samantha in the press - wildlife

New set up for the birds in Kallista Leader newspapers by Kimberley Seedy 13 Apr 2011

cockie chew views to minister

Back in April Council resolved to develop a local law to ban sulphur crested cockatoo feeding (see blog). Part of the resolution included lobbying the Minister for Environment, Gavin Jennings, about the ongoing issues with local cockatoos.

In May we wrote to the Minister seeking his support for our community, particularly those in the Kallista area, in relation to the destruction of property caused by cockatoos. Council asked the Minister for ongoing support from the Department of Sustainability and Environment to continue to campaign to educate the community of the risks to wild birds caused by feeding and associated dependency.

We highlighted to the Minister the many complaints we have received from residents who have suffered extensive damage to their property, in particular to window and door frames as a result of cockatoos that congregate in residential areas. Of particular concern are the properties located close to Grants Picnic Ground where feeding of cockatoos is actively encouraged through the sale of seed from the Park Kiosk.

Council has been advised by DSE experts that because the sulphur crested cockatoos have access to a ready supply of feed from the picnic grounds, they have no need to forage to naturally hone their beaks. As a result of this, the cockatoos chew away at the soft timbers of residential and public property which has resulted in many thousands of dollars of damage.

We outlined to the Minister the steps we have taken in relation to community education, also that we are developing a local law. We told the Minister that it is our preference that the community adopts changes in behaviour and stops feeding cockatoos.

We are seeking the support of the Minister to modify the licence conditions of the kiosk at Grants Picnic Ground to prohibit the selling of wild bird seed. We also asked the Minister for extensive signage to be installed in the Dandenong Ranges National Park and formal contact be made with tour operators advising users that feeding is prohibited in the national park.

It is the first step in lobbying the Minister on this issue, I hope he's listening as the cockatoos have already started chewing away again for season 2010.

curbing cockie crunching and munching

report from the roundtable – 13 apr

This week's council meeting saw council approve a concerted education campaign, a focussed advocacy effort and the development of a local law to address the issue of sulphur crested cockatoo feeding and chewing in the Shire.

A problem that has brewing for the last four years, it was time to put some focussed effort and attention into addressing the issue of cockatoo feeding. Feeding sulphur crested cockatoos sees the birds cause all sorts of damage to buildings, fixtures, fittings, forests and ferns, because instead of foraging for food in the wild the birds have a plenty of time spare to chew. Not only that, it is not good for the birds either.

These cockatoos are chewing away on the retaining walls at Grant's Picnic Ground in Sherbrooke Forest. Parks Victoria have committed to initiatives to restrict the feeding of birds at Grants Picnic Grounds which include a designated feeding enclosure. There will also be limits to the volume of seed sold from the kiosk and a prohibition on seed being brought into Grant's Picnic Grounds.

The cockies need to chew to keep their beaks well honed and in good health, it is a natural behaviour generally done whilst the birds are foraging for food, whilst they don't need to forage because of a constant supply of food, they do need to chew.

The damage the birds have caused in townships across the Dandenongs is incredible, the level of destruction quite unbelievable. Feeding of the birds has seen neighbour pitted against neighbour as frustration levels get higher and higher as destruction from cockatoos continues.

It is not only backyard feeding that is contributing to the problem. The cockatoo feeding at Grant's Picnic Ground saw Kallista under siege last year as the birds gnawed the community house, bollards in the village green, fixtures at the kinder, the historic mechanics hall, power supply lines and local residences.

Grant's Picnic Ground is about 100 metres from the Kallista PreSchool, the preschool suffered ongoing attacks from cockatoos on its wooden fixtures and fittings in 2009, costing parents and ratepayers a fortune. This money could be far better used than cleaning up after cockies.

It was time to tackle the issue head on. At a public meeting last year I gave a commitment to the community to look at the issue and investigate the legal instruments that could be used as an enforcement tool against feeding.

This week I moved the following motion:

That Council:

1. Lobby the Minister for Environment to modify the licence conditions for the restaurant at Grants Picnic Grounds to prohibit the sale of wild bird seed for the purpose of feeding sulphur crested cockatoos on the basis that it is putting the birds at risk.

2. Further seek the prohibition of feeding sulphur crested cockatoos throughout the Shire and support the provision of signage.

3. In unison with DSE, continue to campaign throughout the Shire to educate the community of the risks to the wild birds caused by feeding and associated
dependency. This should include tourist organisations who promote the feeding of wild birds in the Shire.

4. Commence the development of a local law in relation to sulphur crested cockatoo feeding for consideration by Council in Twelve months.

