Cumberland Council calls for pigeon elimination across area, including Dellwood St shops

A western Sydney community fed up with “feral beast” pigeons wreaking havoc has backed calls to “massively eliminate” the birds disturbing neighbourhoods including a shopping precinct.

Pigeons are a major pest at Dellwood Shopping Centre at South Granville.

Fed-up traders and residents at South Granville are backing councillors’ calls to eradicate feral pigeons across the Cumberland area, especially at the local shops where the birds are wreaking havoc with their droppings and breeding.

Cumberland councillor Paul Garrard says Dellwood Shopping Centre was a hotspot where pigeons are out of control and constantly defecating, leading him to table a motion at this week’s meeting to eliminate the feral birds.

“There’s a massive problem,’’ Cr Garrard said.

“Down in the Dellwood shops, I can’t go down there and get the paper any day of the week without people complaining about pigeons.’’

South Granville resident Robert McDermott is one of those frustrated residents.

Robert McDermott is all too familiar with out-of-control pigeons. Picture: Brenden Wood

The awning attracts pigeons when it’s not covered. Picture: Brenden Wood

“They’re a menace,’’ he said.

“They make a mess. The council needs to get rid of the birds.”

Long-suffering Dellwood Newsagency owner Julie Pettit, who has run the business for 20 years, blamed people for feeding the pigeons despite four signs warning the public against it.

“Don’t start me,’’ she said.

“Nobody listens to us. We need them not to feed the birds and we know somebody’s feeding the birds, and the ibis and parrots are starting to come.

Droppings coat the ground near the post office and Pericles Takeaway. Picture: Brenden Wood

Customers can’t eat outside Pericles Takeaway if pigeons keep defecating on the awning. Picture: Brenden Wood

“Everybody seems to like walking in the shit.’’

One of the worst spots is the awning next to Pericles Takeaway where pigeons gather because they can seek shelter. They also use the space to breed and defecate where the tarpaulin is not covering the hole.

Ms Pettit said the building’s strata quoted $600,000 to repair the gap in the awning at the post-war, ageing shops, but the wait drags on.

Pericles Takeaway owner Virak “Michael” Chheang said the gap was “huge, now it’s ridiculous”.

“It’s hard to do business that way,’’ he said.

“I’ve been complaining over and over and nothing’s been done so I’ve pretty much given up.

The public continues to feed pigeons at Dellwood shops. Picture: Brenden Wood

It means his outdoor seating has to be removed for customers while the wait to fix the gap drags on.

“Nothing’s been done about it for a year,’’ Mr Chheang said.

“They’re breeding in there as well so we’re getting a few pigeons on the roof as well and there’s some baby pigeons too.’’

Pigeons have made Dellwood Shopping Centre one of their favourite habitats. Picture: Brenden Wood

At Wednesday night’s council meeting, councillors Garrard and Helen Hughes will table a motion calling for the council to take immediate action and “massively eliminate” the “great number of feral pigeons which are causing an unhealthy disturbance across all neighbourhoods of Cumberland LGA’’.

Cr Garrard said the pigeons were not only a “nuisance” in shopping centres but neighbourhoods from Greystanes to Granville, and often sought shelter under solar panels.

“They’re a feral beast and there are people who are licensed to pick up pigeons and other feral animals,’’ he said.

In a response in the council agenda, general manager Peter Fitzgerald said any program to clear pigeons would involve an education campaign, discouraging feeding of feral pigeons and consultation with the NSW Parks and Wildlife and the NSW Primary Industries departments about the best procedures for removing nests, using scare devices or culling pigeon populations.

Originally published as Cumberland Council calls for pigeon elimination across area, including Dellwood St shops