Recently we found out that Brisbane City Council are taking feedback on ideas to restore Pine Mountain Quarry in Whites Hill and open it up to recreation.

I wrote to local residents in the surrounding area to share some preliminary thoughts and encourage residents to have their say.

Previously, the Greens have proposed transforming Pine Mountain Quarry into a natural swimming hole for Whites Hill Reserve, much like Enoggera Reservoir or Bunya Crossing on Brisbane’s northside. 

I’ve also heard great ideas to introduce new nature tracks and to restore native habitat. Pine Mountain Quarry is also in close proximity to Whites Hill Reserve, which is home to endangered koalas and other native species. Whether it’s from loss of habitat or being struck by vehicles at high speeds, these species need protection.

Opening up the old Pine Mountain Quarry is an exciting opportunity to press for beautiful and much needed new public spaces that everyone can enjoy, but it could also open up the reserve to less welcome changes.

In recent years, we’ve seen proposals in Brisbane’s natural spaces which would have handed over sensitive habitat to private tourism and locked out local residents from recreation in nature reserves, like the proposal for a Mt Coot-tha zip-line, or an Olympic Stadium in Victoria Park. In each of those cases, local Greens representatives and the community have stood together and ensured these spaces were protected in the interests of nature and the community. 

Recently, I made a submission to Brisbane City Council asking them to commit to handing this site back to the people of Brisbane rather than to new commercial tourism opportunities. You can read it here.

Brisbane City Council’s survey has closed for now, but my door is always open. If you have thoughts about what you’d like to see at the quarry, or what you'd like for me to advocate for as your local representative, I’d love to hear from you! 

I'll also be keeping local residents updated as this issue progresses. If you'd like to keep up to date once we hear more, sign up on this page for updates and I can help keep you informed.