However other sections will be included in the emerging community zone. Questions were asked at Brisbane City Council’s Tuesday meeting about exactly how much of this emerging community zone includes housing. “I think that is rather worse than terrible,” Ms Kruck said. “It should be kept as a reserve. “I’ve lived here for 75 years. I don’t use it now, but as a child we ran wild up there.

“My son was born here and he used to play up there. There was a big rock up there where we used to play where you could see all of Brisbane.” Ms Kruck said it was a good idea to put walkways through Stephens Mountain. “It could do with some walkways, yes it could. Certainly not housing. Not here, maybe down in the lower part,” she said. Stephens Mountain bushland creeps around the Greenslopes hospital and down towards the South East Busway’s Coorparoo bus stop. The city views from Stephens Mountain at Greenslopes behind Greenslopes Hospital. Credit:Tony Moore

Brisbane City Council on Tuesday night approved the Coorparoo Neighbourhood Plan, which drew 421 submissions. Protecting Stephens Mountain is part of the Coorparoo Neighbourhood Plan and generated considerable debate on Tuesday night in City Hall. Greens councillor Jonathan Sri said the plan missed the opportunity to preserve all of Stephens Mountain as a bushland park for a fast-growing area. He described the plan to preserve only part of the mountain as “environmental vandalism”. “The administration has quite correctly preserved some of the site for conservation. I congratulate the administration for doing that,” Cr Sri said.

“But almost half the site – almost 20,000 square metres – is being rezoned for emerging community. “That will allow development that will pretty much clear that vegetated area.” Cr Sri said he disagreed with the council’s planning that valued the higher section of Stephens Mountain as ecologically significant, while dismissing the old quarry areas as less valuable. “I think the evidence presented by local environment groups and community groups shows very clearly that the areas provides important wildlife and habitat corridor for a range of reptiles, birds and mammals,” he said. Stephen Mountain in Greenslopes is partially saved from redevelopment in new Coorparoo Neighbourhood Plan. The site is the former Ekibin Quarry. Credit:Tony Moore

Cr Sri said the loss of sections of Stephens Mountain was “a special place” and not just another example of creeping habitat loss. “It feels vibrant and alive because it has been largely left alone," he said. "There aren’t many places where you can go and sit under the trees and feel you are a long way from the city and this is one of those spaces and to develop half of it as residential is wrong.” Coorparoo councillor Ian Mckenzie (LNP) said planning had taken three years and was designed to guide the future development of Coorparoo. “We have had multiple meetings with residents,” Cr McKenzie said and said the plan added 10 places to the council’s heritage register.

However he said Cr Sri’s comments were a “big continued statement”. “Sometimes I wonder if we are talking about the same area,” Cr McKenzie said. “The area we are looking at here (emerging community) is mainly rubble from the freeway." Cr McKenzie said it was unlikely houses would “ever, ever” be built there. “I am very pleased that the final plan will protect the valued green space of Stephens Mountain totally,” he said.