Tourists will be stung with a $1600 fine for feeding cockatoos in the park as locals complain the birds leave them fearing for their safety
- People caught feeding a cockatoo could be fined up to $1,610 in popular parks
- The ban comes as locals have expressed fear for their safety and property
- Around 750,000 tourists flock to the Victoria parks a year to feed the cockatoos
Tourists enchanted by Australia’s native birds could be stung with a hefty fine if they try to interact with them, after locals complained they were scared for their safety.
Anyone caught feeding cockatoos throughout Kallista and Sherbrooke in Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges could be fined up to $1,610.
The fines follow relentless complaints from residents and local businesses about the damage, noise and aggression the 200-something cockatoos bring with them when excited tourists descend onto the parks, The Herald Sun reported.
People caught feeding cockatoos throughout Kallista and Sherbrooke in Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges could be slapped with a fine of up to $1,610 (stock image)
Parks Victoria said the cockatoo feeding, particularly in Sherbrooke Forest, caused significant safety concerns as the aggressive birds fight over the feed thrown out by tourists.
They also stated they had concerns over the environmental impacts of the flocks.
Around 750,000 tourists descend onto the popular parks a year, bringing with them a bevvy of wild sulphur-crested cockatoos, who later move onto surrounding businesses.
Deputy Premier James Merlino, the local member for Monbulk, said the cockatoo problem was one of the most frequent issues raised by local constituents.
The popular parks draw around 750,000 visitors every year – drawing in flocks of birds that locals say are destroying their businesses and surroundings (stock image)
‘I have been regularly contacted by local residents about their frustration caused by cockatoos destroying property across our community,’ he told the Herald Sun.
‘If we want to solve this issue, we need people to stop feeding the birds.’
He said that he is confident that the putting a stop to the 20-year tradition of bird feeding will not affect tourism in the surrounding areas, saying there’s still plenty to see including the Puffing Billy heritage railway and Dandenong Ranges Botanic Gardens.
The ban will be brought into effect in February 2020.
The ban, which will be implemented in and around Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges, will come into effect by February 2020