Active project record

Originally reported: 2022
Last reviewed: 21 July 2026
Current status: Investigative planning underway; no final investment decision

This page records the development of the proposed Paluma to Wallaman Falls Trail and its status when last reviewed. It is not maintained in real time. Significant later developments may be covered through Keep It Wild Australia’s Protected Areas Tourism Watch reports.

The original proposal

The Paluma to Wallaman Falls Trail was proposed as a long-distance walking and mountain-biking route connecting the Paluma area north of Townsville with Wallaman Falls in Girringun National Park.

The concept was brought forward by Traditional Owner groups and has been described by government as following ancient trading routes, language connections and songlines across the region. The proposed trail would pass through or near nationally significant rainforest, national park land and parts of the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area.

Early government descriptions referred to a route of more than 120 kilometres. The current Queensland Government overview describes the proposed trail as approximately 125 kilometres, suitable for both walking and mountain biking and linked to the traditional language and storylines of the Warrgamay and Gugu Badhun peoples. (Department of Transport and Main Roads)

The trail was initially promoted as a seven- or eight-day experience linking Paluma with Wallaman Falls, Australia’s highest permanent single-drop waterfall. Early concepts contemplated eco-accommodation at intervals along the route, with the original 2019 announcement referring to accommodation approximately every 16 kilometres. (Ministerial Media Statements)

Funding and business-case development

In 2019, the Australian and Queensland governments committed $450,000 to develop a strategic business case, undertake Traditional Owner engagement and investigate a possible trail alignment. The work formed part of a tourism recovery package following the North Queensland monsoon disaster. (Ministerial Media Statements)

The strategic business case was completed in 2022. The Queensland Government subsequently committed a further $2 million to progress early planning and investigate work associated with the proposed trail. Regional tourism bodies described that funding as supporting further assessment and early works on existing infrastructure rather than construction of the complete route. (Department of Transport and Main Roads)

The completed business case confirmed the trail concept as a potential tourism opportunity and recommended that it be developed in stages. However, completion of a business case does not amount to approval or a commitment to build the full trail.

Current status

The project remains in the investigative and planning stage.

A Queensland parliamentary response in March 2024 said the project was still at an early stage and that a range of investigative work would be required before an investment decision could be made. This included route design, cultural and environmental assessments, development of a business framework, stakeholder engagement and consideration of multiple approval pathways.

At that time, the government expected trail design work to be completed by the end of 2024. Cultural and environmental assessments were to follow or depend on the outcome of that design work. A steering committee and working group had been established involving Traditional Owners and relevant government agencies.

The most recent Queensland Government program page I located, updated in January 2025, continued to describe the business case as complete and said investigative work had started. It did not identify a final alignment, construction allocation, approval decision or delivery timetable. (Department of Transport and Main Roads)

No authoritative source located for this review confirmed that the full trail had entered construction by July 2026.

Proposed route and protected-area setting

The proposed route would connect Paluma with Wallaman Falls across a large and varied landscape in North Queensland.

Paluma Range National Park forms the southern gateway to the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area. At the northern end, Wallaman Falls lies within Girringun National Park, another protected component of the Wet Tropics landscape. (Parks and Forests)

The final corridor has not been publicly confirmed. Early concepts suggested that the route would combine existing roads, tracks and trails with new connections through national park, state forest, council and potentially other tenures.

Because the project covers a long distance and crosses multiple landscapes, the exact proportion of the trail that would be located within national parks or World Heritage land remains unclear. The final alignment will determine the scale of new track construction, campsite development, service access and environmental assessment required.

Traditional Owner involvement

Traditional Owner participation has been central to the project from its beginning.

The proposal was brought forward by Traditional Owner groups, and the government has repeatedly stated that the trail is being developed collaboratively with Traditional Owners. The route is intended to interpret cultural stories and connections across Warrgamay and Gugu Badhun Country.

The 2019 announcement also referred more broadly to an ancient Indigenous trading route connecting three Traditional Owner groups. Later government material has placed particular emphasis on Warrgamay and Gugu Badhun involvement. (Ministerial Media Statements)

The eventual governance and business model remains important. Traditional Owner involvement could range from consultation and cultural interpretation to ownership, management, guiding, accommodation and other commercial opportunities. No final operating structure has yet been published.

Proposed accommodation and commercial tourism

Commercial tourism has always been contemplated as part of the proposal, but the current model remains undefined.

Early project material referred to eco-accommodation positioned at intervals along the route. Later descriptions have been less specific, referring to possible public campsites, guided experiences and privately operated low-impact accommodation.

