Queensland Rail has expanded its workforce, recruiting 15 four-legged workers to help manage overgrown vegetation near Tully railway station.
A herd of hungry goats have been deployed to gnaw away at the tall grass and weeds near the far North Queensland station.
Queensland Rail head of regional Scott Cornish said he was excited to welcome the new recruits for a trial to remove the toughest of weeds from the regional network.
"Goats are a safe and environmentally friendly way to clear overgrown vegetation without the use of heavy machinery or herbicides," Mr Cornish said.
"In addition to their extensive chomping experience, they are able to manoeuvre around the most hard-to-reach places, climbing steep and rocky terrain with ease - spots that our heavy machinery simply can't access.
"A one-acre area near Tully station was identified as the perfect spot for the trial and we expect the goats to not only keep weeds away, but also make the seeds of the invasive weeds non-viable.
"This will help reduce future vegetation management costs by allowing local native rainforest trees and shrub seeds to germinate and gradually re-vegetate the whole one-acre area."
The move to bring goats onto Queensland Rail's roster was inspired by Melbourne's Metro Trains, who first brought goats onboard in 2019.
"Queensland Rail has enlisted local business, NQ Vegetation Management (NORVEG) to get the trial underway," Mr Cornish said.
"To ensure the goats safety, CCTV and fencing has been installed to create a secure goat enclosure, well away from the rail corridor.
"This protects them from both predators and from escaping and wandering into any rail or nearby road traffic."
The herd have already started reaping the job perks which include free food, water, accommodation, and a dedicated carer included in their eight-week contract with a possibility of extension.
