FERAL deer and cockatoos will have to think twice when they come across garbage bins in parts of Sutherland Shire — thanks to a new moulded plastic lock system.
The invention is the result of many years of work by former builder Chris McPherson, who experimented with variations before settling for an injected moulded plastic lock made of recyclable material, produced by Anchor Plastics at Kirrawee.
The project is the culmination of work by Mr McPherson and two other Cronulla residents, accountant Jason Maher and investment banker Justin Gallagher.
Feral deer had particularly been a problem in Marina Crescent, Gymea Bay, and at Bundeena and Grays Point, while cockatoos were a pest in Helensburgh.
"They knock the bins over and the litter is strewn over on the roads," Mr Gallagher said.
"The locks can be retro-fitted on old bins and they work by squeezing the bin."
A Sutherland Shire Council spokeswoman confirmed the locks had been given an eight-week trial on about 120 household bins in Marina Crescent.
The spokeswoman said locks kept the lids secure and the garbage truck arm could still be used to empty the bin.
The council planned to order 3000 of the locks at a fitted cost of $22.50 a unit, which would be covered under the domestic waste management charge so as to not cost residents any more than what they already paid for waste services this financial year.
Further locks will be made available to other residents in a staged program.
The cost of the program will be met by the council's domestic waste management charge.
Sutherland Shire mayor Kent Johns said the shire would be the first local government region in Australia to address this common waste problem. Details: envirolock.com.au
■ Would you try out the bin lock?