Cr McLachlan said the proposal was being assessed by independent planners in accordance with state legislation. “Formal consultation is now underway, following detailed responses provided to the state government and council last week," he said. “Thousands of pages of expert advice has been published on [the council's development application site] PDonline since September, however, the detail has also been summarised in one document available for everyone to read." The zipline, projected to cost $1.14 million over four years, would provide a 1.5-kilometre experience from the top of Mt Coot-tha west of the lookout and across JC Slaughter Falls. The project would also include a guided Indigenous history walk as part of the total $11 million Mt Coot-tha upgrades promised by the LNP prior to the last council election.

Concerns about the habit of powerful owls, particularly a nesting pair in the area of the proposed zipline, forced the council to request further assessments on the potential impacts, particularly around the use of helicopters during construction. A new report concluded helicopters should be limited during the owls' May-September breeding season, although most construction work would be more than 100 metres away from the owls' nesting tree. The new report concluded the owls were already accustomed to human noise and intervention, meaning night lighting and additional noise were unlikely to disturb their nest. However, the report recommended helicopters using during construction be permitted to 425 metres above ground level and no lower. A proposed helicopter restriction zone was also recommended to be expanded further around East Ithaca Creek to prevent further disturbance of the birds.

"Helicopter-supported construction must not be undertaken within 250 m lateral distance of the nest tree between May 1 and September 30, this includes overfly of the zone at less than 1400 feet above ground level" the report concluded. "This requirement must be identified as a condition of development consent. However, the condition must allow for this restriction to be removed if monitoring determines that breeding has not occurred." The council will hold three pop-up consultation sessions for community members over the first two weeks of December at JC Slaughter Falls, at South Bank and the Queen Street Mall.