Crow Problem at Varsity Lakes

By Ryely Newman and Jun Heo, Bond University Journalism Student 

Market Square retailers have called for their body corporate to have lids fitted to bins in the area, to prevent crows from eating rubbish.   The retailers said crows had increasingly become a problem, pulling rubbish out of bins and eating food off empty tables in local restaurants.

Los Hombres Mexican employee Cristiane Bassi said the crows were a nuisance and often disrupted business.  “They come into our store, create mess and eat food that’s left outside,” she said.

Roberto’s waitress Beth Rideout said their restaurant also had problems with the crows.  “If we don’t clear the dishes immediately the birds swoop down onto the tables as soon as people leave,” she said. 

It is not just local eateries being affected staff from Varsity Pharmacy and Varsity Cellars bottle shop also complained about the mess created by the crows.  Varsity Pharmacy employee Laurelle Thomas said she was frustrated by the crow problem.  “They drive us nuts and people sitting on the seats outside trying to eat constantly have to shoo them away,” she said.  Ms Thomas said while the body corporate had already been asked to fix the problem, she doubted it would stop the crows.
“If lids were put onto the bins, people would probably litter onto the floor or into the pot plants anyway,” she said.

Varsity Cellars employee Bryan Bell said he thought lids should be fitted to bins in order to help control the mess.  “Covering the bins would be an easy way to help stop the crows from getting into the rubbish,” he said 

IGA manager Steve Guthrie said efforts were already being made to fix the problem and the body corporate had begun fitting bins with lids.
“Making a mess is what crows do, body corporate is gradually covering the bins though and some already have lids like the ones across the parking lot,” he said. 

Solmac managing agent Colin Ferguson said they serve as a pseudo body corporate for Market Square.  He said a trial was being conducted to determine whether fitting lids on bins would help solve the problem.
“We have installed three crow-proof bins around the area and we are still waiting to see if they are an effective means of fixing the issue,” he said.