OTAGO DAILY TIMES / OTAGO IMAGESThe third scheduled round of aerial pest control, targeting feral goats in the Cromwell Gorge, will no longer go ahead this weekend. Photo: Stephen Jaquiery The third of three scheduled closures of State Highway 8 to cull wild goats between Cromwell and Clyde will not go ahead this weekend. An NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) spokesman said the busy state highway closed for an hour on each of the past two Sunday mornings, so that aerial pest control targeting feral goats could be safely carried out. The aerial work was followed up on the ground and the carcasses had been disposed of. For safety reasons, public campsites and rest areas in the Cromwell Gorge were also closed before the control work started, and reopened when it finished. However, the third and final closure, scheduled for 8am-9am this Sunday, was no longer necessary because about 560 goats had been culled during the previous two. The pest control work from a helicopter covered 23km of the state highway, and had achieved the desired result on the steep slopes near the highway. “Because of the effectiveness of these operations, the planned hour-long closure of SH8/Cromwell-Clyde Rd at 8am this Sunday will not proceed.” The operations targeted a feral goat population that had been increasing in number and posed a safety risk to drivers if they wandered on to, or near, the highway. As well as creating a higher risk of crashes, the goats damaged vegetation and contributed to erosion on the hillsides above the highway, which could increase rockfall risk, he said. Ground control work would be ongoing throughout winter, and people might still see some aerial control activity happening in the wider area over the next month. However, it would be at a safe distance from the highway and would not affect road users, he said. “NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi thanks people for their patience and understanding over the last two weekends while this important work has been done to keep road users safe.” john.lewis@odt.co.nz
