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🇦🇺 Australia /Culture & Society

Lorne residents hope new invention stops cockatoos trashing town

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Lorne residents are testing a new invention designed to stop intelligent sulphur-crested cockatoos from raiding their wheelie bins.
  • The birds have learned to open bin lids, scattering rubbish and causing a persistent problem for the coastal town.
  • The invention, an apron-like frame made from recycled plastic, aims to prevent the cockatoos from gripping and opening the lids.

Residents of the picturesque coastal town of Lorne, Victoria, have long been engaged in a battle of wits with a particularly clever flock of sulphur-crested cockatoos. For years, these intelligent birds have been raiding the town's wheelie bins, learning to lift the lids and scattering rubbish across streets, especially on Monday mornings after holiday weekends.

When holiday-makers and Airbnbs, etc, leave on a Sunday, they put the bin out, overfill it, and the cockies just throw rubbish all over the road.

— Allan WallsA Lorne resident describes the recurring problem caused by cockatoos raiding wheelie bins.

"It's terrible. Every Monday morning, all of the streets are just riddled with refuse and rubbish all over the road," described Bob Sinclair, a member of the Lorne and District Men's Shed. The problem has escalated as the cockatoos not only open overfilled bins but also bins with lids still secured, sharing their learned behavior within the flock.

It's terrible. Every Monday morning, all of the streets are just riddled with refuse and rubbish all over the road.

— Bob SinclairAnother resident details the extent of the mess created by the cockatoos.

Allan Walls, along with co-inventor Gary Fenton, has dedicated over five years to finding a solution. Previous attempts by residents and the local council, including weighted lids, water bottles, plastic locks, and springs, proved ineffective as the birds learned to dislodge or bypass them. "What began as a simple idea became a complex and demanding project," Walls stated, highlighting the persistence required through numerous setbacks.

What began as a simple idea became a complex and demanding project.

— Allan WallsThe inventor reflects on the challenges and persistence involved in developing a solution.

The breakthrough came with an "apron"-like frame made from recycled plastic. This frame is attached to the underside of the bin lid, designed to prevent the cockatoos from getting a grip with their beaks. "I thought, 'What if we created something the cockies couldn't grip, a kind of apron attached to the lid?'" Mr. Walls explained. After initial trials with rubber strips failed, the team refined their design, creating a solution they hope will finally thwart the determined birds and restore tidiness to Lorne's streets.

I thought, 'What if we created something the cockies couldn't grip, a kind of apron attached to the lid?'

— Allan WallsWalls explains the inspiration behind the design of the new bin lid protector.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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