The Gympie region’s premier tourist operation, the heritage Mary Valley Rattler steam train, today marks independence from Gympie Regional Council, with parties from both organisations signing divestment paperwork.
The Rattler Railway Company, operators of the heritage railway experience, the Mary Valley Rattler, will continue operations free of Council oversight.
The deal has been marked by Gympie region Mayor, Glen Hartwig as “mutually beneficial,” and has been welcomed unanimously by the Rattler Railway Company Board.
“I am excited to announce that today, the Rattler is now free of the confines of Council, and free to take charge of their own future,” said Mayor Hartwig.
“This is a win for not only the ratepayer, Council the organisation but the Rattler.
“This deal takes the burden off the ratepayer while giving this vital tourism attraction autonomy. “It’s a win, win,”
“As a not-for-profit business, the Rattler can source its own funding which stands to be more lucrative than any continued support Council can offer.
“It’s a win, win,” he said.
Chair of the Rattler Railway Company, Ian McNicol, thanked Mayor Hartwig and Gympie Regional Council for finalising the agreement and showing its support for the iconic tourism attraction.
“Clearly, recent years have been very challenging for the operation of the Mary Valley Rattler, and Gympie Regional Council’s support has been vital in ensuring we have been able to withstand the pressures of floods, pandemic and other external factors to continue operations,” said Mr McNicol.
“The agreement provides certainty not just for our employees and volunteers, but also for the tourism community in wider Gympie. With the Gympie bypass coming into operation next year, we will need to proactively entice travellers to divert from the highway and come into Gympie – and the Mary Valley Rattler will be instrumental in supporting businesses in the city and across the Mary Valley.
“Our goal is to take a leadership role in driving tourism to Gympie, and we look forward to continuing working with Council, the State Government, the Regional Tourism Organisation and local tourism operators to ensure Gympie retains a strong place on Queensland’s tourism map.”
Mary Valley Rattler General Manager, Linda Barry, said the new agreement came at a time of very positive indicators for the heritage train attraction.
“We have rebuilt our customer base to over 2,500 passengers per month, which is ahead of pre-Covid levels,” said Ms Barry.
“We have introduced new services, reviewed and upgraded existing services, and achieved high levels of customer satisfaction, so we are certainly on the right track for a sustainable future.
“The passion shown for the Rattler by our incredible volunteers, staff and across the Gympie community makes today’s agreement with Gympie Regional Council a truly historic one.”
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