Levantine Hill Estate: World class laser system to keep birds off vines

The days of dangerous netting are over at a Coldstream winery, which is using a world-class system to keep birds off its vines.

A Yarra Valley winery has introduced a “world-class” laser system to keep birds off its vines, replacing the need for dangerous netting.

Coldstream’s Levantine Hill Estate says the bird beam laser system avoids the need to use netting, which can cause significant injury to birdlife when they get caught.

The system, designed and manufactured in the Netherlands by the Bird Control Group, acts as a humane deterrent method by projecting a soft green laser (visible to the human eye at dawn and dusk) over the vines.

According to the Bird Control Group website, the AVIX Autonomic is a fully automated laser bird repellent that keeps birds away 24/7.

Birds perceive the moving laser light as a physical threat and flee immediately when the beam passes by.

The AVIX system is already used in Europe at many of the best vineyards and Levantine Hill has become among the first in Australia to adopt the system, which it believes will become the norm in the industry in the years to come.

Levantine Hill has installed a new world-class bird beam laser system to avoid netting, which can cause significant injury to birdlife when they get caught.

Levantine Hill managing director Samantha Jreissati said it had installed the system because the practice of netting caused heartbreaking loss of wildlife.

“While traditionally nets are placed over the vines to protect the fruit from birds, like most wineries every year it means we also worry about the welfare of birds and small animals caught under the nets as we try to save them,’’ said Ms Jreissati said.

“There has to be a better way and now we’ve invested in a technology solution which is already proven to be successful overseas.”

Levantine Hill says the bird laser technology by Bird Beam Laser Control has been endorsed by Birdlife Australia and WWF to be a humane deterrent method

Levantine Hill’s installation is the largest in Australia.

“The bird deterrent lasers installed at Levantine Hill are strictly contained within the boundaries of our properties and our people are trained in their safe use and operation,’’ Ms Jreissati said.

BirdLife Australia national public affairs manager Sean Dooley said although there was still a lot to learn about the laser system, the technique was a better alternative to shooting or netting.

“We don’t know too much about it but from what we understand it does seem a much more palatable solution to deterring birds from crops,” he said.

“Because we definitely know shooting and even netting can kill and damage birds and is not an ideal solution.

“Whereas this, if used properly, seems to have no physical detriment to the birds.

“From what we understand it can be a very successful method although it hasn’t been around long around to know if the birds get used to it in the long term, and often it needs other methods to go alongside it to have the greatest impact, such as scaring guns.”