Bird population creates fowl mess, headache for businesses

Spikes and netting won’t stop pigeons roosting on a main street, and it’s ruffled the feathers of shops and customers alike

CRAP TENANTS: Nesting pigeons on the Supa IGA building, Railway St, Gatton. Picture: Dominic Elsome

SPIKES don’t scare them, netting won’t stop them – the birds have arrived and they’re not going anywhere.

Nesting pigeons and other birds are a headache, and one hell of a mess, for local shops in Gatton.

Railway St has become a sea of bird droppings and feathers, creating an unsightly mess for businesses trying to attract customers to the shopfront.

Gatton Florist owner Rianna Krenske said the pigeons had been an issue as long as she had worked at the store.

“They’re just annoying, nothing we try stops them,” Ms Krenske said.

“Something needs to be done about it.”

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She said the mess created by the flocks was a problem for businesses, but she wasn’t sure what could be done to control them.

Nesting pigeons defeating netting designed to keep them out on Railway Street, Gatton. Picture: Dominic Elsome

It’s not just businesses that are worried about the population, with customers and shoppers fed up with the birds too.

Gatton farmer Brian Hoffmeier said on top of being unsightly, the animals were creating a health hazard.

“You step out of the car in the front of the building … and you’ve got to either walk through (the droppings) or step over it,” Mr Hoffmeier said.

“Some older people couldn’t step that far.”

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He called for the council to take action to control the pests, especially given the hard time local business was already suffering.

“It’s a major disgrace to our town, imagine the visitors coming through (seeing it),” he said.

“People won’t shop there – they’ll go somewhere else because they won’t want to walk through that pigeon muck.”

Spikes installed to keep the birds away have also proved ineffective. Picture: Dominic Elsome

Lockyer Valley Regional Council said it was aware of the problem posed by the animals.

Infrastructure portfolio councillor Janice Holstein said the council had investigated options to deal with the pigeons.

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“Nesting birds, including pigeons and swallows, have been a long-term challenge for business owners and council with a range of responses engaged to reduce the impact on the community,” Cr Holstein said.

“The main issue is the birds have a lot of roosting options under shop awnings which are privately owned or in trees that provide much-needed shade and council has been investigating cost-effective deterrents that business owners can implement to reduce roosting options.”

The councillor said the council had also increased high-pressure water cleaning of footpaths and would continue work with businesses for a long-term solution.

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