An icon of suburban Australia that has dominated the skyline since the 1950s television boom is set to gradually disappear. While antennas are no longer necessary for watching favourite shows in the digital age, their loss may have an unintended impact on the wildlife that lives in our backyards.
Although not intended as perches for magpies, turtledoves, kookaburras, wattlebirds, and lorikeets, the long metal elements provide an ideal spot for birds to rest, high above prowling cats and dogs. The removal of antennas will be gradual, but they are unlikely to be added to many new estates, and eventually, they may be removed from older homes.
This issue may seem trivial, but there are few safe refuges available along our streets for birds, and they are being further squeezed as governments prioritise density over green space. Professor Sarah Bekessy, an urban design expert at the University of Melbourne and a member of the independent expert group, the Biodiversity Council, explained that several wildlife-friendly features are disappearing from houses.
“Another one is draft proofing,” she told Yahoo News. “The more we block up every little hole and gap, the fewer places there are for animals that used to use wall and roof cavities for habitat.”
Aussies can share their homes with 1,000 animals
Professor Bekessy said most people underestimate how many animals they share their homes with. A 2023 University of Queensland study published in Scientific Naturalist found that a Brisbane study identified 1,000 macro-organisms in a single metropolitan property.
“Animals use our houses all the time for habitat without us being intentional about it, because they have to,” Professor Bekessy said. “And often we don’t think through the implications of removing features like antennas. I’m not saying we should keep them, but maybe we need to provide other kinds of roosting habitat to replace them.”
Plan to redesign houses with wildlife spaces
Melbourne University PhD candidate Bethany Kiss is currently working with a dataset of 76,000 records from rescue group Wildlife Victoria, to understand how animals use different parts of buildings. Her work categorised the many ways animals use our homes, finding areas that mimic their natural habitat, such as wombats sleeping under homes instead of burrows.
She believes a solution to helping Australia’s wildlife is to include purpose-built nooks and dens in biodiversity plans, which are becoming more common in Germany and the United Kingdom. These design standards could sit alongside those for energy ratings, fire safety, and accessibility.
“An architect could consult with an ecologist in the same way they would with an engineer,” she told Yahoo News. She’d like to see a cultural shift where homeowners don’t see wildlife in buildings as a problem, but something that could be encouraged.
“Every house could have something for local biodiversity — maybe an eave for a swallow, or a cavity for a possum, and a garden that connects to other habitats down the street,” she said. “I don’t think any of that is too crazy. It’s not that technically hard to do, it’s just not how we think about design, so we need to stop thinking about our cities and buildings as just human spaces.”
Simple steps to encourage wildlife showcased
Professor Bekessy’s team recently showcased specialised designs that could help nature in backyards at the National Gallery of Victoria. While it’s well-known that synthetic turf kills microorganisms beneath, the exhibition also highlighted that concrete slabs under houses do the same.
It showed how a raised floor allows spaces for wildlife to live, insect hotels in backyards encourage native bees, and air conditioners can create shallow puddles that butterflies need to sip water.
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Along with helping the environment, encouraging wildlife into yards also increases happiness in people.
“It makes you feel more at home, and it’s really good for your physical and mental wellbeing,” Professor Bekessy said.
