Goats in reserve

Press, 19 August 1985, Page 20

Goats in reserve

Sir,—When I was at Barrett Park, Redcliffs, on Saturday, I was amazed to see a herd of goats roaming in the area behind the playing fields. It seems ludicrous that goats should be running in an area where the Christchurch City Council had hoped to preserve the native bush. Also it is obvious that they are not fenced in adequately and are free to roam beyond the park. As the gardens of adjacent Monck’s Spur Road could be devastated overnight, could the Town Clerk please explain what compensation one could expect from the City Council? — Yours, etc, GRAHAM BURGESS. August 12, 1985. [The General Manager and Town Clerk, Mr J. H. Gray, replies: “The goats are a small herd belonging to a property owner adjoining the park and have been allowed to graze in the park until the boundary fence, which at present is not stock-proof, is replaced. The goats are serving a useful function by grazing on gorse, broom and other weeds which are a problem in the park. There are also some New Zealand native plants in the park, mainly in the upper reaches, and it is acknowledged that should the goats remain for any length of time then these native plantings would be at risk. However the goats are to be removed from the park once the new boundary fence is erected. The line of the new fence is being cleared and it will be erected at the earliest possible date. Protection of other properties from the goats is the responsibility of their owner and he advises that he has fenced those properties that are at risk.”]