The Dunedin City Council was going to relocate the eight geese to Lake Waihola, but abandoned the plan when the Clutha District Council expressed concern after its chief executive learnt of it in the .
Fears the setback would lead to the birds being slaughtered were allayed when a Taieri resident offered to take in the geese.
The gaggle's habit of grazing across Watson Park, leaving large quantities of droppings, has prompted health concerns.
A junior rugby game had to be relocated on Saturday after efforts to clean the field of droppings proved futile.
DCC parks and reserves asset and commercial manager Tom Dyer said the Taieri resident would keep the geese as pets.
He admitted the Dunedin council should have told the Clutha council about the original plan and it was "fair enough'' it was concerned.
The birds could be relocated as early as this week.
Clutha chief executive Steve Hill said he had not heard about the Waihola plan until reading about it in the ODT.
He believed no-one at his council had been told about the plan and asked his staff to "find out what was going on'' and talk to Dunedin staff.
He said it was a "little bit strange'' no-one at the Clutha District Council had been told.
The Clutha council was responsible for Lake Waihola's foreshore and there was concern the birds could cause problems.
The eight geese are a splinter group from a larger population that lives at nearby Back Beach.
The "rebel'' geese have prompted debate among Port Chalmers residents on social media. Some have posted goose recipes and others have argued in favour of moving them.
