Adrian Schrinner terminates Mt Coot-tha Zipline project

The controversial Mt Coot-tha zipline will be scrapped after newly minted Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner bowed to public pressure to ditch the adventure-tourism venture.

THE controversial Mt Coot-tha zipline will be scrapped after newly minted Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner bowed to public pressure to ditch the adventure-tourism venture.

It comes amid concerns that ratepayers could have been saddled with an extra $1 million in costs for the council to defend the project in court.

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Lord Mayor Schrinner last night said he had listened to residents and local councillors, insisting that protecting Mt Coot-tha was “something we can all agree on”. It comes after The Courier-Mail reported he might make the move.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner says protecting Mt Coot-tha is “something we can all agree on”. Picture: AAP Image/Richard Walker

“I want to make sure (Mt Coot-tha is) protected and remains a great asset for the city — that’s my priority going forward,” he said.

“I’ve made it clear that I am going to be a champion for our precious green spaces and this is proof that I’m 100 per cent serious.”

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The move will clear the decks for Cr Schrinner’s new administration, removing an election hurdle for the LNP ahead of next year’s Council election.

The issue was expected to bite in marginal wards such as Paddington, where Councillor Peter Matic is at risk of being unseated by the Greens.

The project included a fast-paced zipline from Mt Coot-tha’s summit to the Botanic Gardens.

Cr Schrinner said since becoming Lord Mayor, he had received a briefing from Brisbane City Council chief executive Colin Jensen that showed Council could have had to pay an extra $1 million to defend the zipline in court.

Construction on the eco-tourist venture was supposed to begin within months, until local residents lodged action against the project earlier this year in the Land and Environment Court.

The council has since told Zipline Australia — the company building the zipline — that it would be withdrawing support for the project, including any objection to legal appeals.

BCC says it has already contributed about $300,000 of a planned $1 million towards the project.

Labor’s lord mayoral candidate Rod Harding said residents would be happy to see the project scrapped and accused Cr Schrinner of sneaking the news out. Picture: Tara Croser

The remaining money is expected to be spent on other upgrades to Mt Coot-tha, including improvements to picnic facilities and walking trails.

The Lord Mayor said he still supported other adventure tourism projects, pointing to the Star Entertainment Group’s plans to build a zipline across the Brisbane River from the Queen’s Wharf to South Bank.

“I’m up for bungy-jumping, I’d go on a zipline, I’d go abseiling — these are the sorts of things I’d be up for but not at Mt Coot-tha,” Cr Schrinner said.

BCC had initially approve the construction of the zipline earlier this year, despite nearly 90 per cent of the more than 3,600 submissions made to the council’s planning team opposing the project.

The project included a 1.5km treetop canopy tour as well as a fast-paced 1km zipline from Mt Coot-tha’s summit to the Botanic Gardens.

Labor’s lord mayoral candidate Rod Harding said residents would be happy to see the project scrapped and accused Cr Schrinner of sneaking the news out under the cover of the first day of the federal election campaign.

“When Cr Schrinner says he’s been listening to Brisbane people, he means the LNP’s backroom crew,” he said.

“This is simply a desperate ploy to save federal seats under threat on May 18 – and to look after a political mate who’s running in Ryan, LNP councillor Julian Simmonds.

“Until today, Cr Schrinner’s been behind the zipline all the way.

“If he thought it was such a dud, why didn’t he speak his mind as deputy mayor.”