Goats the focus of aerial control

In late November, an aerial control program around Quorn and the Southern Flinders areas of the SA Arid Lands (SAAL) removed 375 goats from areas of the ranges where conventional mustering is difficult.

Coordinated with the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board, the control program was funded by SAAL.

It followed requests for help from landholders who adjoin government reserves where aerial control programs had previously taken place.

While this was taking place, a separate aerial mustering program was offered in areas of the northern Flinders Ranges, assisting the landholder-led removal of more than 500 goats.

With an average dry goat eating the equivalent of 0.9kg dry stock equivalent (DSE) daily, the combined grazing pressure of the roughly 875 goats removed equates to 787kg of dry vegetation matter being left in the environment each day.

These operations took place at the same time as a larger Southern Flinders aerial control programs funded by Northern and Yorke Landscape Board and the Department for Environment and Water. As a result, the impact on the landscape is considerably greater. It is an example of how working together achieves more in supporting landholders in landscape scale management and recognises the movement of feral animals across the landscape.

Undersized Goats

The board continues to assist landholders in the removal and processing of undersized and unsuitable to load goats that are mustered by conventional methods. As part of the Sustainable Use of Undersize Goats program, the board will support landholders by removing the additional goats.  Supporting a reduced waste and circular economy approach, these animals are euthanised and provided toMonarto Safari Park to feed the big cats and other carnivores, processed and used for fertiliser, or used for dog and fox baiting

Additional resources to assist landholders with supported aerial goat mustering will be announced early in 2026.  This will be an expression of interest process open to properties who will work with their neighbors to conduct feral goat mustering across multiple adjoining properties to achieve landscape scale impact. Ideally, mustering goats for market sees outcomes that reduce environmental impact and degradation, support industry and economic outcomes and reduce wastage of a valued protein.

This aerial control program was supported through the board’s Resilient Rangelands and Aerial Goat mustering projects, These, and the Sustainable Use of Undersized Goats to Protect Native Habitat and Pasture Project are funded through the State Government’s Landscape Priorities Fund.