Weed feed: Goats gnaw their way through eastern Melbourne

On a narrow, fenced-off strip of H.E. Parker Reserve in Heathmont, a trio of hairy four-legged robovacs - otherwise known as goats - are busy feasting on the invasive weeds and overgrowth.

They are part of Chirnside Park horticulturalist Colin Arnold’s crew of 170 goats, available for hire at a scrappy piece of land near you. 

🌿 Growing passions: Arnold’s love of plants started about 40 years ago and he developed non-chemical methods to produce plants at a local nursery.

• “While we grew plants to supply to the industry without using any herbicides or insecticides, where they were planted was treated with herbicide,” Arnold told the Eastern Melburnian.

• About 20 years ago, he came up with the idea of using goats to eat the weeds and the company GrazeAway was born.

The goats are in the northern section of H.E. Parker Reserve on the verge between Heathmont Rail Trail and Heathmont Road.

🐐 Hungry work: Metro Trains contracted GrazeAway to control the Heathmont site about six years ago, with some 20 goats put to work to remove ivy and blackberry weeds.

• A herd of three to five goats return regularly for a work period ranging from a month to four months to clear out weeds and overgrowth.

🗓️ A day in the life: Arnold said while some of the goats were kept across local farming properties, the majority of them were out working on local reserves, freeway verges or backyards, or being ferried between sites on a specially designed trailer that can fit up to 12 goats.

• 🗣️ “For a goat, it's a great life,” said Arnold.

✂️ Cutting back: Arnold said goatscaping had become an effective way to remove invasive weeds and bolster local biodiversity.

• 🗣️ “We are drowning in weeds,” said Arnold. “The authorities do an excellent job creating wildlife corridors, but we don't maintain them very well.