Landcare member Margaret Hall was at her wits’ end over how to transport vital nesting equipment from Perth to north-eastern NSW to help save the threatened Glossy-Black Cockatoo.
Hall said the 2019 bushfires destroyed much of the Glossy Black-Cockatoos’ habitat, including food sources that they rely on.
But Landcare’s preferred artificial breeding hollow, the ‘Cockatube’, was stuck in Western Australia where it was developed.
“With Covid shutting down the borders all the companies who had given us quotes to freight them either had tripled their prices or just weren’t doing it at all,” said Hall.
“We were ready to give up, or looking at having to change our project completely. It was devastating.”
With nowhere else to turn, Hall followed up a lead from her brother who had a contact at national freight company Northline.
“So I asked if they might consider taking our shipment from Perth to the Byron hinterland, and what would it cost,” explained Hall.
“Not only did they say yes, but after hearing that it was for a fire-affected species, they offered to ship it for free!”
Northline CEO, Craige Whitton, said the company is proud to have lent their support to Wilsons Creek Huonbrook Landcare in shipping the nesting tubes from Western Australia to the Byron Hinterland.
“Northline saw this as a way to provide practical support to the project by transporting cockatoo nesting tubes from Perth to North-East New South Wales and helping support bushfire recovery activities for Wilsons Creek Huonbrook Landcare and the Glossy Black-Cockatoo in NSW,” said Whitton.
The hollows are now installed at a number of scientifically selected sites where the Glossies are known to feed.
“Thanks to Northline we were able to provide a choice of new breeding hollows close to the Glossies’ food trees,” said Hall.
“We will now monitor their use to learn what works and what doesn’t, so we can hopefully see a successful breeding event and continue to see this majestic species continue for future generations.”
The Landcare Led Bushfire Recovery project has been supported by the Australian Government’s Bushfire Recovery Program for Wildlife and their Habitat.