Goat incursions into East Tamworth continue unabated, despite local residents reporting the feral animals to the local council for weeks.
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After denying responsibility for the pest problem earlier this week, Tamworth Regional Council denied the number of feral animals on Flagstaff Hill had grown to become a problem.
A huge herd of between 40 and 60 wild goats invaded the suburb recently, halting traffic and carving a swathe through front gardens in the residential area.
Resident Gaye Johnson-Weeks, who filmed the incursion, said the number of feral animals on the hill will only mount until they're removed. There are also deer and kangaroos in the crown land area.
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"I suppose they'll just run riot and keep breeding and keep breeding and keep breeding," she said.
"That's what goats do: they eat and they breed."
Mrs Johnson-Weeks photographed the first goat incursion in September last week, with the feral animals grazing in the Murray and Raglan Street area on Friday afternoon.
Another East Tamworth resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the goats had moved into the suburban area in force on at least one other occasion, in early August. She reported it to council, to no avail.
"I'm off a farm, I know what destruction they do. They have one kid and then they have another 10. I and then obviously there'll be a mob of 150 up there," the resident said.
When contacted early last week, Tamworth Regional Council's director of liveable communities, Gina Vereker said the state government is responsible for dealing with feral goats.
"Council's responsibilities are outlined in the Companion Animals Act 1998 and relate to domestic pets," she said.
"Council also has powers to impound animals, such as goats, under the Impounding Act 1993, however, this power is limited to an animal that is in a public place if the officer believes on reasonable grounds that the animal is unattended or trespassing. It does not apply to private property."
Local Land Services and Crown Lands referred the paper back to the council, which is the land manager of the Oxley park reserve, including the Flagstaff mountain area.
A Tamworth Regional Council spokesman said on Thursday that there has been no indication of a large increase in the feral goat population at Oxley Park.
"As the manager of the crown land which forms Oxley Park, we know there is a moderate number of goats which exist in that large expanse of bushland they have lived there for years," he said.
"We are not aware of any heighted concerns about the goats nor any indication of their numbers having reached problematic proportions. Our records show that in recent months there has been one resident formally notify council about the goats at Oxley Park."
The spokesperson said the council will continue to monitor the situation and act when required. He said residents should report concerns about goats to council.
The LLS's North West Regional Strategic Pest Animal Management Plan sets an objective of cutting back the population of unmanaged feral goats by reducing their density by 5 per cent.
The area north of Tamworth is marked as having a "medium" number of feral goats on the plan, which was developed in 2018.
"At present the management of feral goats in the region is primarily through commercial harvesting (mustering and selling)," the plan reads.
"Public land managers will target feral goats during aerial control programs also targeting feral pigs. Land managers with populations of feral goats are required to limit the impact of those populations on neighbours. Control options available include fencing, mustering for sale and shooting."
The scrubby area north of East Tamworth is Crown Land, owned by the state government, but managed by Tamworth Regional Council.
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