Mt Coot-tha is one of Brisbane’s most beloved features; a precious patch of wild, public green space in our increasingly urbanised world, for tourists and locals alike. I was proud to be part of the successful and inspiring community campaign to stop the zipline project back in 2019. This campaign really demonstrated how dearly Brisbane loves the mountain and values its natural heritage.
Right in the middle of this precinct is a giant 30 hectare scar on the landscape: the Mt Coot-tha Quarry. Established in 1919 and owned by Brisbane City Council, the quarry has served us well, providing rock for road and building projects in SE Queensland.
But the quarry is now well past its use by date. The noise, vibrations and dust from blasting are hazardous to the health and wellbeing of local residents (human AND animal), and there are other options for obtaining road materials. Every year that passes without a clear plan increases the cost of rehabilitation to Brisbane ratepayers - we may be getting some cheap rock for roads right now, but in a few years we’ll be really paying for it!
Following the successful zipline campaign in 2019, I launched this petition alongside local Greens Council candidates, calling for a plan to close and rehabilitate the Quarry by 2025, and held a community forum together with the Mt Coot-tha Protection Alliance (MCPA) on the future of the Quarry. You can read a detailed report on the outcomes of that community forum here.
Along with the community, I think it’s time to close the quarry and let Brisbane residents decide what we want for the future of the site, taking our lead from the Aboriginal traditional owners. We have an amazing opportunity to create a world class, beautiful, environmentally sensitive addition to the Mt Coot-tha public parklands.
In 2023, BCC finally committed funding to close and rehabilitate the Mt Coot-tha Quarry, but they still haven't committed to a firm closure timeline. The current timeline they've provided is
November 2023 - June 2024: Community consultation on a vision for the site
Late 2024 - Early 2025: Draft vision announced
2025: Future community consultation to progress to a draft concept plan
The Mt Coot-tha Neighbourhood Plan specifies that the quarry must close in 2025, but if we haven't gotten a draft concept plan by then, it's safe to assume Council won't meet the deadline. The timeline to close the quarry has continually changed over the years, each time without public consultation. Despite committing to rehabilitating the quarry, it looks like they're still dragging their heels on getting it done.
Consultation on the "Quarries visioning project" is open now. Have your say here.
Alongside the local Greens Council candidates, I'm pushing for:
- A clear timeline for closure and rehabilitation by 2025
- A promise that the land will be returned to people of Brisbane, not privatised
- Proper community consultation on the future of the land
- Respect for Traditional Owner perspectives on how the land is used
(please note this petition is being conducted in conjunction with the Greens campaigns for Paddington and Walter Taylor Ward, and your details will be shared with those campaigns).