16 Sep HERITAGE-LISTED RAIL UNDER FIRE FROM VANDALS, GOVT: KATTER

The plight of a heritage-listed railway that supports small Etheridge townships has deepened after vandals smashed an iconic train’s disability accessible car, just weeks after the Member for Traeger called for urgent works to reopen track left unrepaired by the Government.

Late last month, the disability car of the Savannahlander outback train was vandalised with rocks and forced out of operation, cancelling trips of passengers with accessibility needs.

“This senseless destruction is just gutting and I feel for not only the operators but the passengers who’d booked trips to see North Queensland’s beautiful landscapes of the Atherton Tablelands, Gulf Savannah region and a chance to tour the Chillagoe Caves and Cobbold Gorge,” Katter’s Australian Party Leader and Traeger MP Mr Katter said.

Only two weeks prior to the incident, Mr Katter wrote to the Transport Minister calling for immediate track repairs after the Savannahlander was forced to cancel its route between Forsayth and Einasleigh, which he echoed further to the LNP.

Mr Katter called upon both Labor and the LNP to commit meaningfully to valuable tourism in rural and remote Queensland like the iconic Savannahlander service.

Operators had no choice but to cancel the Forsayth to Einasleigh leg due to a damaged track and bridge and collapsed culverts, cutting off the small outback communities and businesses from the economic benefits of the train’s visit.

“It is concerning that despite the importance of this railway line, sufficient funds and resources have not been allocated to address these infrastructural failures,” Mr Katter wrote.

“The prolonged inaction has left the track in an unsafe condition.

“The restoration of this track is not just a matter of infrastructure but a lifeline for the communities it serves.”

However, the Minister still refused to commit funds to urgently repair the track.

It’s understood the Etheridge line failed to receive necessary works when crews were diverted to areas closer to Cairns after Cyclone Jasper late last year.

Mr Katter’s office received concerns drawing parallels between the closure of the end of the Etheridge line and other far-end closures of Queensland lines over the past decade including Harlin to Yarraman, Thallon to Dirranbandi, and Stanthorpe to Wallangarra.

It included concerns that the lack of traffic on the Etheridge line could be used to justify a reduced or completely ceased maintenance program.

Mr Katter said he would continue calling for the immediate proritisation of works to protect the heritage-listed Etheridge line and the rural communities and businesses that relied upon the connectivity and economic opportunities of the route.

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