Volunteers from the Channel Men’s Shed have used their skills to help fabricate 44 breeding boxes for the endangered Orange-bellied parrot.
The nest boxes will be located at the new Five Mile Beach breeding facility as well as the existing captive breeding site at Taroona, which will remain operational until the new fit-for-purpose facility is completed at Five Mile Beach.
The Hodgman Liberal Government has committed $2.5 million to enable the construction of the new fit-for-purpose captive breeding facilityfor this critically endangered species.
Once complete, the new breeding facility will increase captive breeding capacity by 50 percent this breeding season and provide double the existing captive breeding capacity by next year.
The construction project is estimated to involve the direct engagement of 17 local businesses and contributed to the direct employment of up to 55 people, and is on-track for completion by April 2019.
Monitoring of the Orange-bellied parrot population in the wild is continuing, with 19 wild birds returning to Melaleuca in the 2017-18 breeding season. So far this season, 16 birds have returned to Melaleuca with more expected over the next month.
It is heartening to see such assistance from the community for this valuable program to help one of Australia's most threatened bird species, and I thank the Channel Men’s Shed for their contribution towards saving our previous Orange-bellied parrot.
