Liberal Senator for Queensland, Russell Trood, finally caught up with bilby expert Peter McRae when he visited Charleville last week.

Senator Trood wasn’t expecting to meet with Mr McRae, who spends a lot of time tracking bilbies he released in a predator proof 25 square kilometre sanctuary at Currawinya National Park, about 3 hours’ drive out of Charleville.

“I was delighted to finally meet with Peter as I have supported the work of the Save the Bilby Fund since I brought up the plight of the bilby in Parliament in 2005,” Senator Trood said.

Mr McRae is one half of ‘The Bilby Brothers’, along with Ipswich local Frank Manthey, who set up the Save the Bilby Fund to ensure the survival of the endangered species that once inhabited most of mainland Australia.

Senator Trood became aware of the plight of the bilby when Mr Manthey lobbied politicians at Parliament House in 2005.

“The work of the Save the Bilby Fund is really important because it is now also used educate people about other endangered species,” Senator Trood said.

Mr McRae is passionate about his conservation work and was keen to show Senator Trood around the Charleville Bilby Experience and give him a first hand encounter of the endangered marsupial.

Senator Trood was in Charleville to meet with local civic and industry leaders, to gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by regional communities.

“The purpose of this visit was to gain a greater understanding of the challenges faced by the communities of Western Queensland so that I can be well informed when representing the people of this state in Parliament,” Senator Trood said.

On his first stop, Senator Trood met with Murweh Shire Mayor, Mark O’Brien, who told Senator Trood about the scrapping of a $5 million regional grant by the Rudd government that was supposed to be used for local development, including a unique learning centre at the Bilby Experience.

“It is a shame that the Rudd government has taken a broad sword to regional funding,” Senator Trood said.