Seagulls will have to go elsewhere for their takeaways, now that the Dunedin City Council has installed new rubbish bins along John Wilson Ocean Dr, designed to keeping rubbish in and scavengers out.
All but one of the old 60-litre rubbish bins had been replaced, as the former open design allowed seagulls to remove much of the contents, DCC solid waste manager Ian Featherston said.
"They just perch on the side and pull [the rubbish] all out."
The old steel bins have been replaced by new 200-litre bins, similar to those on George St, which are clad in wood and have a lid.
The new bins were made by a local firm at a cost of $1000 each, Mr Featherston said.
The holes in the new bins were ample enough to handle takeaway food and keep birds at bay, while protecting the contents from spilling out in the wind.
Most people disposed of their rubbish appropriately and the area was notably tidier following the introduction of the bins, he said.
One of the older rubbish bins had been retained so comparisons could be made with the new bins, he saidAsked if the council had won the battle of the birds and the rubbish bins, Mr Featherston said he was "not holding my breath".