No detailed accommodation plan has been released identifying:

  • the number of overnight sites;
  • whether they would be camps, huts, cabins or lodge-style facilities;
  • which sites would be located inside protected areas;
  • whether facilities would be publicly or privately owned;
  • whether any private operator would receive a lease or exclusive concession; or
  • whether independent walkers would have equal access.

The possibility of privately operated accommodation makes the project relevant to Protected Areas Tourism Watch. At present, however, it would be inaccurate to describe private lodges or eco-camps as approved components.

The current confirmed position is that the project remains under investigation and that a commercial and governance framework still needs to be developed before an investment decision can be made.

Walking and mountain-biking use

The proposed route is intended for both walkers and mountain-bike riders.

The early concept described a maximum gradient of approximately 10 per cent and a route capable of supporting a seven-day walking journey. The current Queensland Government description continues to identify it as a dual-use walking and mountain-biking trail. (Department of Transport and Main Roads)

This dual-use model distinguishes it from many other Australian Great Walk projects, which are generally designed primarily for walkers. It also creates additional planning questions concerning trail width, surfacing, erosion, rider and walker interaction, emergency access and the placement of overnight facilities.

Until the alignment and detailed design are published, the extent of new trail construction required for dual use cannot be confirmed.

What has changed

The project has progressed from an early regional concept to a completed strategic business case and government-funded investigative phase.

The proposed distance has been refined from more than 120 kilometres to approximately 125 kilometres. Early descriptions referred to seven days and eco-accommodation every 16 kilometres, while later project material describes a staged trail concept without confirming the final accommodation model. (Department of Transport and Main Roads)

The original expectation that planning could be completed quickly has not been realised. In 2019, the planning phase was expected to take about nine months. By March 2024, the government was still describing the project as being in an early investigative stage, with route design, assessments and the commercial framework yet to be completed.

The government’s January 2025 update confirmed that investigative work had begun but did not announce a construction decision. The proposal therefore remains active but unresolved. (Department of Transport and Main Roads)

Commercial tourism implications

The project could eventually support a substantial nature-based tourism product across protected and World Heritage landscapes.

Potential commercial elements include:

  • Traditional Owner-led cultural experiences;
  • guided multi-day walks and rides;
  • transfers and logistical support;
  • food and supply services;
  • privately operated overnight accommodation; and
  • packaged itineraries linking Paluma and Wallaman Falls.

None of these commercial components has yet been confirmed through a final lease, concession, tender or operating agreement.

The distinction is important. A publicly accessible trail with ordinary campsites and licensed guides would present a different model from a route structured around privately operated accommodation or reserved commercial packages.

The project should therefore remain under active observation, particularly when the government releases the preferred alignment, environmental studies, investment decision and business framework.

Why this project matters

The Paluma to Wallaman Falls Trail would be one of Queensland’s longest purpose-developed walking and mountain-biking tourism routes.

It would connect two important national park destinations across Country with deep cultural significance and through landscapes associated with the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The scale of the route means that even a staged development could involve substantial new tracks, camps, service access and visitor-management infrastructure.

The proposal also has the potential to create meaningful Traditional Owner-led tourism and employment. That opportunity should be considered separately from questions about the scale, location and ownership of infrastructure inside protected areas.

From a Protected Areas Tourism Watch perspective, the most important unresolved issue is whether the project will primarily provide public trail infrastructure or whether private accommodation and commercial control will become central to its delivery.

Confirmed

The Paluma to Wallaman Falls Trail remains a Queensland Government ecotourism proposal.

The current concept is a walking and mountain-biking route of approximately 125 kilometres.

The proposal originated with Traditional Owner groups and is being developed in collaboration with Traditional Owners.

The strategic business case was completed in 2022.

The Queensland Government committed a further $2 million for planning and investigative work.

Government material published in January 2025 said investigative work had commenced.

As at the latest authoritative material reviewed, no final investment decision had been announced.

Not yet confirmed

The final trail alignment and length.

The proportion of the route located inside Paluma Range National Park, Girringun National Park or the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.

The final number and location of camps or accommodation sites.

Whether accommodation will be public, privately operated or a combination of both.

Whether any private operator will receive a lease, concession or reserved access.

The business and governance model involving Traditional Owner groups.

The total construction cost and source of full project funding.

Whether the project will proceed in full, in stages or only through improvements to existing trails.

The environmental and cultural heritage assessment outcomes.

The construction timetable, opening date and eventual booking arrangements.

Sources and documents

  • Queensland Government: Queensland’s new ecotourism trails
  • Queensland Parliament: Question on Notice No. 126, 5 March 2024
  • Queensland Government: Paluma to Wallaman Falls trail proposal a step closer
  • Townsville Enterprise: $2 million kick-start for the Paluma to Wallaman Falls Trail
  • Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service information for Paluma Range National Park
  • Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service information for Girringun National Park and Wallaman Falls