Council wins prestigious Outdoors Queensland Award

Last weekend, Gympie Regional Council was formally recognised for its contribution to outdoor spaces with the Mary Valley Rail Trail winning the QORF Government Achievement Award.

The award, which is one of a variety of awards offered by the Queensland Outdoor Recreation Federation (QORF) to recognise contributions to the outdoors sector, was accepted by Councillor Mal Gear and Council’s Executive Director for Planning and Development, Gina Vereker, at an awards dinner held in Brisbane on Friday evening.

Councillor Gear said that the Mary Valley Rail Trail has been one of the region’s most successful recent major projects.

“There is a strong grass-roots community advocating and supporting rail trails and the outdoor opportunities they bring, particularly in our region,” he said.

“The Mary Valley Rail Trail has been one that the community has fully embraced because, at 4.7km long, it is the perfect distance for people of all ages and fitness levels.”

The trail, which officially opened in July, was the result of significant consultation in the area and ensured that the disused rail corridor connecting the townships of Imbil and Brooloo was repurposed into a valuable recreational facility for locals and visitors alike. 

Cr Gear said that the trail, which is through a very scenic part of the region and is a drawcard for locals and visitors alike, is having flow-on effects for the townships of Imbil and Brooloo.

“I’m so proud of our achievement in this space, with many areas of Council being actively involved including the planning and development team through to our infrastructure services directorate.” 

This project was delivered by Gympie Regional Council, with the majority of the works being completed by Council’s own staff. It was fully funded by the State Government’s Works for Queensland funding program.

Photo: Gympie Regional Council Darren Cunningham, Marcus Matthews, Councillor Mal Gear and Jacob Grimish.