Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2018C00160:reg:2008:p3
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2018C00160
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 2008 (pt 3/19)
Character Range: 7912–10746

they affect biodiversity. Goats can be managed for productive purposes on private and leasehold lands in a total grazing pressure context, while still maintaining biodiversity values (Pearce et al. 1998). The focus of this plan is to abate the impacts of goats where they are not actively managed, while allowing for the responsible farming of goats. The plan therefore refers mainly to the impacts of 'unmanaged goats.'

Under this plan, 'unmanaged goats' are goats that are free-living and not subject to livestock husbandry but may be 'owned' in the sense that access for harvesting or control is determined by the owner or occupier of the land. This is in contrast to 'managed' goats, which are those held under some combination of animal husbandry (owned, identified, restrained, managed for population structure and density, and receive welfare). Some goats may have one or more of the characteristics of managed goats, but in all other respects can be indistinguishable from unmanaged animals with no husbandry (after Forsyth and Parkes 2004, who explains the distinction but uses the terms feral and domestic goats).

Unmanaged goats can be a serious pest because of their ability to severely affect native flora and fauna. They are recognised internationally as a serious pest, appearing in the World Conservation Union's list of the 100 worst invasive species (Lowe et al. 2000). Competition and land degradation by feral goats is listed as a key threatening process under the EPBC Act. Unmanaged goats are a threat to a number of native species (see Appendix A), although impacts from goat competition and land degradation are not restricted to these species.

This TAP has been put into place as a feasible, effective and efficient way to abate the threat of competition and land degradation by unmanaged goats.

1.2.2 The impacts

Characteristics of goats that help to explain their invasiveness and impacts are their diet and fecundity. As generalist herbivores, they can colonise a wide range of habitats. With two breeding seasons a year, and twins and triplets common, goat populations can increase by up to 50 per cent a year under favourable conditions (Mahood 1985, Maas and Choquenot 1995, Parkes et al. 1996, Fleming 2004).

Similarly to other grazing animals, unmanaged goats can affect native flora and fauna by grazing on native vegetation, thereby preventing regeneration (Harrington 1979, Harrington 1986, Greene et al. 1998); by overgrazing, which causes soil erosion (Bayne et al. 2004); by competing for food and shelter; by introducing weeds through seeds carried in their dung; and by fouling waterholes.

1.2.3 Managing the threat

Control of unmanaged goats relies on a range of approaches. The main techniques suitable for broadscale control are mustering (mainly suitable in areas of flat terrain),