Goats in Bourke Shire: pest or prosperity?

Wild goats can be seen the length of the Sydney road between Bourke and Byrock. Photo TWH

Anyone who has driven the Bourke to Byrock stretch of the Mitchell Highway would know that goats can be seen almost end to end of the 70 kilometre stretch – and beyond. Like the weather, the goat numbers are a talking point in communities across the western region. Many are asking if the number of feral goats have surged, but processors and industry representatives say the story is far more complex, and goats remain both an economic lifeline and a management challenge for western NSW.

The scale of the goat industry is staggering – in the Bourke Shire alone, between 200,000 and 300,000 goats were processed from 2023-24 – the most of any district in New South Wales.

At the Bourke abattoir, demand for goats is as strong as ever. Edward Johnson of Thomas Foods International which owns and operates the Bourke abattoir, said the facility is currently processing up to 4,200 goats a day. Despite suggestions prices had fallen, Johnson insisted the opposite is true.

“We’re on $6.80 a kilo, and that’s the most we’ve paid since we’ve been open,” he said. “It’s actually been a struggle for the last two months to get 4,200 goats a day.”

While locals have reported mobs along roadsides, Mr Johnson suggested that doesn’t always reflect numbers in the scrub. […]

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