THE iconic Birdsville Track remains closed thanks to recent flooding but there’s a push on to fix it before Australia’s most famous bush race meeting.
As usual, the Birdsville Races will be held in early September and the Mayor of the sparsely-populated Diamantina Shire, the second biggest local government area in Queensland but home to less than 300 people, wants the South Australian Government to sort out the road on their side of the border.
Councillor Francis Murray, who originally hails from SA , says the reopening of Birdsville Track is critical to boost the West’s battling tourism industry.
“It requires about a three or four kilometre detour to open the road,” the straight-shooting Cr Murray explained to our Drive Show audience.
“I know that they’re grading the rest of the road as I speak…only that section (needing fixing) where there’s a bit of water.”
The push to reopen the Birdsville Track comes after this year’s Big Red Bash, another iconic Outback event near Birdsville, was called off due to flooding.
PHOTO: Diamantina Shire Council Mayor Cr Francis Murray….pushing to get the Birdsville Track reopened before Australia’s most famous bush race meeting.
POSTED: Monday, June 16, 2026