Corella damage adding up, impacting regional sports: Club president

One regional bowling club president claims damage costs incurred by the long-billed corella are in the six-figure range.

Corellas are ruffling the feathers of small community organisations across western Victoria, causing tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to sporting grounds.

Protected under the Wildlife Act, the native long-billed corella has been wreaking havoc on an ever-increasing number of ovals and bowling greens across regional Victoria, which are often run by small community groups that struggle to afford to repair the extensive damage.

The long-billed corella is responsible for extensive damage done to various regional sporting grounds.

Lowan MP Emma Kealy said there was a string of sporting groups affected across West Wimmera, Horsham and Hindmarsh shires, where turf had been ripped up.

Ms Kealy hoped to lead the charge on a new management plan that would see the birds dispersed or culled when numbers reached a certain level or when they began destroying community property.

“This issue comes up every year. Cricket grounds have been completely destroyed, the turf comes up like carpet and insurance usually doesn’t come anywhere near the cost of replacement,” she said. “We need to find a way to manage this native bird that’s doing an incredible amount of damage across the region.”

“Issue comes up every year”: Lowan MP Emma Kealy has drawn attention to the damage done by the protected bird. Picture: Sam Rosewarne

The birds form giant flocks in late summer and early autumn after breeding, when young and old team-up together ahead of the next roosting season, according to Monash University senior lecturer Rohan Clarke, of the School of Biological Sciences.

Dr Clarke said the birds were destructive by design.

“They have these fantastic beaks designed for opening and cracking seeds and fruit,” he said. “On sports ovals they’re eating the corns of onion weed or the fleshy base of grass turfing.” He said their population was up considerably on numbers 30 years ago, following a policy that encouraged capturing the birds and selling them as domestic pets. Their intelligence and aggression led many to be released back into the wild.

Dr Clarke suggested allowing clubs to be issued with air guns, and advised the netting of bowling greens at this time of year.

Ms Kealy said councils were hoping for a statewide plan from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning instead of the current piecemeal approach.

Dimboola Bowling Club had a permit to use an air gun for a month, but that approach didn’t stop one of the club’s greens from being torn to shreds last week.

Club president Greg Cook said the damage added up to at least $140,000 and he now just hoped their new green would be spared.