Notification of goat control operation

Queenstown Lakes District Council and the Department of Conservation will be carrying out a joint goat control operation in the Ben Lomond Reserve between 26 – 29 March, with a wet weather back-up of the following week.

Wild Goats have been an ongoing cause of nuisance around the Queenstown area. The goats are a hazard to traffic, have been causing damage to private property and generally causing problems for our residents and visitors.

All public walking tracks in the designated area will be closed with signage and personnel in place to notify users. This operation will be carried out by professional marksmen using a helicopter and safety of both contractors and the public is paramount. While Council appreciates offers of assistance from the public, we are unable to consider anyone except for trained professional cullers.

The operation will take one day, beginning at first light and finish around 5.00pm. However the exact date will be weather dependent. Notifications about the exact time of the operation will be posted on the QLDC Facebook page.

The following tracks will be closed during the operation:

· Ben Lomond Track

· Fern Hill Loop

· Salmon Run

· Beeched As

ENDS:

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