Sale's "Bin Chicken Island" ruffles feathers but council's hands are tied

Is a growing ibis population a sign of Sale’s healthy natural environment or a smelly nuisance? 

On Lake Guthridge, a former Wellington Shire mayor wants something to be done about a colony of bin chickens he says are throwing trash all over town - but council says there’s not much it can do.

What happened: Former Wellington Shire mayor Ian Bye has written to council complaining about the growing ibis population on Lake Guthridge island in Sale - now commonly known as "Bin Chicken Island" - describing the smell and appearance as "terrible". 

Bye said the number of ibis living on Lake Guthridge had grown to unacceptable levels, "spreading all over town, getting into bins and spreading food items".

What can the council do?

In response, Wellington Shire CEO David Morcom acknowledged the concern but noted the birds are protected native wildlife under state government jurisdiction.

• “There’s very little we can do to control native species other than refer them to the state government,” Morcom said.

Morcom said the council had received multiple queries about native fauna at the lake but noted the white ibis and straw-necked ibis "are Australian native wildlife, and they are protected".

• Morcom noted there were parallels with other native wildlife issues involving corellas in Maffra and fruit bats around the same Sale island.

• Morcom said that natural environments "will change all the time", noting the Lake Guthridge island used to be referred to as snake island.

• The council's parks crew will assess the island's biodiversity to see if the conditions can be improved.

The Monitor contacted Wellington Shire mayor Cindy Madeley for comment but did not receive a response prior to publication.