M1 ibis nest: Residents voice concerns as birds return to Yatala, Beenleigh

They’re back! Residents are in a flap over a colony of ibises that are steadily returning to an area next to the M1. Find out what is being done about it.

Residents say a colony of ibises which caused significant traffic disruption on the M1 last year are steadily returning to the area just months after barriers were removed.

Hundreds of the much-maligned birds were spotted this week near the Stapylton Jacobs Rd roundabout at Yatala.

In September last year, safety concerns were raised after thousands of ibises nested beside the M1 at Yatala and Beenleigh, causing months of mayhem.

In March, the state government said it had successfully evicted the birds after it fenced off the area for more than five months.

At the time, Transport Minister Mark Bailey said three-metre high barriers would be removed because the colony had reduced.

They're back! A colony of ibis has moved back in and around the Stapylton Jacobs Well Rd roundabout at Yatala. Picture: Glenn Hampson

But residents are in a flap over the move, saying this caused the birds to return to the area.

“I can’t believe the state government spent all that money putting the fences up to take them down again,” one said.

“So why did the state government take the fences down? Surely they would have realised the birds would come back?” a fellow resident said.

“It seems a total waste of taxpayer money.”

Another resident humorously suggested the Stapylton Jacobs Rd roundabout should be renamed “Bin Chicken Boulevard”.

Ibises nesting in a tree near the M1. Picture: Glenn Hampson

A Transport and Main Roads spokeswoman said the barriers installed in 2022 were a temporary safety measure, due to the size of the colony at that time.

“There are no plans to reinstall the barriers at this stage,” she said.

“The Australian white ibis is a native bird, protected in Queensland under the Nature Conservation Act 1992.

“Ibis numbers and behaviour are affected by a range of environmental factors including availability of food, access to water, and weather conditions.

“We use strategies aimed at discouraging nesting along the M1, including egg and nest removal by licenced ecological contractors, and vegetation modifications to reduce the colony size, and discourage large numbers of ibis breeding in the area.”

Bin chickens just cant get enough of the area. Picture: Glenn Hampson

The spokeswoman it would continue to work with licenced ecologists on long term management strategies.

BP Stapylton manager Mick Young said a large number of the birds had taken over a swamp near the petrol station, but didn’t see a problem with it.

“They are in their little area. At different times of the day there are different amounts of them there,” he said.

An RSPCA spokeswoman said its rescue team had noticed the recent fencing removal, but this appeared “to be related to the trees in that area”.

“Our team have had three reports of ibis hit by a car in the past 12 months that they have responded to,” she said.