Goat management across western NSW
Millions of feral goats are thought to impact 94 threatened and endangered species in western NSW. In an attempt to reduce their numbers, a variety of measures have been employed in NSW national parks such as Paroo-Darling National Park, including trapping, goat-proof fencing, and the strategic closure of artificial watering points.
Read more about Goat management across western NSW
Over 46,000 goats were removed from NSW national parks through trapping and mustering between 2009-10. The problem with this system was rapid re-invasion. To try and break the cycle and reduce a feral goat population estimated in 2010 to be 2.5 million, NPWS began using additional measures.
NPWS is now periodically closing on-park watering points and employing goat-proof fencing to make others virtually inaccessible. This is because research shows that feral goats rarely travel more than 3km from a water source which makes them extremely dependent on artificial watering points like earthen tanks and bores.
The effect of this has been a significant reduction of goat numbers in NSW conservation reserves like Gundabooka State Conservation Area, where the endangered curly-bark wattle was being seriously affected.
Feral goats remain a major challenge across western NSW, but the work conducted through this conservation program continues to mitigate their impact as much as possible.
Parks related to this program
- Mount Kaputar National Park
- Willandra National Park
- Weddin Mountains National Park
- Warrumbungle National Park
- Warrambool State Conservation Area
- Warrabah National Park
- Towarri National Park
- Paroo-Darling National Park
- Nangar National Park
- Kybeyan State Conservation Area
- Kybeyan Nature Reserve
- Lachlan Valley State Conservation Area
- Macquarie Marshes Nature Reserve
- Narran Lake Nature Reserve
- Pilliga Nature Reserve
- Willala Aboriginal Area
- Kwiambal National Park
- Kings Plains National Park
- Kinchega National Park
- Kosciuszko National Park
- Gwydir River State Conservation Area
- Gwydir River National Park
- Gundabooka State Conservation Area
- Gundabooka National Park
- Goobang National Park
- Ginghet Nature Reserve
- Eusdale Nature Reserve
- Dthinna Dthinnawan National Park
- Cocoparra National Park
- Cocopara Nature Reserve
- Coornartha Nature Reserve
- Boonalla Aboriginal Area
- Winburndale Nature Reserve
- Merriangaah Nature Reserve