, Council’s Biodiversity Team Leader, explained that many animals sadly become trapped on barbed wire fences and in netting every year, often resulting in them having to be euthanised, but that fortunately there are things that landowners can do to stop this from happening. 

“The aluminium tags work by catching the light and making the fences more visible to wildlife. This prevents them from flying into the fence and becoming trapped,” Ms Caddick said.

“Other things that landowners can do is remove old barbed wire fences if they are no longer needed, or replace the top strand of fencing with smooth wire. They can also replace netting around fruit trees with more wildlife-friendly options. 

“All of this information is available on Council’s website, and we are encouraging people to take a look,” she said.  

Andy Carbone from The Farm Byron Bay said that landowners can take a look at the aluminium tags that have been installed in the pecan orchard. 

“We were really happy to team up with Council on this project. We hope that, by making our fences more visible to wildlife, we will help protect the birds and flying-foxes that visit The Farm, as well as showing other property owners simple things they can do to make their fences more wildlife friendly,” Mr Carbone said. 

“If you are interested come and take a look at the tags,” Mr Carbone said. 

With local citrus trees also fruiting at the moment, there is a risk of animals getting tangled in netting around fruit trees. The new webpage also gives growers tips on how to install wildlife-friendly netting, to protect their fruit and also protect wildlife.

If you do find an animal tangled in a net or fence, call the experts for help as soon as possible on the phone numbers below: 

• WIRES: 1300 094 737, 

• Northern Rivers Wildlife Carers: 02 6628 1866, 

• Friends of the Koala: 02 6622 1233.