A Ravensbourne man is on a mission to save the pesky Port Chalmers gaggle from destruction by using a goose repellent.
Engineer and volunteer firefighter Glen Turner believes spraying the grass at Watson Park with a non-toxic, food grade goose repellent would change the behaviour of the irksome eight and they would not return.
He has even made an offer to the Dunedin City Council to pay $300 for the first application of "Migrate'' as a test of whether it works and "to get the ball rolling''.
The issue of what to do with the geese started after repeated defecation on the park annoyed sports teams and prompted health concerns.
"It's about showing future generations empathy towards wildlife,'' Mr Turner said.
"It's only eight geese. It's not a plague. I think society needs to move away from that mind-set of bulldozing anything in the way.''
The geese are set to be shot by Dunedin City Council contractors if volunteers are unsuccessful in relocating them by Sunday.
Mr Turner said similar bird-repellent techniques had been successful in other places including at Hamilton and Christchurch airports where success rates of up to 90% have been reported.
"Geese don't like the taste of it,'' Mr Turner said.
"It's a behavioural thing. It will stop them wanting to come there.''
Shooting the geese was a "short-sighted solution''.
"The council need to be more compassionate about it.''
Mr Turner put his concerns and ideas in emails to DCC parks operations manager Hamish Black and parks and recreation group manager Richard Saunders.
Mr Black would not comment on Mr Turner's idea without knowing the details.
Mr Saunders did not return phone calls last night.
A group of volunteers planning to catch and relocate the geese would attempt to complete the task either today or tomorrow, Mr Black said.
If the group was successful, the geese would be relocated to a farm with a pond on the Taieri.
