One hundred tiny beepers spread over three kilometres of road may just save a local Tasmanian Devil population from being decimated by cars.
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At least, that's what the residents of a tiny Coastal village located in the heart of an iconic North-West national park hope for.
Fiona Loughran is one of a small group of permanent residents at Sisters Beach, and drives along a long and winding road - the village's sole access route - almost daily.
She said the local community association had noticed a large amount of roadkill along the road, particularly Tasmanian devils, and earlier this year successfully petitioned the Waratah-Wynyard Council for a grant to install a virtual fence.
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The fence, installed last week, involves 100 light-activated beepers staggered over both sides of the road at 50 metre intervals from the village boundary to Banksia Park.
Car headlights trigger the beepers to emit sound waves, which then deter wildlife from crossing into the path of oncoming traffic.
Mayor Robby Walsh said the success of the fence would depend on driver behaviour and reduced speed.
"The fence's beepers are activated by headlights, so I encourage drivers to turn their lights on as soon as it starts to get dark and to remember the importance of slowing down from dusk till dawn," he said.
"A busy road in a National Park with a high conservation zone between two urban areas is unusual.
"Virtual fencing has proved to be a successful method of preventing animals from entering the road, so we are happy this project has been brought forward, particularly as we come into the busy summer period."
Ms Loughran said the community was delighted with the fence, and grateful for the involvement of a devil expert Dr David Pemberton.
"David Pemberton has a wealth of knowledge on Devils," she said.
"To have him come to Sisters Beach to assist us in determining the location of the devices was invaluable. Our community would like to say a huge thanks to David."
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