The motion was supported 7 votes for to 1 vote against.
(note: Cr Cliff was absent from this meeting)

70kph too soon

I have long been an advocate for 50kph speed zones throughout our townships and was delighted when Kallista finally got approval for a 50kph speed zone through the township (see blog).

This 70kph sign needs to be another 100 metres down the road. Monbulk Road is extremely busy, this photo was taken at midday and is typical of the traffic on the road. Increasing the 50kph zone past Grant's Picnic Ground would be much safer for motorists and pedestrians.

When the signage was erected throughout Kallista I was quite perplexed about the placement of a 70kph sign on the Kallista side of the Grant’s Picnic Ground access way. It would seem to me much safer to put the sign on the Belgrave side of the access way. Given the amount of traffic on Monbulk Road and the amount of traffic turning into Grant’s Picnic Ground it would be much safer for this part of Monbulk Road to be included in Kallista’s 50kph zone.

A number of residents have also raised this issue with me. Clearly a community concern, I had the shire traffic engineers write to the Regional Director of Vic Roads calling for a relocation of the signage.

I hope the response from Vic Roads is positive. Shifting the signage towards Belgrave would be a huge safety improvement for traffic along Monbulk Road and also for pedestrians crossing from Grant’s Picnic Ground to Sherbrooke Forest.

Too often the Shire receives a no from Vic Roads, particularly for our ongoing requests for 50kph zones. I will soon be taking up the matter of 50kph zones again, too long have the Yarra Ranges townships of Belgrave South, Coldstream, Montrose, Millgrove, Mt Dandenong, Selby, Tecoma, Wandin North, Wesburn, Woori Yallock and Yarra Glen been waiting for long overdue safety improvements and speed limit reductions.

cockie campaign to commence

Council started up its regular schedule of meetings for 2010 last week, up on the agenda was discussion about the cockatoo issue (see blog).

Last year the community met to discuss the ongoing issue with cockatoos and their chewing. I was there along with Parks Victoria, DSE and the local state MP.

It is a challenging issue for council, last year the birds were voracious in their chewing of Kallista and surrounds. But it didn’t stop there, I had reports of chewing in Belgrave, Menzies Creek, Tecoma, The Patch and Monbulk too. In conversations with the DSE it is clear that there is a direct link between feeding cockatoos and this chewing behaviour. Rather than foraging for food in the wild, the cockatoos get a full belly very quickly from bird seed, leaving them with plenty of time to chew fixtures, fittings, mortar, power supply lines, you name it, to hone their beaks.

Kallista Kindergarten suffered countless attacks by cockatoos in 2009, much of their playground was made unsafe and parents had to spend precious funds to repair the damage.

In discussing the issue it was decided that a concerted education campaign be the first step in changing people’s attitudes to feeding cockatoos. I think it is important that people are given the opportunity to understand the issue, how it affects the birds and the consequences to neighbours and their property.

I have been working with the DSE and the Shire’s environment department to produce a flyer to distribute to residents across the Dandenongs.

Along with written material, signage will be placed in picnic grounds to discourage people to feed the birds. At the moment is only illegal to feed wildlife in national parks, except for the birds at Grant’s Picnic Ground where there is a legally binding lease in place to 2019 to allow this practice to continue.

It is a difficult issue, bird feeding is something that many people enjoy. It is possible to enjoy our wonderful wild birds without feeding them bird seed. Providing habitat and natural food sources is a great way to ensure your backyard has a thriving bird population.

After twelve months the success of the education campaign will reviewed and a local law considered. I think it is very important to start with an educative approach as the first step, enforcement should be a secondary measure. People must be given the opportunity to learn how detrimental feeding cockies can be.

The cockatoo issue will come before council for formal resolution, watch this space for more details.

council considers cockatoo curb

At this week’s council meeting I intend to move the following motion in response to a commitment I gave community members at a recent public meeting in Kallista about the ongoing problem with cockatoos.

Motion :
That a report be prepared for Council examining options for prohibiting or discouraging the feeding of cockatoos in the Shire of Yarra Ranges. Options to be investigated should include the following alternatives:

(a) the use of the existing Animal Control Law, which regulates the way in which feed may be stored;
(b) the use of the nuisance provisions of the Health Act to either regulate or prohibit feeding;
(c) the creation of a new local law, or the amendment of an existing Animal Control Local Law, to prohibit feeding altogether.

The report should be delivered to council by the last meeting of November, 2009. The report should address the legal and operational implications of each option and recommend the most effective mechanism for reducing the impact of cockatoos on Yarra Ranges communities.

Background/Supporting Information :
At a recent public meeting in Kallista the issue of feeding of cockatoos was raised, specifically regarding those residents who continue to feed cockatoos and by doing so cause damage to neighbouring properties.

