General News
16 June, 2026
Demand for deer warning signs
MAREEBA Shire Council is pushing for more feral deer warning signs on the Kennedy Highway as Koah and Speewah residents register increasing concerns, and roadside sightings of the dead animals grow.
At a meeting of the council last month, an officer said fuel loads around the area were high after a wet summer, and the hazards of deer feeding near and crossing the main road had increased.
Speewah and Koah residents had been “regularly voicing concerns” to the council in recent months about the number of deer coming out to feed, and that fuel burns later in the season would also drive the creatures to the highway.
The officer said the infrastructure services team had asked the Department of Transport and Main Roads to erect deer warning signage on the state-controlled road, and the matter had also been raised at the Traffic Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting.
However, apart from one sign at the Tinaroo Creek Road crossing, nothing else had been carried out, “which was not fabulous”.
“By the time the road user, who may not be familiar with the area, arrives at Koah, they probably wouldn’t recall that they read a deer warning sign (at Tinaroo Creek Road),” the officer said.
“So, we will reach out to TMR again, really strongly, from a road safety perspective, that deer warning signs need to be in place along that stretch (of the Kennedy Highway).”
The move comes as the danger of feral deer near Koah was highlighted on social media last week.
Regular Kennedy Highway driver Michael Musemeci took to Facebook to warn people of deer in Koah after he photographed an animal that had been hit by a vehicle and lay dead on the side of the road for over a week.
He received a flurry on responses locally and interstate from people who had collided with the creatures.
“This is a constant problem, it’s been an ongoing issue for a very long time,” he told The Express.
“Warnings are not only for locals, but also for visitors to our region who may not know about the animal. They might expect a kangaroo, but not deer.”
“I also had a near miss last year. He was a very big animal, with antlers, and he was dark, so they are not easy to see.”
Mr Musumeci wanted signage that was clear to all drivers.
“There is ample money around to put up signs for cassowaries, and other birds and animals for their safety, but what about money to look after our drivers?” Mr Musumeci said.
“Is it that hard to put up a deer sign? They put up signs everywhere else.”
A TMR spokesperson said last week the department had “not received any reports or complaints regarding feral deer posing a risk to road users on the Tablelands”.
“But we will work with relevant agencies to assess whether additional measures are required in the Koah and Speewah area.”
The impacts of feral deer have been reported in The Express in previous years, following multiple car strikes at night, garden destruction and even a local horse being attacked and killed.
Declared a pest species in Queensland in 2009, Mareeba council included feral deer in its new biosecurity management plan, which was released in December.
The Community Biosecurity Plan 2025-2030 described a feral deer as any deer not contained within an escape-proof enclosure.
Under the plan, feral deer could be eradicated by trapping, baiting and shooting.
The most commonly found deer in the Speewah and Koah areas were Rusa (Cervus timorensis), and possibly Chital deer. Other pest deer listed for the whole region included Red deer and Fallow deer.
The biosecurity plan said feral deer posed a serious traffic hazard, may harass stock, compete for pasture or damage crops and gardens. They could also be aggressive to people and have been known to gore domestic animals.
Deer caused significant broader environmental damage from grazing/browsing, con-tributing to erosion, fouling water points and competing for resources. They may also carry livestock diseases.
The council had no set program for controlling feral deer but would “respond to individual issues as they arise on a case-by-case basis”.
The plan does outline a project to map the distribution of feral deer in the shire, in partnership with landholders, Biosecurity Queensland and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
Council would also promote deer monitoring, facilitate public awareness programs, and run awareness talks with landholders in high-risk areas.
Should anyone encounter an injured animal, they can contact FNQ Wildlife Rescue on 4053 4467. If a deceased animal is causing a road hazard, contact 13 19 40 or police on 131 444.
