{"id":370809,"date":"2026-03-30T17:37:22","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T07:37:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=370809"},"modified":"2026-03-31T17:54:55","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T07:54:55","slug":"trail-users-alarmed-by-planned-laws","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2026\/03\/30\/trail-users-alarmed-by-planned-laws\/","title":{"rendered":"Trail Users Alarmed By Planned Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"
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FLASHBACK: Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington celebrating the fifth anniversary of the completion of the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail in 2023 (Photo: Nanango Electorate Office)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

March 30,\u00a0 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington has urged people to have their say about proposed e-bike legislation after local rail trail users expressed concerns.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

“The Queensland Government\u2019s new e\u2011bike legislation was written for crowded city footpaths, not for a 161km regional tourism asset like the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail,” Mr Heymans said.<\/p>\n

“And unless these rules are fixed, the impact on BVRT tourism will be severe.”<\/p>\n

Paul said 50 per cent of the traffic on the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail was people riding e-bikes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He said applying a 10 km\/h speed limit designed for suburban footpaths to a long-distance rail was “absurd”.<\/p>\n

It would slow multi\u2011day 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.<\/p>\n

“No one travels to regional Queensland to ride at walking pace,” Mr Heymans said.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

And banning Under 16s would crush family tourism.<\/p>\n

“Families are the lifeblood of BVRT tourism,” Mr Heymans said.<\/p>\n

“A blanket ban on under\u201116s riding e\u2011bikes means fewer family holidays, fewer overnight stays and less spending in the small towns that depend on trail visitors.”<\/p>\n

Mr Heymans is not the only voice which has been raised against the legislation.<\/p>\n

Bicycle Queensland has urged residents to take action by writing to their local State MP or Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And the South Burnett Rail Trail Users Association has been amplifying the concerns expressed by Bicycle Queensland:\u00a0 “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.”<\/p>\n

Mrs Frecklington said it was “important that community concerns were properly heard and considered”.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“Lodging a submission ensures those views are formally included as part of the committee’s review and assessment.”<\/p>\n

The closing date for written submissions is\u00a010:00am on Friday, April 10.<\/strong><\/p>\n

External links:<\/strong><\/p>\n