Horticulturalist Colin Arnold has heard all the corny jokes about weed-eating goats before. In fact, he is reluctant to talk to the media, because he says his goats are treated like a novelty, writes JewelTopsfield
Horticulturalist Colin Arnold has heard all the corny jokes about weed-eating goats before. In fact, he is reluctant to talk to the media, because he says his goats are treated like a novelty.
Mr Arnold’s herd of goats clear people’s backyards. But goats have also been deployed by councils and government authorities, including Knox, Whitehorse, Yarra Ranges, Maroondah, Metro Trains, Melbourne Water and EastLink, particularly on inaccessible, or sensitive sites, such as waterways. “The goats were considered an appropriate method of weed control as they will constantly chew on the weeds to the point they either die completely or weaken to the point that the native vegetation can grow back.”
He shows us a nearby site, which still has native grasses, despite the fact Mr Arnold says it has been managed by goats for eight years. It also found the goats did not kill blackberries and honeysuckle, something Mr Arnold disputes, and targeted both exotic and native species indiscriminately.
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