MRWN is a collective of local wildlife rescuers, carers and individuals who strive to raise awareness of our spectacular wildlife and the risks and threats they face as the natural beauty of our shire and surrounds is threatened by imminent development.
History
Local wildlife rescuers, carers and interested people attended a Macedon Ranges Shire Council ward meeting at Jubilee Hall, Macedon in April 2007 to discuss a number of pressing local issues including:
• accounts of illegal shootings in the shire
• local newspapers call for a cull of kangaroos because of a ‘perceived increase’ in roo numbers
• planning issues in terms of new developments encroaching on known wildlife/kangaroo areas potentially creating more problems
• the fact that more than half of new residents moving to the Macedon Ranges have never lived in the country before posed a real need for wildlife awareness and education
• the need to get dusk till dawn signs installed in ‘hotspots’ and the growing need for greater awareness in safer driving
The council was definitely impressed by the turnout - 18 out of 22 public at the meeting were there for wildlife!
A week later, the wildlife supporters who attended that council meeting gathered together and the Macedon Ranges Wildlife Network (“MRWN”) was created.
MRWN representatives held a further meeting with the Mayor and the Environment Manager to discuss strategies that could bring awareness to local wildlife issues and how to create more wildlife and resident compatibility.
The Council was extremely supportive of the issues that we had raised at the council meeting and gave us the opportunity to work with them through:
• new resident packages
• assistance with dusk till dawn signage
• shire website
• shire ‘update’ newsletter
In 2007 the MRS council stated and told local media that they would not support a kangaroo cull and in 2011 implemented fencing as an alternative non lethal method to culling to stop kangaroos from becoming a part of and disrupting the Hanging Rock races which to this day has been very successful.
- Tags:
- NGO, Nonprofit, Organization
- Category:
- Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)