Failed Mt Coot-tha zip line cost ratepayers nearly $2 million

The cost of the shelved Mt Coot-tha zip line has been revealed, with ratepayers spending paying nearly $2 million for the failed tourism attraction.

RATEPAYERS have forked out even more money for the scrapped Mt Coot-tha Zipline after the council reached a settlement with Zipline Australia.

The company had been awarded the contract to build the zip line until new Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner announced they would dump the project.

The council revealed today it had reached a settlement with the company that included the $300,000 it had already contributed to the project, but less than the total $1 million it planned to spend.

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It means ratepayers have shelled out up to $1.9 million for the shelved project, including the more than $900,000 it spent on preparing the zipline’s development application.

“As part of the terms of the settlement, the figure remains confidential,” the council said in a statement.

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Labor’s lord mayoral candidate Rod Harding questioned why it had taken Cr Schrinner so long to reveal the details of the settlement.

“When the contract was scrapped, he should’ve been upfront and said here are the costs,” he said.

“And he’s tried to confuse people, bury it, so that people don’t really fully know the true extent of the incompetence of this administration.

Labor’s lord mayoral candidate Rod Harding. Picture Tara Croser.

“These guys are showing with every day that they have no clue how to run business.”

Cr Schrinner defended their handling of the project earlier this week, insisting they had made the decision to dump the tourism venture after listening to residents.

It followed widespread community outrage about the project that threatened the LNP’s chances of retaining marginal seats at next year’s council elections.