Mt Coot-tha transformation plans announced

A Mt Coot-tha master plan has been released and is big on eco-tourism destinations and attractions.

Jun 17, 2025, updated Jun 17, 2025
A projected vision for Mt Coot-tha
Mt Coot-tha Summit Lookout
Mt Coot-tha's Tropical Display Dome and Sir Thomas Planetarium
Mt Coot-tha Quarry
A projected vision for Mt Coot-tha

A major development in the master plan is the proposed 170km long Brisbane Wilderness Walking Trail.

Connecting Mt Coot-tha to Mt Archer, the trail will also see improvements including a selection of resting points like bush huts, camping and way-finding sites, renewed picnic areas, and composting toilets along the way.

The trail design will take inspiration from Cradle Mountain in Tasmania and the West Coast Wilderness Trail in New Zealand.

Other proposals include a Botanic Gardens night-time light show, an accessible tree top walk and improved lookout at the summit, and sustainable nature retreats and glamping.

Also considered are the planting of trees and vegetation to support the precinct’s wildlife and provide shade, pop-up cafes, and a mountain biking skill-development track.

Sir Samuel Griffith Drive may also be redesigned into a one-way loop road with a bike lane.

The initiative includes a long-term strategy to preserve Mt Coot-tha’s protected native areas, along with reimagining some of the mountain’s most treasured attractions, like the 50-year-old Tropical Dome and the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium.

It was also announced that there is funding in the council budget to redesign new picnic shelters at Brush Box Picnic Area, which could be ready as early as this year.

Mt Coot-tha Quarry, which has been in operation since the 1890s and still supplies 96 per cent of the city’s asphalt, could also be transformed when it ceases operation in the next decade or so.

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Mt Coot-tha Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the area was a darling of Brisbane, alongside Howard Smith Wharves and South Bank and get more than 1 million visitors a year.

“Brisbane is riding a wave of international popularity as a tourism destination and with the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games coming, now is the time to start planning more to see and do in our city,” he said.

The project was supported by 670 surveyed residents and will be led by Brisbane Sustainability Agency, which is also responsible for the project currently turning Oxley Creek into a green lifestyle and leisure destination.

Brisbane Sustainability Agency Chair, Nigel Chamier, said the project was an honour to undertake.

“This initiative will go beyond rehabilitation as it is about establishing a lasting legacy that enhances the Mt Coot-tha experience for residents and visitors,” he said.

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