Local Government

The real story behind the Oddball movie

How low can a fox go? In Warrnambool, the depths are quite extraordinary. The coastal town’s Middle Island little penguin population plummeted from several hundred seabirds to single digits during the 2004-05 breeding season, and foxes were to blame; they had been swimming across from the mainland for a feed. Furious locals declared that the annual massacre had to stop, but how to outwit a cunning fox? Ask a chicken farmer.

maremmas

Local poultry expert Alan ‘Swampy’ Marsh had been having enormous success using Maremmas to protect his free range chooks, and suggested sending a dog across the channel to guard the penguins. The idea ruffled a few feathers, for it was a world-first, but Swampy’s dog, Oddball, passed a four-week trial with flying colours – the island has been fox-free ever since. I shared the tale in the Dec-Jan issue of Outback magazine, while the story of the penguin protectors has also made it onto the big screen, with the movie Oddball directly inspired by the Middle Island Maremma Project.

Picture courtesy Roadshow Films

Picture courtesy Roadshow Films

What a Waste – Recycling Videos

I am an enthusiastic and committed recycler, but after working with Marcus Jones from Film It All to produce a series of five clips for the City of Mount Gambier, I discovered that I, too, have been getting it wrong. For starters, bottle tops are too small to be recycled, and should be disposed of in general waste. Who knew!

The videos are designed to give the community an insight into what happens to waste and recyclables once thrown away, and reflect the council’s strong commitment to improving environmental sustainability.

The clips also provide information and best practice tips for waste, recycling and organics disposal, with bin audits giving audiences a realistic look at the typical contents of a household bin. They can be viewed on the council’s website, The City of Mount Gambier YouTube channel, and on screens at the Civic Centre.