March 30, 2026
Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington has urged people to have their say about proposed e-bike legislation after local rail trail users expressed concerns.
In a post on Facebook, Brisbane Valley Rail Trail Users Association president Paul Heymans said the new laws would hurt tourism, and regional communities would pay the price.
“The Queensland Government’s new e‑bike legislation was written for crowded city footpaths, not for a 161km regional tourism asset like the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail,” Mr Heymans said.
“And unless these rules are fixed, the impact on BVRT tourism will be severe.”
Paul said 50 per cent of the traffic on the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail was people riding e-bikes.
He said applying a 10 km/h speed limit designed for suburban footpaths to a long-distance rail was “absurd”.
It would slow multi‑day tourism to a crawl, discourage interstate and international visitors, make guided tours and group rides unviable and reduce the appeal of the BVRT for recreational riders.
“No one travels to regional Queensland to ride at walking pace,” Mr Heymans said.
A requirement to have a Class C learner’s licence would kill tourism by shutting out overseas and interstate tourists, older riders and people with mobility needs, he said.
And banning Under 16s would crush family tourism.
“Families are the lifeblood of BVRT tourism,” Mr Heymans said.
“A blanket ban on under‑16s riding e‑bikes means fewer family holidays, fewer overnight stays and less spending in the small towns that depend on trail visitors.”
Mr Heymans is not the only voice which has been raised against the legislation.
Bicycle Queensland has urged residents to take action by writing to their local State MP or Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg.
And the South Burnett Rail Trail Users Association has been amplifying the concerns expressed by Bicycle Queensland: “The rule changes around speed limits on shared paths and licensing have the potential to seriously curtail e-bike usage on rail trails, affecting business across the cycling community.”
Mrs Frecklington said it was “important that community concerns were properly heard and considered”.
“The Parliamentary Committee examining the Bill is now inviting submissions from anyone who wishes to comment on any aspect of the proposed laws,” she said.
“Lodging a submission ensures those views are formally included as part of the committee’s review and assessment.”
The closing date for written submissions is 10:00am on Friday, April 10.
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