Lockrose and District Against Powerlines chairman, Steve Evans, said the cockatoo should have been highlighted in the EIS for the project.

“We have had baby red-tailed black cockatoos in our front yard,” he said

“We would have up to 30 or 40 birds in the trees in one go. If they are disturbed in their nesting area, they will not return and it takes them two years to get back into a breeding cycle.”

Mr Evans said the wildlife is part of the charm of the area.

“Part of the reason we moved out here is to be amongst the animals. We have lorikeets and parrots and a lot of ducks around here at the moment they are a special part of it. They are part of our lives,” he said.

Powerlink Springdale to Blackwall Project Manager, Andrew Owen said neither species of Red-tailed Black Cockatoo was listed as a ‘Threatened' species under the Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Mr Owen said Powerlink takes their environmental responsibilities seriously and mitigation measures would be used during the project to minimise impact on flora and fauna.

“In the case of the black cockatoos, these measures include employing an ecologist for the vegetation management phase of the project to undertake visual inspections of hollow-bearing tress for the active presence of bird nests,” he said

“Should a significant nesting population of Glossy Black-cockatoos or Red-tailed Black-cockatoos be identified within the project area during further project activities, additional mitigation measures will be developed to minimise impacts on these species and their habitat.”