Bill Shaw said he saw two goats coming up their steps and others chewing on their banks, then, when shooing them back across the road, realised the whole herd was heading their way.
The retiree and his wife, Kay, have lived for about 30 years on Glasgow St, opposite a development site fronting Thompson St below the council’s Lakeview site.
They’ve had to shoo away goats three times recently, and say they would be nervous about going away for a week.
"Kay’s spent a fair bit of money on this garden," Mr Shaw said.
"It would be cleaned up in no time."
The couple wrote to the council asking it "to have these animals extricated as they do so much damage", and also sent a video showing the 20-plus feral goats.
In reply, a council staff member noted there was fencing planned for the Lakeview area that would help slow the goats’ migration and give some protection to the plantings there.
However, the Shaws were told the council could only control feral goats on their own reserves — the council each winter advise they are carrying out goal control in areas such as the top of Fernhill, Gorge Rd’s Matakauri wetland and Boydtown above Huff and Fryer Sts.
The staff member noted any wider control programme would have to be led by Otago Regional Council (ORC).
Outgoing ORC councillor Alexa Forbes said to eliminate feral goats they needed to be deemed a pest in a site-specific area.
"I think steps people could take are to contact council and new councillors and try and get Queenstown included in a site-specific plan."
