Mayor urges new approach to controlling cockatoo numbers

Little corella's. Image by Daniela ParraThe City of Greater Geraldton Mayor says the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPAW) needs to do more to control cockatoo numbers across Western Australia.

The city has been licensed to cull up to 400 short-billed corellas, which have been damaging local infrastructure and vegetation.

Cockatoos often flock to regional centres over the dry summer months.

Mayor Ian Carpenter says culling is a costly ordeal and is not a long-term solution.

He says the department should find ways to reduce cockatoo numbers on a state-wide level.

"I would think that the Department of Parks and Wildlife is going to have to look at this as a holistic thing," he said.

"There's lots of different methods in reducing numbers but I think they really need to consider that.

"They're a problem for many communities in Western Australia and they just seem to be breeding out of control.

"They're certainly not endemic to this area, they're migrant, so to speak. I really think that they [DPAW] need to start addressing the issue from a state point of view."

The department says it encourages the use of scare tactics and effective management of grain stores to help control corella populations.

The City of Greater Geraldton says it has previously used gas sound cannons to scare the birds but the method has proved unsuccessful.