Friday, 14 August 2026

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria) (18:14): (2704) The matter that I have to raise this evening is for the attention of the Minister for Environment. The action that I seek is that the minister give consideration to a myna bird – Indian or common myna bird – depopulation or cull program for the purpose of making sure that we can give native species the best possible chance of succeeding in offsetting some of what we know will be the most damaging threats to bird populations in Australia as a consequence of H5 and its inevitable arrival here on the mainland if, as we know, those testing results show that H5 is going to decimate native bird populations.

The common or Indian myna is a bird that was introduced in Australia in about 1862 for the purpose of managing the beetle and insect populations in and around sugar cane and to control bugs and pests in market gardens. It has since become an enormously invasive species right across Australia. Its impact is absolutely devastating. There is not a community anywhere around Victoria that would not know of the damage that myna birds cause. We are talking about the common or Indian myna birds, not the noisy miners, which are native Australian birds. We know that common or Indian mynas cause enormous damage wherever they go. They create large, aggressive flocks. They are deeply territorial. They crowd out native species. They breed quickly and multiple times a year. They take habitat for the purpose of hollows and nest-making. They also congregate in and around areas like shopping centres and in and around people’s chook pens. They will gather to eat all sorts of food if it is left out, whether it is dog or cat food or anything else.

When we are faced with H5 as a serious threat to the bird and native mammal populations here in Victoria, I think it is incumbent upon us to be looking to lateral solutions to minimise that damage, including through reducing the threat and impact of habitat destruction or reduction for native birds. This is where, again, in giving some careful thought to this, I would encourage the minister to look to other jurisdictions where Indian or common myna eradication programs have taken place without the need for a pest declaration. Trapping and humane euthanasia can take place. It does take place. The action that I seek is that the minister engage with local community groups, including Landcare groups, that have produced a range of literature for the purpose of Indian or common myna proliferation, particularly with a sense of urgency given H5 and what we know will be a devastating impact on our bird and mammal populations here in Australia.