An agreement between Gympie Regional Council to transfer control of the heritage Mary Valley Rattler rail operation to the Rattler Railway Company will see a new era for the Gympie tourism icon.
Under the agreement, Council has excused the Rattler from repaying an original loan in recognition of the exceptionally difficult trading conditions over the past three years caused by bushfires, Covid, closed borders and floods.
The cancellation of the loan repayment is subject to State Government approval.
Council has also agreed to provide funding support over the next four years as the Rattler rebuilds its tourism markets.
The new arrangement was announced by Gympie Regional Council Mayor, Glen Hartwig, and Mary Valley Rattler general manager, Linda Barry.
Linda Barry thanked the Council for agreeing to the new arrangement, saying the measures agreed would enable the Rattler to establish itself as a sustainable business that would provide the Gympie community with a significant tourism asset.
“As the Gympie region’s most well-known tourism asset that helps drive visitors to experience the wider Gympie/Mary Valley region, Council’s support for the Rattler is, in fact, an investment in economic development for the region,” Ms Barry said.
“The support we receive from Council has to be seen in the context of a totally disrupted business environment over the previous three years that could never have been anticipated in the original forecasting.
“We had bushfires, Covid, then floods, and even today, there is barely 30 per cent of international holiday travellers coming to Queensland compared to 2019.
“These sets of circumstances are exceptional. We have been working closely with Council to put together a sustainable plan to ensure the continued operation of the Rattler, because it benefits so many other operators in the Gympie region.
“The heritage of the Mary Valley Rattler is important to the community, and as a volunteer-driven organisation, we believe there is good reason to continue the support for the Rattler as it returns to more normal trading conditions in the next few years.”
To celebrate the new future of the Rattler, Gympie regional residents can enjoy 50 per cent off tickets for the Classic Rattler Run on the Wednesday and Saturday services. The special offer is valid for services until 30 November and can be booked on maryvalleyrattler.com.au using the promotional code LOCAL2022 on checkout. Excludes upgrades, food and extras.
