Shire tries again to keep cockies out of Lorne bins

Sep 08, 2023

Cockatoos have mastered the art of opening bin lids, particularly in Lorne. Photo: FACEBOOK/MICHAEL PRIDEAUX

THE SURF Coast Shire is trialling three different bin locks designed to keep wildlife out of household waste bins in Lorne and early reports from residents are already doubtful of their efficacy.

It is the latest attempt in a long-running battle against cockatoos, primarily, who have overcome a variety of engineered attempts at keeping them out of bins in the town that has become a hotspot for wildlife consuming food they should not.

Local resident Keith Miller has tested each of the three locks and dismissed two as being poorly designed and said the third – known as a Litter Lock – worked but had flaws.

"The problem is that you still need to manually lock it, and many people don't, particularly holiday renters," he said.

The Litter Lock comprises a plastic spring-loaded arm attached to the side of bins and has a right-angle hook on top that keeps the lid closed, then opens when a rubbish trucks lifting claw grabs the bin.

Mr Miller said the device was "promising", but suspected the mechanism was not self-closing due to sun wear and various emptyings.

Another prototype that involved various interlocking metal arms and springs "had too many moving parts and didn't last two empties" before it broke, Mr Miller said, and an apron lid that sat over the top of the bin depriving cockatoos of a ledge to stand on "lifted with the wind".

The shire trialled three other locking devices in 2022: a gravity release design that opened when tilted; a 0.8kg weight secured to the inside of the lid; and an oversized lid that deprived cockatoos of a ledge to stand on when they open try to pry it open.

The issue is not entirely an engineering problem according to Mr Miller, it was people coming to stay for a short period of time in town.

"Holiday renters, it's easily the biggest problem, they just put the bins out and drive home and we cop a street full of rubbish each week. And the holiday homeowners, they do the same; they might not come home for a month and some wouldn't even know the street was covered with rubbish."

He believes was about seven years ago when the first device was trialled, a keyed bin lock – "that didn't work… that cost a lot of money and was a disaster."

The shire has organised a community forum on Wednesday, January 18 that will include a panel of speakers who will provide updates on the bin lock trials, cockatoo behaviour and the responsibility of homes and businesses in managing waste.