Quarry Redevelopment Mt Coot-tha
Website: BCC survey of new Quarry proposal
Then scroll down to the solid-colour box with the heading:
Mt Coot-tha Precinct Visitor Survey: Have Your Say. Take the survey
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The Mt Coot-tha quarry is to cease operations in 2029. The quarry has served Brisbane since early 1960's. It is now up to the community to decide what should happen to the quarry. As a garden enthusiast the quarry should be added to the Botanic Gardens and facilities added to enhance public participation.
My sugestion is a watrfall and lake.
An alternative is to use the lower part of the quarry as a pavement recycling centre. This may extend the life of the quarry for twenty years. Old road pavement material is crushed and reused as new road base.
Extract from "Quarry newsletter April 2025". This is a view of mining engineer. Dugald Gray
Continuing use as a quarry involved in road maintenance.
Let’s assume that the level of community acceptance, reflected in legislation, along with innovation in technology and systems, will continue to remain key influences into the future. But note there are limits. For example, at present the limiting distance to sensitive receptors for production blasting is about 250m, provided certain blast designs, technologies (and flyrock control measures) are rigorously applied, and blasting experts say there’s little scope to go closer.
But let’s leave that for Quarry’s 60th birthday analysts. By then Mt Coot-tha Quarry will likely be a lake and botanic garden, its hornfels aggregate a distant memory, and a new cycle of quarrying will have begun.
There is no doubt there is further scope for adoption of noise and dust suppression technologies, particularly as the costs of such technologies reduce. And innovations in transport, automation and materials technologies can be expected.
Dugald Gray is a mining engineer, principal of quarrying industry consultant Ecoroc Pty Ltd and an IQA past president
Now is the time for the community to help design the charges to the Quarry. Here is my suggestion
The view from the lookout in the Botanic gardens is great. We had a breakfast at the lookout with Lions mid-week. Th view just above the quarry would be equally as good. The location and view is similar to the Arboretum Cafe in Canberra. It has an a la carte restaurant for conferences but no accommodation. We had a luncheon there with the National Surveyors in Canberra. I marked up the car park and the restaurant areas. Parking is a real problem at Mt Coot-tha. See
Toowong Loop for alternative bus proposal to solve paarking. This solves the parking problem The quarry then becomes part of the Botanic gardens with a walkway around the walls of the quarry. See the Canadian example of a garden quary.
Butchart Gardens So that keeps the Greens happy. The water fall is part of the pumped water system around the quarry so that the water at the base of the quarry can be pumped to a central water tower at the Lookout. This water tower can be used to move water from the quarry to the bottom lakes an vie versa. The waterfall oxygenates the water. High rainfall causes problems in the water quality as mud contaminates the rain water. I think the water system includes Slaughter falls. A good case for using solar to pump water around the botanic gardens.
Canberra Arboretum building. Note no motel ccommodation.
