General News
3 July, 2025
Petition to help Savannahlander
PRESSURE is mounting for the state government to fund damaged bridges and worn rail lines that service the historic Savannahlander rail trip.
KAP state members for Hill and Traeger, Shane Knuth and Robbie Katter, have launched a petition calling on the Queensland Government to “urgently approve funding for critical repairs”.
“If the government can throw billions at infrastructure in Brisbane, including the Olympics, they can find the small amount of funds needed to fix this light tourist rail that means so much to the north,” a disappointed Mr Knuth said last week, following the release of the state Budget.
Mr Knuth has been campaigning for action since April, when news of the closed rail lines was reported in The Express.
The Savannahlander, which runs from Cairns to Forsayth, is one of Australia’s most treasured historical rail journeys, drawing thousands of visitors each year and injecting vital tourism dollars into Far North Queensland communities.
However, damage to bridges between Einasleigh and Forsayth, and Kuranda and Mareeba, has meant the train can no longer operate the full journey.
Mr Knuth warned that without swift government intervention, the service, the jobs and the tourism it supports could be lost entirely.
“The Savannahlander is more than a train, it’s part of our identity in the Far North. It supports local businesses, puts money in the tills of small towns, and showcases the unique beauty of our region to the world,” he said.
“It is unacceptable that such an iconic tourism experience is being left to decay because of state government inaction. This is basic infrastructure that must be funded – and fast.
“I know how QR works. The cost of repairs and ongoing maintenance will be ballooned out so the excuse can be used that it’s too costly to fix.”
Mr Knuth said he had worked on the state rail lines for 20 years and knew what was needed.
“This isn’t a train carting millions of tons of ore per year and the cost to fix it is nothing near the numbers I have heard being proposed,” he said.
Mr Katter said the petition gave regional Queenslanders a voice and a platform to demand real action from Brisbane.
“We’ve heard excuse after excuse, but the time for talk is over,” he said.
“Don’t let the government fool you into thinking this is a half-billion-dollar fix – it’s a light rail system, not a heavy ore line.”
The petition is online and can be found at: https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Work-of-the-Assembly/Petitions/Petition-Details?id=4266
