{"id":158689,"date":"2024-12-17T06:30:50","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T20:30:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=158689"},"modified":"2024-12-17T06:30:51","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T20:30:51","slug":"support-for-rail-trail-extension-in-queenslands-scenic-mary-valley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=158689","title":{"rendered":"Support for rail trail extension in Queensland’s scenic Mary Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The romance of rail is finding new relevance on tracks long abandoned by trains, putting country towns on the map as popular holiday destinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Used by walkers, cyclists, and horse riders, Australia’s 100 active rail trails attract hundreds of thousands of people every year, injecting money and life into regional communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Imbil to Brooloo track is already popular with recreational cyclists.(ABC Rural: Jennifer Nichols)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now the nation’s rail trail enthusiasts are one step closer to an exciting new nature experience in the Mary Valley, around a two-hour drive north of Brisbane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A leafy 4.7-kilometre track already connects Brooloo to the bustling community of Imbil, travelling through a bellbird colony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A bellbird colony makes its home along the Mary Valley rail trail. (ABC Rural: Jennifer Nichols)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Detailed design work will begin in February on a $19 million plan to extend the Mary Valley Rail Trail to 22 kilometres over historic bridges, through country towns, and rolling hills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A resounding 92 per cent of 548 survey respondents supported extending the trail through Kandanga to Amamoor where it would meet up with the Mary Valley Rattler steam train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This is definitely, unequivocally wanted by the community,” Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We can’t wait for the detailed design, and hopefully some funding to roll some things out and move it forward.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The rustic old rail bridge across the creek at Kandanga.(ABC Rural: Jennifer Nichols)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Queensland Hydro, the state-owned company driving the ambitious Borumba pumped hydro-electricity proposal, could be a major source of funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We’re working with them on legacy projects, and the rail trail is one of them,” Cr Hartwig said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pending funding, the feasibility study estimated the rail trail extension to Amamoor could be completed by June 2028 and attract 46,000 users each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A committed group of volunteers couldn’t be more excited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mary Valley Rail Trail Association volunteers are hoping for funding to make the plan a reality.(ABC Rural: Jennifer Nichols)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“People could put their bikes on the train at [Brisbane’s] Roma Street, travel to Gympie, ride down to the Rattler, and catch the train out to Amamoor,” Mary Valley Rail Trail (MVRT) association volunteer Graeme Staley said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“They could spend a couple of days in the valley, riding around, staying at B&Bs or hotels, and then go back on the train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“And that opens up a dimension that a lot of rail trails don’t have \u2014 we still have a steam train.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A historic railway<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Powered by volunteers, The Mary Valley Rattler runs pet-friendly steam and heritage diesel passenger trains four days a week between Gympie and Amamoor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Work commenced on the Mary Valley branch from Gympie in June 1911 and reached Brooloo in 1915.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It led to the establishment of Kandanga in 1912, Imbil and Amamoor in 1914, and Dagun in 1917.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trains carried people and agricultural products including cream, pineapples, timber, and livestock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since rail travel to Brooloo ended in the early 1990s, a 16km stretch of track has become overgrown and abandoned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proposal would conserve heritage assets including bridges, the Melawondi tunnel containing glow worms, timber train stations, and cream sheds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Facilities including car parks and amenities would need to be built.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Around 500 people use the existing 4.7km section of rail trail each week.(ABC Rural: Jennifer Nichols)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rail trail tourism<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are rail trails in every state and territory in Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At 161km, the Brisbane Valley trail in south-east Queensland is the longest one, linking Ipswich to Yarraman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since it opened in March 2023, the Northern Rivers Rail Trail in New South Wales<\/a> has exceeded expectations, attracting 197,117 trail users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The old rail bridge at Kandanga has survived repeated flooding.(ABC Rural: Jennifer Nichols)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“They’re a fantastic asset for the local people, anecdotally the biggest users are the local people,” Rail Trails Australia president Damian McCrohan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“In a lot of regional towns, there are not many places where you can ride safely off-road.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Mary Valley Rail Trail ends at Brooloo.(ABC Rural: Jennifer Nichols)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He welcomed the support for the Mary Valley Rail Trail extension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It’s terrific, it’s just such a beautiful spot and it ticks all the boxes, you’ve got great little towns that will be linked up by the rail trail,” Mr McCrohan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“People plan their holidays around rail trails; on the longer rail trails they base themselves in an area and ride for three and four days and get transported back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Even international visitors come over to ride the trails.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mary Valley Rail Trail association president Craig Thomson.(ABC Rural: Jennifer Nichols)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Connecting communities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

MVRT association president Craig Thomson said the proposal had enormous potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It’s a great nature-based place to do physical exercise, socialise, immerse yourself in nature essentially, and create a healthy community,” Mr Thomson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“And the second part of the benefit is really an economic one. We’d see that through an increase in cycle tourism, adventure tourism, ecotourism.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jo Lockwood says the extended rail trail would connect communities.(ABC News: Jennifer Nichols)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Volunteers including Jo Lockwood are thrilled at the prospect of an extension and have already put in 3,500 plants for shade and wildlife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I can’t explain how excited I’d be, I think it’s a great opportunity to have a walking trail but also a wildlife corridor right through to Amamoor. It would be fantastic,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“They call cyclists ‘wallets on wheels’ in the Brisbane Valley and it’s brought such prosperity to those small towns.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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