Questions have been raised about a garden item set to go on sale at Aldi on Saturday morning.
Photos of the $22.99 Trellis and Net Kit have sparked concern among wildlife rescuers, who worry it could entangle, maim, and kill animals visiting Aussie backyards.
They believe the holes in the netting could be large enough to entangle flying foxes and birds.
“We have a serious concern,” the coordinators of the Fly By Night rescue service wrote on social media on Thursday night.
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Wildlife advocates are concerned the hole size in Aldi’s Trellis and Net Kit could be larger than 5mm x 5mm and could harm wildlife.
(Aldi)
Yahoo News immediately wrote to Aldi requesting more information about the item. However, the supermarket chain was unable to respond by our deadline.
In the photos displayed on Aldi’s website, it’s unclear how large the holes are because it does not provide measurements.
Fly By Night’s founder, Tamsyn Hogarth, wrote to Aldi on Thursday night, but has yet to hear back.
Her message to the company is simple: “Step up” and release the size of the mesh holes.
When flying foxes are entangled in netting, they are often strangled or maimed as these pictures taken this year in Victoria highlight. Source: Supplied
(Supplied)Victoria’s garden netting ban
In Victoria, the state government has banned any garden netting with holes larger than 5mm x 5mm when stretched.
In NSW, the government has not outlawed this netting, but it advises against its use on animal welfare grounds.
Yahoo is not suggesting the Aldi product doesn’t meet this standard, but is seeking confirmation from the supermarket
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Last year, Big W, a chain of cut-price department stores owned by Woolworths Group, apologised after sending banned netting to a customer in Victoria.
And searches at discount stores across the state have consistently found illegal products being sold inside.
Several online retailers, including eBay, Temu, and Amazon, claim to have outlawed the product, but a simple search on Friday found it was still being sold on their websites.
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