THE WAR ON IBIS

Coast restaurants step up fight against unwelcome scavengers

THEY are the bane of Surfers Paradise restaurants. Now businesses are fighting back against the pesky ‘bin chickens’ – by taking on extra staff to keep them from harassing customers.

Owners, who say the intrusive but protected ibis are costing them business and overheads, have also hit out at Gold Coast City Council for not doing enough to keep the birds at bay.

They claim council officers have told them to hire staff to deal with the ibis and pigeons which fight diners for food – and that’s exactly what they’re doing.

SURFERS Paradise restaurants have taken the extraordinary step of hiring staff to keep pesky birds from harassing and scaring customers.

Owners say the intrusive but protected ibis are costing them business and overheads – and they also have their feathers ruffled by a lack of help from Gold Coast City Council.

Some owners claim council officers had told them to hire staff to deal with ibis and pigeons which fight Soul Boardwalk diners for food.

But Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek said it was the sort of thing council should be doing: “It’s their core type of business.

“If the ibis are getting into rubbish and creating problems and a potential health hazard, that is council.

“They should do more than they are currently doing which is telling the small business operators they should get bird shoo-ers.”

Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce president Martin Hall said the chamber would help lobby council.

“I would have thought this would be something the council should be jumping on board with,” he said.

Greek Street Grill owner Theo Kostoglou, who employs a “bird shoo-er”, claimed a council officer told his staff restaurants needed to hire people to keep birds at bay.

“I know some of my staff said that (happened),” he said.

“We hire extra staff to shoo them (the birds) away already and make sure the birds don’t attack the food.

“As soon as the customer gets up to walk in and get cutlery the birds pick up the food and take off or they sit there picking off their plate.”

Surfers Paradise Beach Cafe owner Arthur de Snoo said hiring a “bird shoo-er” was not financially viable.

“If you were to hire someone it would be from 8-6pm, cost you $200 a day. Times that by 365 days and that is a lot of money,” he said. “It is not good for business or tourism. Council washed their hands of it – it is not good enough.”

Esplanade business bosses say customers write negative reviews online, typically saying great views and food were ruined by the birds.

A council spokesman said this year 20 complaints had been made about ibis, up five on the year before.

The ibis population in the city had remained consistent at about 2500 birds.

“Council officers have previously advised restaurateurs that is their responsibility to manage the ibis situation on their own premises,” the spokesman said.

Surfers Paradise Alliance CEO Mike Winlaw said “do not feed the birds” signs were erected but hadn’t worked.

Moy Rivas, visiting from Houston, wasn’t fazed when harassed by a pigeon as he ate on Thursday afternoon.

“I am not used to this back home,” Mr Rivas said. “I thought it was cool – but it was trying to steal my food.

“I added (a photo of the pigeon) to my Instagram story.”