By MELISSA MEEHAN
FOR 10 years, sulphur-crested cockatoos have been gnawing at her house.
But that’s not the only gnawing Yarra Ranges resident Kate Gustke experiences.
It’s the gnawing feeling in her stomach every time she leaves her house to go to work, to visit a friend or even just to pop down to the shops.
“I have lived on my property for over 10 years and my house has been ruined by cockatoos,” she said.
“These 60 cockatoos are fed routinely by my neighbour twice a day – we are an overwhelming example of the correlation between feeding the birds and causing damage to property.”
Speaking at Tuesday night’s council meeting, Ms Gustke practically begged Yarra Ranges councillors to rethink their decision to not ban the feeding of cockatoos on residential land.
She told councillors of how the birds stayed close to where they were fed, and used her property to sharpen their beaks.
Over the years Ms Gustke has replaced the mortar on her roof, windows, roof tiles and her outdoor decking area. But she’s almost given up replacing them as they are ruined just as quickly as they are put in.
Her only way to fight back is to turn the hose on the birds, hosing them away from her property, but says life would be much easier if her neighbour was stopped from her bird feeding hobby.
“We have tried to reason with my neighbour, we have discussed the issue with her, we have been trying to educate her – but she seems unaffected by the discussion,” she said.
“She tells us she doesn’t care, that she’ll feed them until it’s illegal – for me, and my neighbours it’s so frustrating and stressful.”
Ms Gustke said she often felt like packing up and moving, but had bought the house and done it up herself.
“I love this area, and I don’t want to leave,” she said.
“But something has to be done.”
After Ms Gustke’s presentation, Cr Noel Cliff was visibly angry at his fellow councillors.
“I don’t believe they went against the motion to ban feeding the cockatoos,” he said in the corridors outside the council meeting.
“We have many residents going through the same thing as this poor woman, their houses are being ruined. It’s just so disappointing.”
Councillors earlier this month voted down a motion to ban feeding cockatoos on residential property. Councillors Noel Cliff and Samantha Dunn were the only ones voting in support of the ban.
