Bridport bird safety in focus
• Bird flapper discs being installed on a powerline by TasNetworks. Photo supplied.
By Daisy Baker
September 23, 2020
Thousands of plastic discs known as ‘bird flappers’ have been installed on powerlines along Bridport Road to help prevent injuries to birds of prey.
The technology installed by TasNetworks helps alert birds including wedge-tailed eagles, grey goshawks and white-bellied sea eagles to power lines.
They can be electrocuted or injured if they fly into powerlines or perch on power poles near electrical equipment.
The rectangular discs attach to powerlines and swivel in the wind and contain glow-in-the-dark crystals, which absorb and emit purple ultraviolet light, making powerlines more visible to birds during day and night.
Around 21 kilometres of devices have been installed on Bridport Road, at a cost of $275,000.
TasNetworks’ environment and sustainability team leader Ed Parker said they have doubled their investment in bird protection in recent years, in aid of the state’s iconic birds.
“We’re investing about $5 million over five years to install more than 260 kilometres of mitigation devices in high risk areas, to help prevent injuries and electrocutions,” he said.
“We’re making progress. The number of known state-wide incidents has halved in the past couple of years. But there’s still plenty of work to do.
“The Bridport area has some spectacular birds like wedge-tailed eagles and white-bellied sea eagles, and we’ve moved swiftly to protect them with this work.”
Rural locations in Tasmania’s North-East have been identified as a high-risk area for bird strikes, with about 15 known incidents on TasNetworks distribution network over the past decade.
TasNetworks is also targeting Gladstone, St Helens and Mathinna Road as part of the $5 million roll-out.
In 2019-20, there were 18 known threatened bird incidents across the state, which is 25 per cent fewer than 2018-19 (24), and almost half the number in 2017-18 (33).
However, historic under-reporting makes it difficult to gauge the exact number of incidents.
You can report any powerline-related bird injuries to TasNetworks on 132 004.