cockies on the munch again

It seems that our cockatoo issue is rearing its ugly head again (see these past blog entries for history). I have had contact from local residents in the Belgrave and Kallista area all reporting that the birds have started gnawing away at wood, mortar and anything else that takes their fancy. They have also confirmed that the cockatoos are being fed near by.

This weekend I was frustrated to see the damage caused by cockatoos to the bollards at Kallista Market. The cockatoos have chewed every single bollard, not one is left unscathed. How much longer can local residents tolerate this same sort of damage to their houses?

In Victoria it is not illegal to feed wildlife and it is a serious shortfall of state legislation that this practice is allowed to continue.

Feeding wildlife, including cockatoos, results in a dependence on food sources supplied by people rather than natural sources. In the wild cockatoos need around 2 hours of foraging to get their fill of food, from a backyard feed they can get their fill in 15 minutes, this leaves cockatoos with plenty of spare time to wreak havoc.

Feeding wildlife results in a change of population which has consequences for other plants and animals in our natural environment. Our cockatoo population has exploded in recent years and has changed the natural balance of wildlife in the region.


























I will be raising the issue with local politicians at our next meeting. If you are concerned about the feeding of cockatoos and want to see some action from state government contact your local member:

James Merlino (Monbulk) james.merlino@parliament.vic.gov.au
1635 Burwood Hwy, Belgrave VIC 3160
or
Tammy Lobato (Gembrook) tammy.lobato@parliament.vic.gov.au
1/5 Gloucester Avenue, Berwick VIC 3806

It’s time the legislation in Victoria is changed permanently so this outmoded practice can stop forever.