Corella plague flies

Corellas on the line. Image by Simon Morris

THE destructive and noisy flock of corellas at Sturt Reserve in Murray Bridge can sit pretty for the time being.

The Murray Bridge council has been investigating ways to control the flock over recent months after residents and community groups complained of noise and damage to trees and tennis courts at the reserve.

But councillors decided on Monday there was little they could do to combat the menace, voting instead to prepare for next year and to ask for help from the State Government.

The council will purchase two kites in preparation for the return of the birds at the end of next summer, in the hope they will mimic predators and convince the flock to settle elsewhere.

A report tabled at Monday's council meeting said there were management strategies that had been trialled in other areas, however, most were expensive or produced a raft of animal welfare issues.

Councillors voted instead to lobby the South Australian Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources and the Natural Resources SA Murray Darling Basin to manage, fund and deliver little corella management strategies to reduce the birds' affect on the city.

The report came to council after Cr Jerry Wilson moved earlier in the year for the council to look into ways to manage thousands of birds causing damage and nuisance in the popular park.

Members of the Murray Bridge Lawn Tennis Association said at the time they had spent countless hours and about $1000 repairing the damage the birds had caused to their courts.