Lodge DA Submission | mountcoot-thazipline

Lodge Submission Online

Stop Mt Coot-tha Privatisation!

Brisbane City Council wants to lease parts of Mt Coot-tha Forest and the Botanic Gardens for a private adventure tourism megaziplines complex covering an area of almost 16 hectares (area of Roma Street Parklands). This has been a public park for almost 150 years and celebrated as the iconic backdrop of Brisbane. It is Brisbane's point of difference from other Australian capital cities, a wilderness area so close to the CBD.

What are you willing to give up? The uninterrupted views; the peaceful surroundings; the natural bush tracks; observing wildlife in their natural habitat; the accessibility; the tranquility of the Gardens' Melaleuca Lake area; the sparse traffic on an early morning or evening cycle; observing starry nights and the fireworks displays or the unscarred view to and from the mountain?

This is not ecotourism with Six parallel cables 1.44 km from in front of The Summit viewing area down into the Botanic Gardens. Travelling at a speed of 60 kph for a 1-2 minute ride ($100/A) and to operate until 10pm, 7 days a week; A multistage zipline (est. $20 - $100/A) 1.5 km in Powerful Owl & koala habitat, clearly visible and crossing the Summit Track. Plus a suspension bridge ($20/A) 349m long but not wide enough for families or wheelchair access, impacting on the popular JC Slaughter Falls tracks and picnic areas. Lighting, noise and activity on the bridge until 10 pm every night in a normally quite area will negatively impact on wildlife habitat.

The development application in the acoustic report states, patrons will be told not to yell or laugh to mitigate the noise!

Traditional owners say they have not been consulted on these proposed major impacts on this First Nations cultural heritage site.

When costs are subtracted from the quoted economic benefits ($232 m) and the dubious assumptions adjusted, Net benefits could be under $40 m over 30 years.

Additionally Council has a perceived conflict of interests with the fact that they are assessing their own development application on behalf of a private developer on land where they are the Trustees. It is State Freehold Land (DNRME).

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Proposed ZIP LINE Development 8, 8B and 10 Sir Samuel Griffith Drive 152, 170 and 200 Mt Coot-tha Road and 407 Chapel Hill Road, Mt Coot-tha 
Application Reference A005011420

To whom it may concern,

•	The area is essential wildlife habitat in a regional biodiversity corridor.

•	The proposals will seriously disturb the Powerful Owl, koalas and other nocturnal animals such as the dunnart and the phascogale because of noise and light and loss of vegetation.

•	The area of vegetation to be cleared may be more than 28 ha not 1.27ha. Scarring of the mountain will be clearly visible and lit at night until 10pm.

•	Heritage listed views and other scenic amenity would be seriously impacted by loss of vegetation and construction of intrusive infrastructure.

•	The proposals would increase traffic problems in the area through an increase in tourist numbers and a loss of car-parking space both on the mountain and in the Slaughter Falls picnic area.

•	Damage to an important cultural heritage site and only limited consultation with the First Nations People.

•	These proposals are on land covered by a Deed of Grant in Trust which states that the land is to be “public park and for no other purpose whatsoever”.   This includes land in the Botanic Gardens.

•	The proposals are located in an area categorised as being of High Fire Danger with dangers being increased with climate change. 
 
Please refuse this application.

Lodge Submission Online

More comprehensive template & LMP Survey to complete now on Archive Page (Jan 2019)

Mt Coot-tha Protection Alliance Inc