Up to three snake sightings every week, on average, were reported to Wyndham council last year, new figures reveal.
The council received 148 reports of snakes in 2015, with most sightings at Truganina, Point Cook, Williams Landing, Hoppers Crossing and Werribee South.
By way of comparison, 158 snake sightings were reported to the council in 2014.
Wyndham chief executive Kelly Grigsby said residents had already reported 13 snake sightings this year, with tiger snakes the type most commonly seen.
The council relied on an in-house snake removal service until September last year.
At that time, it voted to hire a professional catcher for one year before reverting to a user pays system from September 2016.
The user-pays decision sparked a community backlash, including a petition with more than 1460 signatures, and the council extended the professional catcher service until September, 2017.
Whether or not the service continues will be decided some time before that date.
Charlene Macaulay
