,Corella-cull plan divides community

Plans to attract, capture and kill corellas — as reported in last week’s edition of theSound Telegraph — have drawn a fierce response, with residents across Rockingham split on the issue.

It was revealed attempts to control Rockingham’s growing corella problem would intensify next year, with the West Australian Local Government Association, and the Department of Parks and Wildlife set to undertake a corella control program which will cull an undisclosed number of birds.

Several residents are furious with the plans, with reader and Rockingham resident Nicky Bell voicing her disgust.

“The birds are here for food, not to disturb people’s quality of life,” she said. “The only species that are ruining anything are the over-populous humans.”

Resident Leanne Vanderburg echoed the sentiment, saying she was “shattered” after reading about the planned cull.

“The corellas are not responsible for the urban sprawl, the desecration of our trees and natural food sources ... the planting of useless trees in new estates that serve no purpose to wildlife,” Ms Vanderburg said.

However, others took a different view, with one anonymous contributor of the opinion action needed to be taken against the birds. “I, for one, am pleased to hear that something is being done in regards to these birds, which are becoming a pest; these birds were a problem at Busselton Jetty and they finally did something to be rid of them,” they said.

The birds have been described as an introduced pest species posing an environmental threat to black cockatoos by competing for nest sites. They also have the ability to remove eggs from the nest hollows of other birds and to maim or kill advanced nestlings.