
A 20-year master plan for a huge Mount Coot-tha renovation has been unveiled by Brisbane City Council, developed under the Brisbane Sustainability Agency.
This landmark initiative, timed to align with the lead-up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, takes inspiration from green tourism destinations like Gardens by the Bay in Singapore and seeks to make the most of Brisbane’s growing presence in the global spotlight, while still retaining the precinct’s cultural and ecological significance.
When it comes to the latter, the plans have raised concerns about the potential loss of green space from the Mount Coot-tha Protection Alliance, who had previously successfully opposed the construction of a zipline. The main worries are the possible construction of car parks to accommodate more visitors and the over-commercialisation of the space, which would impact public accessibility, although a preliminary survey showed a majority of people are in favour of the overhaul. The consultation, involving over 670 residents, found that most supported enhancing the environment, creating new attractions, and expanding existing recreation infrastructure.
Some of the proposals for the renovations include a 170-kilometre Brisbane Wilderness Trail connecting to Mount Archer, improving the Summit lookout, planting trees and revegetating the area, a glamping area, reconfiguring Sir Samuel Griffith Drive and potentially adding a cycling lane, an immersive light experience in the Botanic Gardens, renewing the Planetarium and Tropical Dome and revitalising the Brush Box picnic area. Council has already committed funding in the 2025–26 budget for these last two projects.
Once of the centrepieces of the proposal is the rehabilitation of the Mount Coot-tha Quarry, which at present is still operational and supplies more than 90% of asphalt for Brisbane’s roads. Council has confirmed it’ll remain operational for up to a decade, but it’s never too early to think about how to convert the site into something that’ll serve the community. One of the options being explored is turning the quarry into a public ecological landmark, complete with a lookout and a plaza, but this is still a preliminary concept.
Mount Coot-tha currently welcomes more than one million visitors annually, and the hope is that this reno — especially if done in time for the 2032 Olympics — will attract even more people and boost Brisbane’s tourism industry.