Winning! |
Welcome Swallows finally welcome |
Where Things Currently Stand for Our Welcome SwallowsThere has been a significant and very welcome development in the ongoing effort to protect the Welcome Swallows at the Coochiemudlo Island and Victoria Point ferry jetties.
Acting Mayor Julie Talty has now confirmed that no further bird-exclusion measures will be installed at either jetty and that Council will take no further action regarding exclusion at these two locations. (If you are in the Coochie Community Facebook group, you can see for yourself, and comment if you wish!)
This means the netting is gone, the birds will not be shut out again by further exclusion devices, and the immediate threat of them becoming trapped behind netting has passed.
That is an enormous relief and a very positive outcome for the community members who spoke up when the birds were trapped, distressed and displaced.
However, it does not answer everything that has happened. Photographs taken on 19 August showed swallow nests beneath the jetty structure. By 26 August, those nests were gone and the beams had been cleared.
Questions therefore remain about who removed the nests, when they were removed, whether they were checked for eggs or chicks, and what authorisation or wildlife assessment was in place before the work occurred.
Information received from a wildlife carer on 28 August added to those concerns. She was reportedly told that the relevant people had not been informed about the nests, had no knowledge of them and did not know what had happened to them. That leaves an obvious and troubling gap in the story.
On Friday, I submitted a formal request to the Permits and Licensing (PALM) team within Operational Support at DETSI, asking them to investigate and verify whether Redland City Council or its contractors may have breached wildlife regulations by interfering with Welcome Swallow nests.
Acting Mayor Talty has since advised that she has also had the matter investigated and that a report has been prepared for the relevant department to examine if it wishes. We have asked for that report to be made publicly available. Given that Council officers previously advised that information about the netting decision would require a formal Right to Information application, releasing this report would be a meaningful step towards transparency.
The community’s focus now turns to finding a humane, practical and lasting way forward.
On Thursday, 10 September at 11am, Sheena Gillman, Convenor of BirdLife Southern Queensland, will meet Division 1 Councillor Wendy Boglary at the Coochiemudlo Island jetty. We hope this onsite discussion will open a genuine line of communication between Council, bird experts and the community, with the aim of developing coexistence solutions that address maintenance and hygiene concerns without harming or displacing the swallows.
So, where do things stand today? The exclusion netting has been removed. No further exclusion measures will be installed. The immediate danger has eased, and the birds can once again access the jetty structure.
But the removal of their nests and the circumstances surrounding it remain unresolved.
This community has already shown what can happen when people refuse to look away. Now we need transparency about what happened, accountability where it is required, and a long-term approach that recognises these tiny native birds as part of our island environment, not simply a problem to be removed.
For now, we can breathe a little easier. But we are not taking our eyes off the rafters just yet.
Well done, Coochie Community!! I luvs ya, and so do the swallows!
Adaire (Editor) |
35 Comments
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Swallows are lucky to have this community looking out! But yeah, someone got sloppy or sneaky with those nests. Not cool.
Just hope the swallows stick around and aren't too spooked after all this. Keep sharing updates please!
Glad this is in the open now. But let’s not let things slide back once the fuss has died down. Permanent solution needed.
The swallows have always been part of Coochie’s charm. Glad we fought for them, but the council needs reminding who they work for!
Nice win but not holding my breath they’ll actually give us that report. Council transparency is a joke.
Makes me sad and mad at the same time. If eggs or chicks got tossed, that’s just cruel. Someone better answer for it!
Who actually checks the jetty after these works? Volunteers might spot stuff staff miss. Community patrols maybe?
Hope Sheena Gillman and Cr. Boglary can work something sensible out next week. About time we see proper collaboration.
Does anyone know if there’s a legal requirement to check for eggs before clearing nests? Seems like common sense, but maybe not for the council.
I’d just like to see one apology from the council for how this was handled from the start. Would go a long way!
Council dodging questions is nothing new. At least the swallows get a bit of a breather now.
Why does it always need a public outcry for the council to do the right thing? Thanks for keeping this in the spotlight, Adaire.
Genuinely good outcome, but how long before someone tries exclusion measures again when everyone’s back is turned?
So proud of our community. But seriously, council should be setting an example, not covering things up.
Why aren’t wildlife authorities on top of this? Shouldn’t there be fines for destroying nests?
Love this update, but don’t let your guard down. I've seen council backflip before, then quietly do what they want later.
Is there any info yet on what options they're looking at for hygiene? Birds aren't going anywhere, that's for sure.
Swallow droppings were a bit much sometimes, but trapping or removing them is no fix. Gotta find a better balance.
Hope they make that report public, not just keep it locked away. Always secretive when they're in the wrong!
Natalie CullenSeeing a report would be proof there is one...
Wouldn't surprise me if the contractors didn't even know the rules. Training clearly missing here. Council needs to lift its game.
To whoever got rid of the nests, that's not how you do things. Hope PALM throws the book at them if there's been wrongdoing.
Council sure took their time to listen. Still, a step the right way. The kids will be happy to see the birds back.
Good on everyone who spoke up! People power works sometimes. Hope this means real protection for the birds next time, not just after the fact.
Anyone know if there's a fine for removing active nests? Feels like wildlife regs been ignored here.
BIG shout out to the birdlife folks putting effort in. Hope the meeting sorts something practical, not just more paperwork.
Anyone else going to the meeting with Sheena and Wendy? Might finally get some proper answers about the nests.
Here we go again, council acting, then backtracking, then promising transparency. Heard it all before but maybe this time they mean it.
My kids have loved watching those swallows for years at the jetty. They're little locals too! Protect them, please.
This is a win for the birds for now, but I reckon council's just trying to tidy things up after the backlash. Gotta keep watching them.
Carl Timmons...like a hawk! (Did you see what I did there? ;-) )
Glad the immediate danger is over but if someone trashed those nests without checking for chicks, that's really not right. Someone needs to own up.
Hats off to everyone who spoke up. Always felt wrong seeing that netting go up in the first place. Hope the council's finally listening for good.
So relieved for the swallows! But honestly, someone has to answer for the missing nests. Can't just ignore that bit.
Glad somebody actually listened this time. But it really bugs me who just cleared out those nests without a word. Feels dodgy.