The council released a statement this week saying it had come up with the new-look rubbish bins to keep the curious birds away.
“The Department of Conservation approached us about getting some rubbish bins for Franz Josef that kea couldn’t get into,” council operations manager Erle Bencich said.
“We are keen to support Doc’s efforts to keep kea healthy.
“Investigating the market for rubbish bins, we found that none of the bins available were fit for purpose.
“We put our engineering skills to good use and in conjunction with a supplier came up with a lid design that has a spring-loaded door with a narrow aperture which fits on the standard receptacle base.
“The lids and bins were manufactured by Tilley Group Ltd to meet our specific requirements.
“It would be great to see them installed across the country wherever cheeky kea are getting into public rubbish bins.”
Seven of the 240-litre bins with kea-proof lids were installed in Franz Josef this week.
