Member Survey - ‘Mount Coot-tha Precinct Transformation’

You may well have read about Brisbane City Council’s ‘Mount Coot-tha Precinct Transformation’ plan announced by the Lord Mayor last year. Council has charged their wholly owned company the Brisbane Sustainability Agency to lead the development of this plan, which you can read about here.

THECA (represented by Charles Worringham and Janet Spillman) met with Agency representatives in November to discuss some aspects of the plan. We have been invited to participate in the next phase of targeted consultation, which consist of three workshops to be held in February, March and April. We have submitted responses to a survey sent out by the BSA to invited groups, to help them structure the sessions. We included in our response the need for a comprehensive ecologically sound conservation plan for the bushland on Mt. Coot-tha as part of this project - which currently has no such component and emphasises facilities and attractions for visitors and tourists.

Brisbane City Council is proposing a range of different projects described as:

• Improvement to the Mt Coot-tha Summit lookout

• Introducing a new night-time light show in the Mount Coot-tha Botanic Gardens

• Reimagining and revitalising the Planetarium and Tropical Dome

• Tree planting and revegetation across the precinct to support wildlife and provide shade

• Establish a Brisbane Wilderness Trail to connect Mt Coot-tha to Mount Archer.

• Sustainable nature retreat, including eco-tourism glamping

• Reconfiguring Sir Samuel Griffith Drive to a one-way loop road, reserving a lane for cyclists

• New and improved picnic areas, including pop-up cafes

• Mountain bike skills development track

• Accessible tree-top walk at The Summit