Feral goats arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in 1788. During the 19th century, sailors released goats onto islands and some areas of the mainland for emergency food. More recently, goats have been used to keep plantation forests and inland pastoral land free of weeds. Feral herds developed as these domestic goats escaped, were abandoned, or were deliberately released. Feral goats now occur across nearly 30 per cent of Australia. They can be found in all states and territories and on some offshore islands but are most common in the rocky or hilly semi-arid areas of western New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, and Queensland.

Directly responsible for the reduction of native vegetation cover, feral goats increase the impact of land degradation through erosion and prevent the regeneration of fragile ecosystems. They spread weeds, foul watering points, spread disease to other domestic stock (foot-and-mouth disease), and outcompete native herbivores such as the Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby. In addition, the removal of necessary cover for the survival of other small native vertebrate species, leaves them more susceptible to other predators. Depending on the landowner/managers requirements, the AVert team are able to employ mustering, trapping or aerial and ground based shooting eradication programs to suit any sized property.