Busselton cockie control

Little Corella's playing around. Photo: Pierre PouliquinBUSSELTON shire has asked the Department of Conservation and Environment to assist it with a program to control the town’s cockie population.

Two government departments have advised the shire they have no objections to a control program, but neither would carry it out.

The possible culling of the “Little Corellas” was raised at last week’s Busselton electors’ meeting, when one resident claimed she was ashamed to take people down to the foreshore, (where the cockies gathered), as the seating was “absolutely disgraceful”.

The shire moved a motion last July to ask DEC to determine if the white cockatoos (corellas) were a species native to the South West or whether they were exotic birds, likely to have escaped from aviaries.

If not, then DEC and DAFWA (Department of Agriculture and Food WA) be asked to take appropriate action to cull the birds so they did not pose a threat to the natural environment.

The shire’s director of lifestyle development Nigel Bancroft said the corellas were native, but may not have naturally moved to this area.

“The shire has requested if DEC could assist it to investigate the possibility of seeking a damage licence and the costs and requirements associated with a Little Corella control program,” he said.

“DAFWA advise that while the bird is not a declared pest in Busselton, they would licence private landowners to undertake control works,” he said.

“DEC advise that there are no Little Corella populations on its lands in the Busselton area that would require them to undertake a control program.

“They advised that they had undertaken some control programs in Perth, but the cost was likely to be in the vicinity of $100,000 year, on an ongoing basis, if the shire wished to undertake a similar program.

“If successful, the program could reduce flock numbers substantially over two to three years, but questions were also raised on the suitability of such programs being used in residential areas.”