Construction is planned to begin in mid-2026 on a new RV and caravan park near Historic Gympie Station in Tozer Street, Queensland, following the award of a $200,000 state government grant to the operators of the Mary Valley Rattler heritage railway.
The project, known as the Gympie RV Park, is expected to be completed by early 2027 and will provide eight powered, self-contained RV and caravan bays equipped with water, lighting, and security infrastructure.
The park is designed to offer travelers the opportunity to stay onsite while exploring Gympie’s historic station and city center, supporting extended tourism experiences in the area. According to estimates, the facility could generate approximately $200,000 in annual expenditure for the Gympie region.
Mary Valley Rattler general manager Sherry Lowe emphasized the importance of the park for the town’s tourism economy, particularly after the opening of a town bypass in 2024.
“We need to provide every incentive possible to attract visitors off the highway and into Gympie, and the establishment of a quality RV Park in the middle of Gympie’s heritage area will be an enormous boost to the local tourism economy,” she told Sunshine Coast News.
Lowe also highlighted alignment with the Queensland Government’s Destination 2045 strategy, which focuses on enhancing tourism infrastructure to support regional dispersal and accessibility.
The project has been developed in response to findings from the Gympie RV Strategy (2022) and the Gympie Regional Council Tourism Strategy (2019–2024), which identified the need for improved RV infrastructure near key attractions such as the Mary Valley Rattler.
In addition to providing new overnight accommodation options, the park is expected to help increase visitor engagement with local businesses and cultural sites, creating sustained economic benefits for the community.
For outdoor hospitality professionals and RV park operators, the Gympie RV Park highlights the potential for strategically located, small-scale facilities to enhance regional tourism flow, generate local expenditure, and leverage proximity to existing attractions to maximize return on investment.
Integrating RV infrastructure with heritage and cultural assets can be an effective approach for towns seeking to revitalize their tourism sectors while supporting drive-market growth.