Mynas a major worry

PESKY birds may soon be eradicated in an effort to improve the environment and benefit Casey residents.
Casey council agreed to have officers investigate the control and management of Indian Mynas following a recommendation from the City of Casey Conservation Advisory Committee.
Cr Rafal Kaplon said the birds were a problem throughout the state and needed to be controlled.
“They are everywhere. They are quite territorial and chase out local birds. They work in packs and are quite aggressive,” he said.
“They cause problems for residential areas because they sometimes like to get into roofs and they settle in. They can cause damage by settling in and breaking roof tiles.”
Cr Kaplon said there was an established group in Victoria called the Yarra Indian Myna Action Group which had a successful program to deal with the birds.
The group’s principal objective is to reduce the impact of Indian Mynas on native birds and animals by increasing public awareness that the birds are a serious environmental and health threat, not just a public nuisance, by implementing a humane reduction program and by co-ordinating the manufacture and supply of traps.
The group has trapped more than 4500 Indian Myna birds through its strategy.
Cr Kaplon said Casey Council had no clear plan to deal with the birds, and the City of Casey Conservation Advisory Committee thought the council should start their own strategy at a local level.
“The (officers) report will look into how we can assist residents, learn about traps and how we can work the community group and develop guidelines,” he said.
Council officers will explore subsidised traps for community use, the development of a standard operating procedure for the traps, funding and resource requirements for a council program on Indian Myna eradication and lobbying by the council to the State and Federal Government on the eradication and the associated resources involved in such a program.