Rubbish Bins and Welcome Swallows: Local Government’s Perplexing Decisions
By Adaire Palmer
Editor’s preamble: Having contributed years of attention as admin to the private Coochie Community Facebook group, Adaire Palmer has consistently been amongst the first island residents to respond and contribute to issues as they get posted. She jumps in to progress issues, as she sees fit, with community-minded spirit. In May 2026, Redlands City Council removed garbage bins on the jetties, a perplexing decision considering the foot-traffic increase since 50 cent ferry fares were introduced in October 2025. Plus, regular fishers use both jetties with their food, drinks, and bags of bait. Even more curious is the wording on signage that outlined RCC’s reason as to why the bins were removed. Facebook comments expressed incredulity. Then, in mid 2026, RCC installed welcome swallow exclusion netting to the ferry terminals at both Coochiemudlo and at Victoria Point. Facebook comments were emotional and furious.
Adaire’s article outlines how many islanders processed the exclusion netting issue. She has also included a link to her own Coochie Community Online Facebook post (separate to the private Facebook group) that further expresses her own heartfelt, personal feelings about the welcome swallows.
It started on 1 May 2026 with Amity Trader successful in their tender bid to Translink for the contract to run the ferry service from Victoria Point to Coochiemudlo Island (colloquially known as ‘Coochie’).
As the community embraced the ongoing promise of the 50 cent fares, we had no idea what was about to descend on us.
Before the cheers of ‘hurrah’ had died down, Redland City Council, who are responsible for the maintenance of the jetties, had removed the bins that the Amity crews had put there and regularly emptied (prior to the Translink contract) and installed exclusion netting, in June, on both jetties to keep the welcome swallows from roosting or nesting in their regular spots.
It should be noted that the welcome swallows (Hirundo neoxena) are social birds that often roost together in large, communal flocks. Their main gathering places of choice are sheltered areas that protect them from the elements and predators, and seem to prefer man-made structures, like under building eves, shelter sheds and around coastal structures like jetties.
In Queensland (including the Quandamooka region), the welcome swallow is protected under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (specifically regulated via the Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020).
At the national level across Australia, native birds are also protected under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
This is important, as when the netting went up, there was a demonstration of BIG FEELINGS and an outpouring on social media about this from the local community, with many Coochiemudlians writing to Redland City Council and making phone calls to determine if council had secured the required (by law) permits and if the installing contractor, Blast Pest Management, had conducted their works according to a Species Management Plan.
While we still don’t have those answers, we could have never in our wildest dreams envisaged what was to come.
My own passion for the plight of these little welcome swallows runs deep, most likely because when I see them, I see my Dad and Mum, who visited daily when I was regularly on my boat, ‘Adaire to Dream’. To think of them being excluded from their roosting and nesting place was distressing and I couldn’t sit on my hands and do nothing! To read more about my personal connection to the swallows, check out the full story on Coochie Community Online (Facebook).
Clearly others felt the same. Messages of ‘I’ve emailed the council, can I send you their response?’ started flowing in once I started to write articles for the Coochie Community Online Newsletter.
First a couple, then a few and now dozens of Coochie folk have contacted me in some form or another. It’s been very helpful to get a feel for who has emailed council, what their response had been and who had called council or the RSPCA when they found birds trapped.
While there were many who did this, there were many more who helped by sharing their stories and ours on social media, by liking and commenting, joining the conversation. Pressure on council to remove the netting had been increasing steadily, and reached a crescendo when the tiny birds became trapped and people started to rip the netting to set them free.
Gearing up for a fight, we were floored when the council announced in a rather unusual way they were removing the netting.
In response to one of the last articles I had written and posted to a private Facebook group (Coochie Community Facebook), Acting Mayor Julie Talty made this comment: “I have had this matter investigated. The information will be ready should the department like to check it. The report I have says no law was broken. As for the bird exclusion matter on these two particular jetties, no further action will be taken. No further exclusion measures will be installed.”
The cheers went up again! In the meantime, we are looking forward to seeing the investigated documentation that the acting mayor made note of.
Two weeks after the netting was removed, about a dozen people attended a meeting with the convenor of BirdLife Southern Queensland, Sheena Gillman, and RCC councillor (Division 1) Wendy Boglary. While some, like me, were curious as to the purpose of this meeting now the nets were removed, feedback indicated it was a good debrief session and an opportunity to release some pent up emotions in an appropriate way. There was a good discussion with the reps and a feeling of relief we could finally put down our pitchforks on behalf of the welcome swallows and welcome them back.
While I can’t say for sure what the trigger was, I’m reasonably certain the community outcry was a testament to the power of community action, a massive win for local community advocacy, and a huge relief for the island.
Well done Coochie!
Adaire runs the Coochie Community Online Facebook which is separate the private Facebook group, Coochie Community.
