Pest parrots and cockatoos are known to cause extensive damage in both rural and urban areas in Western Australia. Because of this, several species are declared pests under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007, and the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Regulations 2013, and these declared pests are subject to active management control.

The declared pest bird species that are prevalent in Morawa are the Western Corella and Little Corella (moving forward referred to as a collective pest using the term Corella).

Both the northern and southern Wheatbelt regions of Western Australia provide perfect foraging habitat, in combination with local and permanent water on farm properties, and appropriate roosting trees through retained fringing and remnant vegetation. Given the number of environmental factors at play, the spread of Corellas across the State, and in particular the size and distribution of the Corella population in the Midwest region, the management of the birds is likely to be an ongoing issue for the foreseeable future.

At this stage the community sentiment towards Corellas within the Morawa town site is not well understood. The aim of this survey is for the Shire to better understand community sentiment towards Corellas and our role in managing the Corella population, including where to prioritise our resources.

 Survey closes Friday 28 June 2024.