Mt Coot-tha Reserve Mountain Bike Concept Plan project
Brisbane City Council is growing your Brisbane lifestyle by working with the community to develop the Mt Coot-tha Reserve Mountain Bike Concept Plan.
Council has prepared the high-level final concept plan. All proposed facilities are subject to detailed assessment, design and future budget for delivery. The plan aims to balance between offering residents opportunities to enjoy Brisbane’s beautiful climate and outdoor areas while also protecting our natural environment for the future.
Download the final concept plan:
- Mt Coot-tha Reserve Mountain Bike Concept Plan (PDF – 1Mb)
- Mt Coot-tha Reserve Mountain Bike Concept Plan (Word – 4Mb).
Delivering a concept plan is a key action of the Brisbane Off-Road Cycling Strategy, which is a city-wide strategy that guides long-term investment in off-road cycling facilities for children, adults and families within Council’s bushland reserves and parks.
Project summary
| Address | Mt Coot-tha Road, Mt Coot-tha Reserve |
|---|---|
| Wards | Pullenvale, The Gap, Paddington, Walter Taylor |
| Project outcomes | Deliver a Mt Coot-tha Reserve Mountain Bike Concept Plan |
| Latest update | Council has released a final concept plan. |
Project background
Brisbane has the richest biodiversity of any capital city in Australia, with more than one-third natural habitat cover and over 2100 parks. Brisbane’s wetlands, bushland reserves and natural habitats form an important part of our city’s outdoor lifestyle where residents relax, gather with family and friends and experience nature.
Mt Coot-tha Reserve is a Brisbane icon that forms a backdrop for the city and is Brisbane City Council's largest natural area. The reserve is a highly popular recreation area offering a variety of outdoor activities.
The reserve also possesses significant environmental and heritage values, including Aboriginal Cultural Heritage. The Queensland Heritage Register lists several places within the reserve as significant including a large part of the forest itself. Offering significant habitat for native flora and fauna, the reserve is also the home of several threatened and endangered species such as the Powerful Owl and Koala.
Mt Coot-tha Reserve offers an extensive network of tracks to cater for outdoor recreation activities including 23.5 km of mountain bike tracks, 31 km of shared use tracks and 18.5 km of walking tracks. The reserve is also a popular place to picnic with friends and family and enjoy scenic views of Brisbane.
In 2003, Council created the first, and currently the only, designated location for mountain bike riding on single tracks in Brisbane at Mt Coot-the Reserve. The reserve continues to be a popular location for mountain bike riding, and during peak times the level of use is above what Council designed the track to accommodate.
In 2022, Council launched a new Trail Care program at Mt Coot-tha Reserve to support mountain bike track maintenance. Council’s Mt Coot-tha Trail Care program works with passionate community members to monitor and maintain trails to ensure they are safe and sustainable. The program aims to foster a community of riders who encourage riding behaviours that protect the trails and surrounding environment.
The high demand for mountain bike tracks in Mt Coot-tha Reserve has led some visitors to construct unauthorised tracks. By providing well-planned mountain bike tracks and sustainable facilities that offer a range of riding experiences, Council anticipates building of further unauthorised tracks will decrease. Council will continue compliance and education to address the construction of unauthorised trails.
About the project
While developing the Brisbane Off-Road Cycling Strategy, Council invited the community to provide ideas and feedback on off-road cycling opportunities. Council has used this feedback to help inform the final Mt Coot-tha Reserve mountain bike concept plan.
When developing the plan, Council considered a range of factors including mountain bike track use and preferences, emerging trends and new technologies. The conservation of the natural environment and significant habitat was also a key consideration of the concept plan.
The plan aims to encourage mountain bike riders to get outdoors and have fun while getting fit and healthy by providing a well-planned, accessible network of safe, low-impact and sustainable facilities to meet the growing needs of the mountain bike community. It does not propose any changes to existing walking tracks or removing pedestrian access to existing shared use tracks.
The plan shows proposed mountain bike facilities and opportunities in the broader Mt Coot-tha Reserve on a map, along with information on community consultation outcomes and project delivery.
More information
For more information about the Mt Coot-tha Reserve Mountain Bike Concept Plan, you can:
- email the project team
- phone Council on 07 3403 8888.