Small town businesses to be helped by tourism

Rail trail has potential to drive business as visitors flock to the region.

Craig Eastment and Sue Hudd recently established their tourism business, Heartland Heavy Horses along the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail. Picture: Contributed

ENCOURAGING residents to buy local will the one of the biggest focuses for the Somerset Regional Business Alliance in 2019.

Chairman Mark Wells said buying local was key to keeping small town businesses alive.

"Doing business is a rural area is always a challenge, local small business needs a strong local economy and buying local is the core of that,” Mr Wells said.

Every year the group continued to find ways to promote to value of buying local to establish a stronger local economy and subsequent employment.

The group of business people hoped to use the recent a tourism boom following the completion of the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail in 2018 to benefit local business.

Mr Wells said the group wanted to see an increasing investment in tourism-related business as the Brisbane Valley Rail trail attracted more visitors.

The trail is the longest in Australia, spanning 161 kilometres from Wulkuraka Station at Ipswich to Yarraman in the Toowoomba region.

BVRT also flows through to the towns of Fernvale, Lowood, Coominya, Esk, Toogoolawah, Moore, Linville, Benarkin, and Blackbutt.

Horse riding, mountain biking and hiking are all common activities on the trail.