Innovative ways to protect freshwater turtles 

NSW is home to seven native freshwater turtle species, two of which are found nowhere else in the world. However, these native turtle populations are declining due to several challenges such as introduced predators, habitat loss and road mortalities.

Following the opening of the Northern Road Upgrade Project in Western Sydney several community members raised concerns about turtle fatalities. Conventional road fauna mortality surveys are an important tool in developing mitigation measures. However, they are time consuming and require a two-person ecologist team to drive sections of the road. These teams can either travel at the posted speed limits, potentially compromise data accuracy, or choose slower speeds for precision, which can disrupt traffic flow and compromise safety.

An artificial intelligence (AI) solution was developed and trialled in response to the communities’ concerns. The idea uses video data from dash-mounted cameras to detect turtles and then use AI to differentiate between turtles and other objects such as potholes. Leveraging this mapping ability, the initiative aims to find an innovative way to inform effective mitigation measures and is a collaborative effort between Transport’s site personnel and ecologists from Western Sydney University.

Overcoming the challenges of traditional surveys, AI analysis of dash-mounted camera video provides a simple and a more effective solution for identifying and mapping turtles on the roads. The AI model developed by the dash cams team has been successfully tested on three different camera formats including iPhones. These dash cams easily attach to most vehicles and capture high-quality video footage. They have an accuracy rate of over 90 per cent in detecting turtles on roads, even at speeds of 80 km/h – a significant achievement given the challenges of identifying turtles on roads. The enhanced accuracy also minimises the need for ecologists to review all footage, saving both time and effort.

Aligning with the start of turtles’ breeding season, November is celebrated as National Turtle Month. This national citizen science event, co-managed by Western Sydney University, is dedicated to raising awareness about threatened freshwater turtle species. In support of our commitment to protecting and enhancing biodiversity, our M12 Motorway team had joined with Western Sydney University in the 1 Million Turtles program. This collaborative effort strengthens our commitment to fauna protection and deepens our understanding of conservation requirements across our projects.

The impact of this innovation extends beyond protecting the local freshwater turtles. With this ongoing collaboration with the university, we are continuing to develop AI technology, to eventually identify various other species on our roadways. This enhancement is expected to advance our biodiversity monitoring and increase our knowledge of roadkill hotspots.

By identifying and understanding any fauna mortality hotspots more effectively, we can implement targeted mitigation and connectivity measures during or even after road projects. The mitigation strategies will help protect our unique fauna and enhance road safety for our road users.