Deepdale residents are hopeful that they'll be able to deal with the large number of corellas in their area, after obtaining permits from Dept of Parks and Wildlife to conduct a small cull of the birds.

In January, City of Greater Geraldton CEO Ken Diehm said the amount of corellas in the City is estimated at 7500, half of last year’s population. He hailed a relocation program conducted by the city as a success. The Relocation Program uses a gas gun, firecrackers and a handheld device that fires percussion cartridges into the sky close to where the birds roost.

But some residents of Geraldton disputed the success of the program, claiming the birds had simply moved to other Geraldton suburbs, outside of the CBD.

We spoke with one local affected by the birds who said a few residents got together to discuss what they could do about the bird problem and investigate the matter. They applied to the Department of Parks and Wildlife for a permit to carry out a small cull on the birds. The Department confirmed that permits had been issued in the Deepdale area.

City of Greater Geraldton CEO Ken Diehm said regarding the culling of the birds,

“The control and management of native wildlife is a State Government responsibility dealt with under the umbrella of the Department of Parks and Wildlife. As per the Department of Parks and Wildlife website it is clear that each property owner is responsible for their own land. It is the decision of the individual land owner to obtain a permit to undertake culling of wildlife on their property. This is not a Local Government decision. In 2015 it was predicted that populations of Corellas were sitting at over 15,000 and this year and after the City’s recent relocation program the numbers have halved.”

Can't Win

Opinion

In the past, the CGG has conducted its own culls on the corella population. But following complaints from some members of the public, they investigated an alternative way of moving the birds on.

While the city said the program was a success, in that it has stopped the tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to public infrastructure and valuable trees, some residents feel like the city should have just bit the bullet and used ... a bullet.

But even the more pleasant method of scaring the birds attracted complaints. EG received multiple complaints from irate members of the public who believed that even scaring the birds was a terrible idea.

What seems lost on most people complaining though is the amount of damage the birds do, and the fact that they're an introduced pest.

Nobody bats an eye at the hundreds of foxes, rabbits, cats, pigs and dogs the Shire of Chapman Valley talk about, very publicly, shooting each year. They even have competitions to see who can get the most kills, with prizes and cooked breakfasts.

Unless you're a vegan and have an underlying philosophy of never harming a living creature, I can't understand the complaints.

It seems quite odd for people to eat Chicken Treat for dinner, and then complain that a bird has been shot.

It doesn't seem to matter what the team at the City of Greater Geraldton does on this matter, one group or another are going to be up in arms. (No pun intended.)

It's nice to see a group of proactive residents take up the task of dealing with the birds, rather than just waiting for a government body to do it for them.

The birds in question are an introduced species, and are not native to this region, according to information from NACC. (See below.)

Comments posted on EG's facebook page following news of the CGG Relocation Program's success. (Link)

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