General News
9 November, 2026
Tully backed for sugar museum
TULLY is a significant step closer to becoming the new home of the region’s historic sugar museum collection after Cassowary Coast Regional Council voted in favour of a key facility agreement – but leaders behind the museum stress that a final decision on the relocation has yet to be made.
Council voted at its October meeting last week to grant a facility use agreement to the newly incorporated Wet Tropics Agricultural Heritage Centre Inc (WTAHCI).
The deal transfers ownership of the former Tully Visitor Information Centre building on the Bruce Highway on an “as is” basis to establish a “condensed” heritage centre and tour booking office.
While the council vote marks a major leap forward for the local push, Australian Sugar Industry Museum (ASIM) management committee president Sam Spina confirmed to The Observer that the committee has not yet made a final determination on where the collection will ultimately reside.
That is because the alternative proposed site – within the MSF-owned Mulgrave Sugar Mill property in Gordonvale – remains very much a contender. Speaking on behalf of the committee, Mr Spina clarified that, while negotiations and planning with Tully proponents are progressing, the board continues to weigh both locations to ensure the long-term preservation and visibility of the collection following the closure of its long-standing Mourilyan home.
“No final decision has been made by the committee just yet,” Mr Spina said, noting that Gordonvale’s deep milling heritage and strategic location near Cairns presented a compelling case alongside Tully’s gateway highway proposal.
The council report itself explicitly reflects this ongoing uncertainty.
Under the conditions of the approved agreement, council’s support is strictly contingent upon WTAHCI obtaining formal written confirmation from ASIM by 30 November, verifying that all – or at least the majority – of the museum’s collection and remaining funds will be transferred to Tully.
If that condition is not met, council reserves the right to terminate the agreement and consider alternate community proposals for the site.
A phased vision for Tully
WTAHCI was established specifically to act as the potential recipient entity for the ASIM collection. Its expression of interest outlines a two-phase master plan aimed at showcasing Far North Queensland’s primary industries – sugar cane, timber, cattle, and bananas – under one roof.
Phase one focuses on immediate activation, converting the highway facility into a compressed exhibition space, visitor information point, and booking hub for Tully Sugar Mill tours.
Phase two envisions the eventual construction of a larger, purpose-built building to house the full-scale collection.
However, council officers cautioned that the agreement applies solely to the existing building footprint, with no guarantees or land allocated for phase two expansion at this stage.
From a council perspective, facilitating the Tully bid offers clear ratepayer benefits regardless of the final outcome.
Offloading building maintenance, cleaning, utility outgoings, and annual depreciation of the highway structure is expected to yield a net annual financial saving of approximately $37,927 for council.
The agreement also encourages WTAHCI to sub-lease space in the building’s southern program room to the Tully Arts and Cultural Precinct.
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