Ross Lloyd was faced with $25,000 in repairs from damage created by corellas and says the problem is getting worse.
Residents, clubs, and public spaces face soaring costs and ecological damage as flocks of relentless birds strip trees, gardens, and facilities bare.
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Yarrawonga is under siege, not by fire or flood, but by thousands of relentless, noisy corellas and cockatoos.
From backyard gardens to the golf course fairways, the birds are stripping trees bare, chewing through property, and leaving the community scrambling for solutions.
Residents, clubs, and local authorities now face the daunting reality of a growing wildlife crisis.
Ross Lloyd, who lives adjacent to Chinaman’s Island, has witnessed the problem firsthand and says it is escalating.
“From about September through to the middle of November, they disappear for a while when they’re nesting; but as soon as the chicks are hatched, they come back,” Ross said.
“They start around six o’clock in the morning, making a hell of a lot of noise, and they get straight into our garden.”
“When we first moved in, they stripped all the outside trimmings off both houses; it cost about $25,000 in repairs.
“The window trimmings, the lights, even TV antennas … they’ll chew anything they can get their beaks on.”
Ross described the corellas as organised and almost military in their approach with a leader who goes in first.
“You think there’s 20 or 30 in a tree, then about 150 more will fly in behind - they’re smart, and they just don’t stop,” he said.
“They sit in the tops and bottoms of the trees, out front, in the garden stripping the leaves and branches. It’s like rain when it falls with leaves and nuts everywhere.”
Ross said the corellas seem to be pushing the cockatoos out as their numbers increase dramatically.
“They’re protected, and that’s right, they’re native Australian birds,” he said.
“But at the same time, our trees are protected too; you can’t harm them, but the birds are killing them. “It’s a constant battle between protecting nature and dealing with pests.”
Corellas are destroying the trees at Chinaman’s Island and as the birds are protected the solutions are limited.
Golf Club and Holiday Park cop the brunt
Chris Burgess from the Yarrawonga Mulwala Golf Club confirmed the problem had only grown worse as numbers dramatically increase.
Like Ross, Chris said it was the corellas doing the bulk of the damage, stripping the trees and pushing the cockatoos out.
The ongoing cost to the club is “substantial” at about $40,000 a year to repair damage and manage the problem.
Chris said bushfires may have driven more birds into the area, and climate conditions may also be influencing their behaviour.
“It’s creating a real problem for clubs, public spaces, and private properties alike,” he said.
The birds are also devastating public areas at Yarrawonga Holiday Park.
Manager, Sean Driscoll said the canopies, once full green, were being stripped daily.
“Gum trees in the playground, the whole waterfront; they’re destroyed, and the mess they leave behind is constant,” Sean said.
“They chew aerial cables on the cabins, so we’re fixing them all the time. It’s labour-intensive, and the damage is ongoing.”
Not just the damage bill, Sean said the birds were a problem for tourism as well as property.
“People come here for a holiday, but the noise is so bad they can’t even hear themselves think,” he said.
Tennis courts and footy fields being destroyed
Michael Sheahan, is greenskeeper for the Yarrawonga Tennis and Football Club and painted a similar picture.
“Even now, and it’s not peak time, there are literally a thousand of them across the trees behind us,” Michael said.
“They sit on the oval, chew the courts, and make some areas unplayable.
“They dig up the footy ground, destroy the back four courts at the tennis club; it’s expensive, and it never ends.”
Corellas have eaten through the netting on the tennis courts, leaving poles exposed, and pulled up sections of turf on the footy oval so badly that sections have been cordoned off for safety.
During school holidays, kids aren’t able to use the playground near the courts because of the mess and droppings.
On match days, the footy ground takes weeks to repair.
“Every planting we’ve done along the boundary is stripped bare, and even new seedlings are chewed within days,” Michael said.
Both Sean and Michael stressed that conventional deterrents were only partially effective with drones, spinners and noise deterrents just moving the birds around until the next day when they are back in force.
“You can’t cull them, these are protected birds,” Michael said.
“All we can do is try to manage them without harming them, but it’s almost impossible with numbers this high. They’re clever, organised, and relentless.
“It’s exhausting and costly and it never stops.”
Ross and Chris emphasised the need for innovative solutions that do not harm the birds but protect the community.
Limited solutions
Moira Shire Council and Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) were contacted by the Yarrawonga Chronicle but solutions are limited.
Both acknowledged the growing problem of corellas in Yarrawonga but control of the protected species falls under DEECA.
A DEECA spokesperson said Long-billed and Little Corellas have dramatically increased their numbers and are now more common in urban areas and regional towns.
To tackle the issue, the Victorian Corella Strategy was developed to reduce damage to communities while balancing the welfare of the birds.
“Native wildlife in Victoria is protected under the Wildlife Act 1975,” the spokesperson said.
“It is generally illegal to harm or control wildlife without authorisation.
“However, under certain conditions, Long-billed Corellas can be managed by landholders or others when they are causing serious damage to trees, crops, recreation areas, or commercial facilities.”
Moira Shire Council CEO Matthew Morgan said the council had received multiple reports of damage to trees and public infrastructure as well as noise complaints.
“Any management or control measures require authorisation from DEECA and are only considered where there is clear evidence of significant property damage or public health risk,” Mr Morgan said.
He encouraged residents experiencing major impacts to contact DEECA for advice.
Seasonal conditions, such as hot and dry weather, can concentrate birds in areas, like Lake Mulwala, where water, trees, and green spaces provide easy feeding grounds.
“They’re legally tied because the birds are protected,” Ross said.
“At the same time, our trees are protected. You ask who comes first, the chicken or the egg? That’s the dilemma.”
Chris agreed, saying more resources were needed to manage the problem sustainably.
“We need coordinated action, but funding and permits are complex. Right now, the cost is falling on clubs and residents, and the ecological impact on riverfront trees is severe,” he said.
Michael agreed that the corellas were a protected species but said with numbers like this, they are also a serious pest.
The roar of their numbers and the trail of destruction make it evident that action, innovation, and awareness are essential to protect both the town’s heritage and its natural environment, before too much damage is done.
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