Works on the Stephens Mountain Reserve project have continued, with a recent implementation of a new walking track with improved entry and exit points.
The reserve was created with the purpose of protecting and conserving the natural environment whilst simultaneously providing the Greenslopes community with a family-friendly place with recreation activities.
Composed of 5.8 hectares of rezoned land from Stephens Mountain, the reserve has been classified as a conservation zone by the Brisbane City Council.
Work on the reserve first began in February 2021, after the Brisbane City Council invested $200,000 into the project. Once the draft plan was ready, the project team partook in public consultation, engaging with the community via information kiosks and online surveys in order to learn what people wished to see in the reserve.
Have you had a chance to visit the new lookout at Stephens Mountain Reserve? 🐸🐝🌳🦋🌿🌾
More improvements to this wonderful…
Feedback revealed that the public had expressed interest in walking tracks, a lookout, weed management, and informal shared paths. The community expressed their interest in the protection of native vegetation and wildlife.
The construction of areas such as the lookout, walking tracks, fencing, and weed management were completed as part of the project’s first stage of works. With the current pace of works being done on the Stephens Mountain Reserve, the construction of the conservation zone’s lookout and walking trails are expected to finish by June 2021.
Following clamour from locals, Stephens
Mountain Reserve in Greenslopes is due to get the protection it deserves as
well as some funding boost from Brisbane City Council.
The council is earmarking $200,000 to construct a lookout and walking trails at Stephens Mountain. The plan is in line with the recent amendments to the Coorparoo and Districts Neighbourhood Plan, which is rezoning 5.8 hectares of Stephens Mountain to the conservation zone.
Conservation Zone
The Coorparoo and Districts Neighbourhood
Plan also provides that ecological, landscape and visual values of Stephens
Mountain be retained and that remnant vegetation on the area be protected.
Amendments to the neighbourhood plan aims
to ensure protection for the conservation zone precinct of Stephens Mountain. This
means that any development in the area should keep intact the landscape,
habitat and ecological values in the area.
Developments for consideration should also
respect the natural topography and should complement the scenic landscape. The
neighbourhood plan encourages passive recreation developments such as the planned
walking trails.
The protection for part of Stephens
Mountain is a result of public insistence to keep the mountain reserve lush and
free from high-rise residential developments. The reserve located behind
Greenslopes Hospital was previously considered utility services. However, the
council gave in to public demand and moved the area to the conservation zone.
Not all parts of Stephens Mountain will be zoned under conservation. Whilst the reserve will be rezoned to conservation zone, the quarry site and the adjoining Energex depot will be considered as “Emerging Community.” As such, this sub-precinct could allow residential developments fronting the Greenslopes Busway station and plaza.
Photo credit: www.norman-creek-catchment.org.au
The neighbourhood plan states that any
development in the Emerging community zone should not adversely affect the character
or environmental value of the land.
