If you’ve recently bought a slice of Australian paradise—or you know someone who has—there’s a hidden hazard lurking on many rural and semi-rural properties that could be putting our precious native wildlife at risk.
The solution? It’s surprisingly simple, and it’s catching on fast among new landowners who want to make a real difference.
Australia’s unique wildlife faces a host of challenges, from habitat loss to invasive species. But there’s another, less obvious danger: old, unused barbed wire and wire fencing.
Once essential for keeping livestock in, these fences are now often forgotten as properties change hands and farming practices shift.
But for animals like kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas, and even birds, these fences can be deadly traps.
Bridget, a resident of the Northern Rivers region in NSW, recently discovered just how dangerous these hidden fences can be.
While clearing out unused fencing on her grandfather’s 42-acre property, she found barbed wire tangled with debris and hidden by overgrown foliage—remnants from past floods and years of neglect.
‘It’s a lovely piece of natural environment,’ she shared. ‘But that barbed wire no longer serves a purpose and poses a definite hazard to wildlife.’
She’s not alone. As more people buy up rural land for lifestyle reasons rather than farming, many don’t realise just how much old fencing is still out there—sometimes hidden under grass, leaves, or flood debris.
Enter the growing movement of ‘unfencing’—the removal of unnecessary or dangerous fencing to help native animals move safely across the landscape.
Bridget, one half of the conservation duo ‘Wildlife Twins’, believes this trend is set to play a crucial role in the future of animal conservation in Australia.
‘When properties change hands, it’s a really good idea to get out there and have a look,’ she says. ‘Ideally, remove unnecessary wire fencing. It’s a simple act that can make a huge difference.’
Wildlife rescuers report that incidents of animals—especially kangaroos—getting trapped in fences are all too common. In Victoria, one rescuer said there’s ‘about a case a day’ of kangaroos caught in fencing, sometimes with tragic results.
Doug Gimesy, a new property owner in regional Victoria, found this out the hard way. The day after moving in, he discovered a kangaroo stuck in his fence. The experience prompted him to remove a staggering 17 kilometres of wire fencing from his property—a job that took 10 months, but one he says was worth every minute.
While some are rolling up their sleeves to physically remove old fences, technology is also offering new solutions. The NSW government recently announced plans to legalise ‘virtual fencing’—a system where livestock wear GPS-enabled neckbands that emit noises or mild electric shocks if they stray outside set boundaries.
This move, already adopted in Queensland, WA, Tasmania, and the NT, could help farmers save money and reduce the need for physical fences, potentially making properties safer for wildlife.
However, animal welfare advocates have raised concerns about the impact on livestock, warning that the technology could cause anxiety or discomfort, especially if boundaries are frequently changed.
NSW’s agricultural minister, Tara Moriarty, says the government will work with both industry and animal welfare groups to strike the right balance.
‘These changes seek to reduce costs for farming and to enable agile paddock formation across land holdings to meet the needs of farmers while also protecting the welfare of cattle,’ she said.
As landowners and conservation efforts evolve, the trend of ‘unfencing’ highlights an important shift in how we approach property management and wildlife protection.
What are your thoughts on the ‘unfencing’ trend? Have you or someone you know removed fencing on a property for conservation purposes? How do you feel about the controversial introduction of virtual fencing in NSW? Share your experiences and opinions in the comments section below.
Also read: Fence or trap? The unseen danger on property that threatens wildlife
