Eyre Peninsula's winged invaders on notice

The Eyre Peninsula has been being invaded by small winged intruders, causing untold damage to native species, the farming industry, and even tourism.

But these unwanted guests have been put on notice with the Eyre Peninsula Natural Resources Management Board developing a starling management plan.

"The full impact of starlings and the damage they cause affects a wide variety of land uses and industries," Senior Animal and Plant Control Officer at the Board David Jarmyn said,

"Starlings pose a serious public health threat with the mess they make, the diseases they can transmit and contamination of domestic rainwater storages.

"They pose a risk to livestock by contaminating stock watering points, stock feed and grain storages.

"They can even affect local tourism when roosting in caravan parks, causing a nuisance with their noise and excrements."

The project has engaged Louise Mortimer, a PhD student from the University of Ballarat, who will study starling biology and ecology.

"Starlings can threaten native hollow nesting birds by taking over nest sites, and can kill vegetation by suffocating them with excrements and by increasing soil nutrients levels," Louise said.

Funding

To help reduce the impacts of starlings across the Western Eyre Peninsula, the Australian Government has provided the Eyre Peninsula Natural Resources Management Board with $135,000.

The project - with further support from the District Councils of Ceduna and Streaky Bay, ABB Grain, University of Ballarat, Western Australian Department of Agriculture and Food and the South Coast Regional Initiative Planning Team - aims to develop a long-term management plan for controlling the pest in the western Eyre Peninsula region

Activities

"We will investigate and document the threats to agriculture, water sources, biodiversity, and public health," Louise said.

"We are investigating the effectiveness of trapping and culling, and looking at starling movements and behaviours."

Achievements

Once the management plan is completed the project will help protect native species and provide a plan of action for local farmers and businesses, while helping to prevent the spread of starlings into Western Australia.

"We have had great community support and a lot of the local community is willing to help, because they see the need," Louise said.

"Unfortunately starlings are here with us for good, but I would like to think that we could control their damage to a point where they no longer have such an impact on agriculture, biodiversity, tourism and public welfare."

More information

• David Jarmyn, Senior Animal and Plant Control Officer, Eyre Peninsula Natural Resources Management Board: (08) 8625 2440 or wapced@bigpond.com
• Louise Mortimer, Ballarat University PhD student: 0408 411 409 or l.mortimer@ballarat.edu.au
• Jeanie Quilliam, Eyre Peninsula Regional Natural Resources Management Liaison Officer: (08) 8688 3413 or quilliam.jeanie@saugov.sa.gov.au

Australian Government NRM Team
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
1800 552 008 (toll-free)

DEWHA  | DAFF  | australia.gov.au  | NAP  | NHT 
Caring for our Country is an Australian Government initiative jointly administered by the Australian Government departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts