By Tania Martin
Wandin’s Bob O’Neill has joined calls for a fair go for residents as part of a bird scaring device debate. 41441 Picture: Nigel Clements
A GROUP of Wandin residents are calling for a ‘fair go’ as the Yarra Ranges Shire looks at introducing a new local law restricting the use of bird scaring devices.
They say the law was needed but are concerned over the need for it to be policed.
The residents spoke out last month after the issue went before a council meeting on Tuesday 27 October.
At the meeting, the council agreed to put the new law out for public consultation.
However, Resident Bob O’Neill and his wife Dot felt singled out following comments made at the meeting.
Streeton Ward’s councillor Noel Cliff told the council that although there was a unique mix of tourism and agribusiness in the shire, it needed to look after the farmers.
“We just put them (B&Bs) in and the farmer next door has to fire off a missile to frighten off the birds and can’t be expected to change his ways because of someone who comes up to the valley and wants to sleep in,” Cr Cliff told the meeting.
But Mr O’Neill said it wasn’t just about B&Bs.
He said there were numerous residents who were affected by the use of bird scarers.
The group was also flabbergasted when nearby cherry farmer John Caccievello told the Mail that he would be forced to resort to using shotguns if the law was introduced.
They say he is already doing that.
Mr Caccievello first started using sonic bird scaring devices more than three years ago.
Resident Neville Forrester said the noise had become a health issue for his wife, Lorraine.
At the time they were first introduced, Mrs Forrester was suffering from a bad case of shingles in her head and eye.
“I wasn’t sleeping well and I just seemed to get to sleep and this wretched thing would start at 5.45am,” Mrs Forrester said.
In the first year, the group says the devices would go off every four minutes for 15 hours a day.
Mrs O’Neill said it not only had a startling affect on the birds, but also on humans as well.
“It takes away every bit of your confidence and security of being outside when it goes off,” she said.
At the moment the scarers are run every seven minutes for eight seconds and still run for 15 hours a day.
Nearby resident, Helen, a mother with young children said she failed to understand why the devices have to run from 5.45am to sometimes 9pm at night.
She said once they stopped, the shotguns start up.
Helen said it was especially hard when you have a young family to consider.
“I respect the right to farm…I have lived here all my life and don’t have any issue with that, but our rights need to be respected as well,” she said.
Mr O’Neill has commended the shire for introducing the proposed law, but is concerned about how it would be controlled.
“We must give the shire credit. They are the first shire in the state to attempt to have a law of control on these devices,” he said.
“If we don’t have controls on these devices, people could put as many as you like wherever they like and run them whenever they like …we must have control.”
Mr O’Neill said the biggest issue would be policing the new laws once they are introduced.
He said the shire was not open on weekends when most of the problems could occur.
“If we have to pay someone to come out and police, I am happy to do that,” Mr O’Neill said.
Submissions on the proposed law have now closed and a report is expected to go before the council next month.
