Council’s crunch time

By MELISSA MEEHAN
WHEN it comes to the crunch, Yarra Ranges councillors can’t be accused of not responding to residents’ concerns.Tired of watching their homes crumble before their eyes thanks to pesky local cockatoos gnawing on houses and other buildings, the council is considering banning feeding the birds in a number of towns in the Dandenongs.Since 2009, a spate of attacks on homes and council buildings from cockatoos has highlighted concerns about the birds in the area.The issue was raised at Tuesday night’s council meeting, with councillors saying they hoped to hear from residents about their thoughts on the plan.Councillor Samantha Dunn spoke to the bird feeding ban saying it had her complete support.”We need to protect our residents from the devastation that these birds leave,” she said.
“It is a well-known fact that the birds congregate in areas where they are fed. And even if they are full they still need to sharpen their beaks and this is why they start to eat buildings around areas they are fed.”
Her colleague Noel Smith said he had seen some severe cases of damage caused by cockatoos during his time on council.
“People have tried to use all kinds of things to keep them away, from CDs or other shiny things, there is even one house in Kallista that had a large fish net over their house because the problem was so bad,” he said.
“It’s a bad situation and we need to do everything we can to stop the problem. It’s a nightmare for some of our residents.”
The motion to put the decision out to comment was supported by all councillors but Andy Wilcox who said he was concerned about the plan.
“It sounds like a nanny state,” he said.
The plan, which will ban anyone from feeding cockatoos in most towns in the Dandenongs, will not affect tourist destination Grants Picnic Ground.What do you think about the proposed ban? Email editor@yvnews.com.au
Towns where feeding cockatoos are proposed to be banned include:
Mount Evelyn, Montrose, Kalorama, Mt Dandenong, Olinda, Sassafras, Ferny Creek, Sherbrooke, Kallista, The Patch, Upper Ferntree Gully, Upwey, Tecoma, Belgrave, Selby, Menzies Creek, Belgrave Heights, Belgrave South and Lysterfield.