Council investigates new fix for Lorne’s bird litter problem

A PERMANENT solution to deter Lorne’s cunning cockatoos from spreading rubbish around town could be on its way.

Lorne Men’s Shed volunteers might have designed the fix after a trial of a new bin-lid design impressed Surf Coast Shire council officers.

The town’s population of cockatoos has learned to open bin lids and feast on rubbish and food scraps inside, resulting in waste spreading around Lorne and causing what locals describe as a “terrible look”.

The avian appetite has exaggerated so much that birds have been known to fly near and into houses in search for more food.

Lorne Ward councillor Gary Allen said he’d raised awareness of the issue that he said has plagued the town for “10 to 15 years”, to restart momentum for a solution.

“It’s quite horrendous the damage they do,” Cr Allen said.

“The shire has been quite proactive with different remedies but to date none of them have been useful. We are continuing to investigate possible changes to the bin lids to prevent them from opening and spreading rubbish.”

Cr Allen said people feeding the cockatoos had likely worsened the problem, while the irregular diet had caused long-term health impacts for the birds.

He also suggested the council more strictly enforce by-laws around when bins should be on the street, to provide the misbehaving birds with fewer chances to loot Lorne’s litter.

The council believes it could have found a solution to the primary bin-lid problem.

“One option is an oversized lid that prevents the cockatoo from being able to get under the lid and into the bin. Lorne Men’s Shed has developed a prototype that appears to be effective,” the council’s acting environment manager Brendan Walsh said.

“We need a new solution because the cockatoos can figure out a way around the rubber strap or latch that’s currently being used.”

Mr Walsh said a current rubber strap and latch is the best way to thwart crafty cockies in the meantime, especially when bins were stored outside.

He said residents should also avoid overfilling bins, limiting time they were on the kerb and feeding native birds.