CGG first council to implement relocation of Corellas

The City of Greater Geraldton is the first Council in WA to implement a new wildlife control method in a bid to protect public infrastructure and community assets.

This week, the City will introduce a new method to relocate corellas from our CBD and other hotspots where the birds are causing significant damage to buildings, sporting grounds, businesses and other community assets.

The City has acquired a specialised device which was made in New Zealand and is specifically designed for controlling wildlife in an extremely safe and effective way.

City of Greater Geraldton CEO Ken Diehm, said after much research, the City had found a new and safe way to relocate corellas.

“This issue has been a high priority for us and we have been looking into effective ways we can control the plague proportions and this method is safe and poses no threat to wildlife,” he said.

“The bottom line is that this exercise will not harm the birds but encourage them to relocate so they don’t continue to harm our local infrastructure.

“Previous methods used included a gas gun and firecrackers which have been effective but we are hoping this new method will build on the success of previous years,” he said.

The new handheld deterrent fires a percussion cartridge approximately 20 metres into the sky close and activates where the corellas are roosting. There are three different cartridges which omit different volumes and frequency of sounds in order to move the birds.

Every year corellas cause thousands of dollars worth of damage to our City with local sporting clubs and businesses often bearing the brunt of the costs, with wiring, seals, trees, sporting turfs and insulation being harmed.

“Controlling the numbers of corella proportions is actually a State Government responsibility, but the City has been forced to take action due to the enormous number of complaints from residents and businesses,” Mr Diehm said.

The strategic operation has been mapped out to pinpoint problem areas and City Rangers have been undertaking training to use the new device.

As part of the operation, Rangers will be stationed at different areas in the community with the intention to move them on each time they land.

The exercise will begin this week and is expected to take up to a month. Residents are advised not to be alarmed if they hear loud noises in their area.