It was recognised that education was a key focus to assist residents to understand that feeding cockatoos has the unintended consequence of damage to timber, mortar, power supply lines and various other fixtures on public and private property.

This view is supported by the DSE and can be referenced in their Living with Wildlife 1 factsheet “For example, cockatoos need to chew items to maintain their beaks at the correct length and condition. They generally achieve this by chewing bark and branches in their roost trees. When people give them food, they tend to hang around near where they are fed.

They also have more “free time” as they don’t need to forage. This can result in cockatoos chewing on timber fittings, outdoor furniture, other household fittings or vegetation on neighbouring properties. The best solution is to find out who is feeding the birds and ask them to stop.”

However there are still residents who refuse to stop feeding cockatoos and are having a deleterious affect on their neighbour’s health, wellbeing and amenity. It is clear that enforcement has a role to play in curbing feeding of cockatoos for those residents who will not stop feeding through an educative process.

It is for this reason that I propose the Shire investigates various mechanisms to provide a legal framework to address the issue of backyard feeding of cockatoos.

I do hope my colleagues support the motion, people in the region are frustrated, angry and upset about the ongoing damage to their property caused by the feeding of cockatoos. It must be recognised that any action council may take will only impact on backyard feeders, there is still the issue of feeding at Grant’s Picnic Ground, but that one I'll be taking up with our local MP and the state government.

cockies top the talk

I was invited to chair the Triennial General Meeting of the Kallista Mechanics Hall Committee of Management, which was held last Thursday. The committee have done a fine job managing the hall and have done much to increase the number of bookings for the hall.

I also had the job of presiding over the elections and was pleased to announce John Lloyd as the President and Venetia Barnard as the Secretary/Bookings Officer for the next three years.

There was much talk about many things, the committee is starting to focus on the centennial of the hall coming up in 2014, an exciting time, which will be a great celebration of a much loved community hall.

Hot topic of the night was the cockatoos and their unrelenting attacks on the hall. Since I last visited the hall the cockatoos have managed to chew completely through to the top finial (see blog 21 June 09), in a matter of only days it has gone completely.

As reported in an earlier blog entry I am seeking a meeting of agencies and MPs so something can be done to address this issue. To date the Shire is waiting to hear back on availability.

In my most recent visit to Kallista on Saturday (27 June) I noted that the committee have since covered their railings with metal capping in an attempt to stop the damage. The scattered chips of wood over the stairs showed how much damage the cockatoos had done to the banisters.


These cockatoos have no fear and weren’t concerned about me being close to them at all. The cockatoos have become so used to people they could be considered semi-tame.

This is a upright at Kallista Village Green, the cockatoos have done an extreme amount of damage to the infrastructure in this area.

The Kallista Mechanics Hall, now without its finial, the cost of replacement places an unfair burden on the Committee of Management and their very tight budget. Only days ago this finial was intact.

The same day I decided to visit Grant’s Picnic Ground to see what the cockatoos were up to there, this group were chewing away on a retaining wall well away from the feeding area.

How much longer can our community be expected to pay for this damage?

lovable larrikin or destructive pest?

There is a public meeting coming up next week (see below for details) to discuss the issue of Cockatoos. The cockatoos have been damaging people’s houses by chewing decks, window frames, doors and all manner of fittings, even the local childcare centre suffered when the cockatoos decided to make a meal of the play equipment.

I have no doubt that this behaviour is exacerbated by people feeding cockatoos. The DSE recognise the connection between feeding cockatoos which encourages the birds to stay in the area and cause all manner of destruction to timber fittings and furniture.

Feeding any wildlife results in a change of population which has consequences for other plants and animals in our area. The feeding of wildlife results in a dependence on food sources supplied by people rather than natural sources. A well developed and extensive education program is needed so people realise the consequences of feeding our wildlife.
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Cockatoos in their 'natural habitat' in the Dandenong Ranges National Park.

However it is going to be very hard to convince residents to stop feeding cockatoos while the state sanctioned feeding of wildlife continues at Grants Picnic Ground (Sherbrooke Forest). I am told that there is a lease agreement in place to allow the feeding of wildlife, given what we now know, I wonder how long we can continue to tolerate this practice?

This is an issue I have been concerned about for some time (see blog 6 July 2006), but my efforts to address feeding wildlife in our national park has been an uphill battle with no end in sight to date. I welcome the opportunity to have yet another go at addressing this issue and congratulate Kaz McKay on her initiative.


Meeting Details:
Where: Burrinja, 351 Glenfern Rd, Upwey
When: 7:00pm Thursday 12th June

Look forward to seeing you there.










When will we see an end to feeding of wildlife in our national park and the natural population balance restored?