The Brisbane City Council has scrapped its support for the controversial Mt Coot-tha zipline project.

Key points: Brisbane's new Lord Mayor said he withdrew support based on views of the community

Brisbane's new Lord Mayor said he withdrew support based on views of the community The project would have been Australia's longest zipline, already costing council $300,000

The project would have been Australia's longest zipline, already costing council $300,000 Labor lord mayoral candidate Rod Harding said council's backflip was a political move

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said he had sought advice from the Council's chief executive and had advised Zipline Australia they were withdrawing support based on the views of the community.

"The majority think Mt Coot-tha is not the right spot for it," Cr Schrinner told ABC Radio Brisbane.

"I believe, and I believe the community believes, there are other locations where something like a zipline can occur.

"When we voted on this project in Council back in December 2017 there had been very little community feedback.

"You have to listen to people and then you have to make clear strong decisions and that's what we've done here."

Council had put $300,000 into the project, with the remainder of a budgeted $1 million to be spent on other improvement works for Mt Coot-tha.

The project had attracted the ire of many local residents, including local state MP Michael Berkman.

Map showing proposed zipline project on Mt Coot-tha in Brisbane. ( Supplied: Brisbane City Council )

The three-stage zipline had proposed a 1.5 kilometre treetop canopy tour, the skywalk with a 335-metre suspension bridge and the scenic zipline tour with six parallel lines travelling more than a kilometre from the summit's lookout to the Botanic Gardens.

In November 2017, Zipline Australia had received a thumbs-up from Brisbane City Council to lodge a development application for the project, with the former lord mayor Graham Quirk enthusiastically backing the environmental tourism proposal.

The project would have been Australia's longest zipline, giving thrill-seekers the chance to speed through the treetops for 1,500 metres.

Anne Boccabella from the Save Mt Coot-tha Stop Zipline group welcomed the decision but said the timing was interesting.

"We're very pleased we've saved the mountain and this is about the third time communities have had to go in and stop ludicrous developments on this mountain," she said.

"Calling it now right at the start of the federal election indicates to me it's probably playing out federally and in council.

"So they're doing it now to save their chances of winning Ryan but it would have played out into the council election as well."



Artist's impression of proposed suspension bridge as part of zipline project on Mt Coot-tha. ( Supplied: Brisbane City Council )

'This has been a debacle from the start'

Labor lord mayoral candidate Rod Harding said people would be glad to see the back of yet another poorly-planned farce cooked up during the heat of an election campaign.

He accused Cr Schrinner of trying to sneak the news out on the first day of the federal election campaign.

"This is a cynical political stunt that's all about Canberra, not Brisbane," Mr Harding said.

"When Cr Schrinner says he's been listening to Brisbane people, he means the LNP's backroom crew.

"This is simply a desperate ploy to save federal seats under threat on May 18 — and to look after a political mate who's running in Ryan."

Cr Schrinner denied it had anything to do with former councillor Julian Simmonds running in the seat of Ryan.

"We won't be making decisions based on individuals — that's not how good decisions are made and that's not about leadership," Cr Schrinner said.

Mr Harding queried the true cost of the project and called on Cr Schrinner to make all files on the zipline project available to the public.

"Until today, Cr Schrinner's been behind the zipline all the way. His council only recently sent out an $80,000 ad brochure telling every Brisbane home what a great project it was," he said.

"If he thought it was such a dud, why didn't he speak his mind as deputy mayor?

"This has been a debacle from the start — like the $47 million cost blowout on Kingsford Smith Drive, like the billion-dollar Metro that's ended up as bendy-buses, like the $6 million fountains that sunk, it was another back-of-the-envelope election stunt.

"This arrogant council thinks nothing of constantly plundering the public purse for millions of ratepayer dollars for stunts and self-promotion."