Brisbane City Council has unveiled a 20-year draft plan for Mt Coot-tha, proposing new visitor facilities, nature experiences and the eventual transformation of the city’s largest conservation reserve quarry into parkland.
Residents have until November 30 to respond to the vision, which Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said was intended to shape the future of the much-loved precinct.
The draft includes an arrival hub, cafes, adventure activities and improved public transport, alongside upgraded facilities at the Brisbane Botanic Gardens. A new welcome centre is also proposed.
In the longer term, the existing quarry could be converted into parkland featuring outdoor activities, cafes and a lake suitable for swimming.
Mr Schrinner said the proposals represented an important step for Mt Coot-tha, but stressed that the plan remained at an early stage and would not turn the reserve into a theme park.
“You won’t see Mt Coot-tha turn into a theme park,” he said, adding that there were no plans for a zipline.
Concerns over commercialisation
The council said the draft had been shaped by more than 4,800 pieces of community feedback. However, the proposals could face opposition from campaigners concerned about commercial development on the mountain.
Elizabeth Watson-Brown, the federal Greens MP for Ryan, has led a campaign opposing what she described as the commercialisation and privatisation of Mt Coot-tha.
Last year, Ms Watson-Brown alleged that the LNP council had intended to hand a rehabilitated quarry to private developers, including through proposals for a luxury hotel and zipline.
“This fundamentally threatens Mt Coot-tha’s status as a protected natural asset, and would create a dangerous precedent that could see us lose even more of Mt Coot-tha,” she said at the time.
More than 370 wildlife species are found at Mt Coot-tha, while more than 90 per cent of the area has been mapped as koala habitat.
The council also plans to renew ageing infrastructure, including the Summit Lookout, the planetarium and facilities at the botanic gardens.
The draft acknowledges the sale of the Channel 7 and Channel 9 buildings on the mountain, while leaving open the possibility of future development, potentially including an eco-hotel.
It says any future use of the privately owned or leased sites would need to respect Mt Coot-tha’s scenic values, landscape character and environmental significance.
