A proposal to cut down trees to protect a pedestrian bridge from bird droppings is causing a stink on Sydney’s north shore.

An expert report prepared for Landcom, the NSW government’s land and property development organisation, said up to 28 trees needed to be removed to “mitigate [the] effect of bird droppings on the paint life to protect the mild steel”.

The City of Ryde mayor Jerome Laxale said the removal of trees to protect a pedestrian bridge from bird droppings was “absurd”. Credit:Anna Kucera

The report said clearing trees within five metres of the bridge, which is designed to cross the M2 motorway and Delhi Road in North Ryde, was also required to mitigate the thermal effect of bushfire as well as falling branches.