Wollongong City Council had already caught and killed 15 ducks from Corrimal pool before a public outcry in October produced a change in approach.
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The council took action after ducks became a problem at Corrimal and Helensburgh pools, defecating in the water and becoming territorial.
After the Mercury reported on the culling in October, there was outcry from residents. Some offered solutions such as tagging the ducks and relocating them.
At first the council defended the culling, saying it was necessary to protect public health, and had been approved by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
The Coalition Against Duck Shooting protested to Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery. One Darkes Forest resident, Deborah Short, offered that the ducks could be brought to her property and released to make a home around the dams there.
The animal rescue service WIRES got involved, proposing to relocate ducks from Helensburgh. Council decided to change its approach.
But by this time it was too late for the Corrimal ducks – council later admitted the 15 ducks it had permission to trap at the pool had been killed by August.
''We understand the community does not want to see wild ducks harmed.''
- Wollongong City Council
When asked about this in late October, council said it “has approval to remove up to 20 ducks from Helensburgh Pool and 15 from Corrimal Pool”.
But it has now admitted the Corrimal ducks had already been killed by then.
A council spokeswoman said the contractor’s trap remained in place at the pool – but was “inactive”.
“Earlier this year, we had the appropriate licence approval from National Parks and Wildlife Service for a licenced and approved contractor to trap and euthanize up to 15 birds from Corrimal Pool,” the council spokeswoman said.
“The contracted work was completed in July and August. Only the permitted number of ducks – being 15 – were trapped and removed from the site. The contractor’s unactivated trap remained onsite until mid-September.
“We understand the community does not want to see wild ducks harmed and we are working collaboratively with the agencies to find a solution to this problem, while also ensuring the pools – that the ducks defecate in – meet public health guidelines.”