Published on Friday, 27 June 2025 at 8:36:03 AM
The Town of Victoria Park’s innovative Bird Waterer solution for providing safe and plentiful water sources for local wildlife has netted it the top prize for Environmental Sustainability at the National Awards for Local Government.
Designed by Town staff in response to community concerns about dwindling fresh water sources for black cockatoos, the Bird Waterer – commonly referred to as the Cockitrough – elevates a series of self-filling and cleaning water troughs away from roads and predators.
Town of Victoria Park Mayor Karen Vernon said the Cockitrough had captured the imaginations of the community ever since the first prototype was installed at Jirdarup Bushland in 2018.
“The Cockitrough has proved a popular and cost-effective solution for hydrating wildlife, with more than 130 units now purchased and installed across WA by local governments, schools, conservation groups and environmentally conscious individuals,” Mayor Vernon said.
“The national award, which is voted by the public, is even more evidence of the Cockitrough’s popularity, and we as a Town are hugely proud of the impact it continues to have for our local birds and, in some cases, marsupials.”
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts’ National Awards for Local Government are the peak awards for the sector and showcase inspirational local government projects in communities across Australia. They highlight the diversity of successful projects at the grassroots level and the positive impact local governments have on bringing communities together.
For more information about the Cockitrough, visit vicpark.info/cockitrough
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