Six months after Gympie bypass promised growth, few see change

Six months after the billion-dollar Gympie bypass finished construction, we asked Gympie locals and businesses: what’s changed?

Gympie Bypass

It’s been six months the billion-dollar Gympie Bypass opened to the promise of bringing more people to town, but so far the feedback from locals is mixed.

The project, built primarily to ease congestion, was billed by the Queensland Government as also contributing to the economy and regional growth by making it quicker to enter Gympie.

Amber Spencer, who works at the Royal Hotel on Mary Street, said there had “been less customers” over the past six months, with the biggest bypass benefit being the influx of workers during its construction.

“There’s been less normal customers than usual here, but there were more workmen (six months ago),” Ms Spencer said.

The Royal Hotel is not the only accommodation in town that has seen less customers since the Gympie bypass was put in, Royal Hotel receptionist Amber Spencer said.

She said more people now skipped Gympie, and she wants to see “more things that could be put on down here to drag in more clientele”.

Douglas, manager of the Dragon Garden Family Restaurant, said “a lot of businesses have been scaled back since the highway (was put in)”.

“It’s been good for the traveller going through, but not for the locals,” he said.

Douglas’ restaurant backs onto the Old Bruce Highway, which was the default route for those travelling north or south before the new bypass.

The Gympie bypass opened in October last year.

Others were more positive.

Flynn, a receptionist at Stay Motel down the road from Shady Palms, said the new bypass “has definitely brought more good than bad”.

Flynn said she had only worked there for two months, but was a long-time Gympie resident.

Gympie local John Cartwright said “I think it is a little bit busier” since the bypass was put in.

“It’s probably affected a few businesses along the highway, but not in Mary Street or in the supermarket. They’re just as busy as ever,” Mr Cartwright said.

Helene Daniel, who works at Shady Palms Rest Motel, said the silver lining to less visits was less noise, as traffic had been channelled further away from the hotel.

“After the noise reduction, I’ve never had a noise complaint,” Ms Daniel said, whose motel is also situated beside the old highway.

Locals were divided on the impacts the bypass has had on the town.

“But not many people have come here since the bypass, people don’t pass here and see the sign, so they don’t know,” she said.

A cleaner at the Gympie Muster Inn, also next to the highway, said “we’re booked out nearly every day. There’s definitely more people coming in now”.

“Our customers are tradies, not tourists,” said the owner of another motel in the area who wished to remain anonymous.

Besides the temporary surge in accommodation from workers, she said the bypass “has made no difference at all”.

Originally published as Six months after Gympie bypass promised growth, few see change