General News
3 March, 2026
Major boost for local tourism
LOCAL tourism has just been given a major boost, with three businesses receiving nearly $700,000 in State Government funding to upgrade and expand their existing services.
The first round of the $20 million Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RITF) was delivered last week with $2 million allocated between eight tourism experiences in Far North Queensland; the majority in the Mareeba and Cairns region.
Local operation Skybury Farms received $300,000 to build an on-site craft distillery that combines coffee and spirits and expand its cafe and roastery. The new site would include a tapas bar, a tasting area, an expanded dining space, multipurpose rooms, and accessibility upgrades.
Mareeba’s Aviation Museum also received $300,000. The organisation plans to deliver an Aviation Museum Visitor Centre with an open-air structure – where aircraft and other relics will be displayed outdoors or in open-sided hangars – akin to the Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach.
Meanwhile, Kuranda Transfers welcomed $88,154 to develop a multi-day birding expedition focused on the 13 species endemic to the Wet Tropics area.
Skybury Farms general manager Candy MacLaughlin said the business was thrilled to be one of the successful grant applicants.
“We’re delighted. I think having the opportunity to expand our operation is really what’s driving that – we’ve been wanting to do it for a while,” she said.
“It really comes down to being able to cater for tour groups or larger conferences, and at the moment, our facility doesn’t have a room that we can dedicate to bigger groups.”
The grant money will be used to turn the now single-storey cafe and roastery into a three-story multipurpose attraction with an elevator.
“At the moment, our upstairs area is only accessible by stairs, so we can’t (currently) cater for a broader demographic,” Ms MacLaughlin said.
“The larger portion of the grant will go towards a lift. That will allow (everyone) to access the top floor, our current floor, and then the underneath floor, where we’ll put in a multipurpose facility, whether that be an art gallery or a conference facility. Then the other component is putting in a distillery.”
FNQ Aviation Museum president Brendan Kent said the group was very pleased with the result, with the grant enabling them to carry out stage three of their planned developments.
“It’s a great boost for us to expand our facilities at the Mareeba Airport,” he said.
“This has been almost eight years in the making, getting to this point. This will now help us to complete stage three building works.”
Mr Kent said the money will be put towards restoring an old World War II era igloo, which will later be developed into a fully enclosed building.
“This will help us to provide a much better facility and displays for our visitors to the region,” he said.
“It’ll make a big difference to our volunteers, and will also provide benefits for local businesses – because it’s going to require people to assist with the projects.”
He said the works would take about 12 months to complete, and anyone with trade experience or general handyman skills who would want to put their hand up to volunteer can do so by contacting him on 0422 379 984.
Kuranda Transfers owner and operator David Lyons said the funding was a really positive step for his business.
“It allows us to launch a dedicated premium birding tour focused on the 13 bird species found exclusively in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area,” he said.
“Over the past two years, we’ve built up solid experience – carrying more than 500 passengers. This support gives us the confidence to take the next step and showcase Tropical North Queensland to serious birders from Australia and overseas.
“Along with access to our incredible national parks, we’re keen to work with quality accommodation providers and local landholders who have endemic species habitat and want to be part of something special.
“The goal is simple: attract visitors who stay longer, support local businesses, and genuinely appreciate what this region has to offer.”
Other nearby beneficiaries of the funding included Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures (Wangetti) – $300,000 to triple the capacity of the Big Croc Feeds experience; Mandingalbay Authentic Indigenous Tours (Cairns) – $270,600 to create an eco-cultural tourism precinct including storytelling, guided tours, and eco-activities; and Exemplar Coaches and Limousines (Port Douglas) – $160,000 to introduce an accessible transfer service for Port Douglas, Palm Cove, and Cairns.
