Are We Watching the Same Story Unfold Again?
For many Springbrook residents, the renewed push for a cableway into one of Australia’s most environmentally sensitive landscapes feels strangely familiar.
The Gold Coast City Council is continuing investigations into a proposed cableway linking the Gold Coast to Springbrook, a World Heritage-listed section of the Gondwana Rainforests. Council’s own pre-feasibility work suggested the project could attract hundreds of thousands of additional visitors annually and generate significant tourism revenue.
Supporters describe the proposal as a world-class ecotourism opportunity.
Critics see something very different.
Learning from Tasmania
Anyone wanting to understand how these projects can rapidly gather momentum should examine the long-running cableway proposal for Mount Wellington (kunanyi) in Tasmania.
Major tourism infrastructure projects often advance in stages:
Stage 1: Feasibility and Route Selection
The public is told that nothing has been decided.
Consultants are engaged.
Route options are explored.
Business cases are developed.
Community consultation begins.
Stage 2: Infrastructure Preparation
Supporting infrastructure starts appearing.
Road upgrades.
Bridge upgrades.
Power upgrades.
Land acquisitions.
Tourism hubs.
Transport connections.
Each project appears separate when viewed individually.
Taken together, they begin to form a larger picture.
Stage 3: Commitment
Once significant funds have been invested and supporting infrastructure is in place, the pressure to proceed becomes much greater.
Opponents are then often portrayed as standing in the way of “progress.”
Many Springbrook residents believe we are currently somewhere between Stages 1 and 2.
Why Residents Are Asking Questions
Several recent developments have raised community concerns.
The City of Gold Coast purchased the 63-hectare Eaglemont Estate for more than $10 million, describing it as a future ecotourism destination. Mayor Tom Tate publicly acknowledged that the site could potentially serve as a future landing point for a cableway.
At the same time:
- Additional tourism investigations are underway.
- Environmental assessments are being commissioned.
- Route corridor investigations continue.
- Major infrastructure upgrades are occurring throughout the broader hinterland region.
Residents are increasingly asking whether these projects are genuinely independent or whether they form part of a larger long-term vision for transforming the Springbrook region.
The Water Question
The recently completed Springbrook Groundwater Investigation found that Springbrook’s aquifers, streams, waterfalls and ecosystems are tightly interconnected.
The report concluded that groundwater-dependent ecosystems exist throughout the plateau and recommended stronger monitoring and regulation of groundwater extraction. It also acknowledged that the region has not yet been studied during prolonged drought conditions, meaning key environmental thresholds remain unknown.
This raises important questions:
Can Springbrook safely accommodate a dramatic increase in visitor numbers?
Can its water resources sustain expanded tourism infrastructure?
What impacts could additional development have on the springs, waterfalls, creeks and wildlife that make Springbrook internationally significant?
These questions remain unanswered.
The Missing Conversation
Perhaps the greatest concern expressed by residents is not the cableway itself.
It is the speed at which multiple major projects appear to be advancing simultaneously while the broader community still lacks access to a clear, detailed master plan explaining how all of the pieces fit together.
The public deserves transparency.
If there is a larger vision for Springbrook’s future, it should be openly presented, independently assessed, and subjected to full public scrutiny before irreversible decisions are made.
A World Heritage Responsibility
Springbrook is not simply another tourism destination.
It is part of a globally recognised World Heritage landscape containing ancient Gondwanan ecosystems, threatened species, critical water catchments and places of profound cultural significance.
Once large-scale infrastructure is built in such places, there is no going back.
The question facing decision-makers is not whether tourism can generate revenue.
The question is whether short-term economic opportunities should outweigh our responsibility to protect one of Australia’s most important natural treasures for future generations.
Because once wilderness is lost, no amount of money can buy it back.
Editor’s Note: The Gold Coast City Council has not publicly released a final route, design, or approval pathway for any Springbrook cableway. Investigations and environmental assessments are ongoing, and community consultation is expected to continue before any final decisions are made.
Sources:
Official Gold Coast City Council Sources
Springbrook Cableway Project
City of Gold Coast – Springbrook Cableway Project
Springbrook Eaglemont Estate Master Plan
City of Gold Coast – Eaglemont Estate Master Plan Consultation
ABC News Coverage
Gold Coast Council Purchases Eaglemont Estate
ABC News – Gold Coast City Council Buys $10 Million Eaglemont Estate
Springbrook Cableway Investigation Continues
ABC News – Springbrook Cableway Edges Forward With Environmental Assessments
Environmental and Community Organisations
Queensland Conservation Council
Queensland Conservation Council – Council Urged to Drop Springbrook Cableway
Queensland Conservation Council Campaign
Queensland Conservation Council – No Cableway in Springbrook National Park
Gecko Environment Council
Gecko Environment Council – Cableway No Way Campaign
National Parks Association of Queensland
NPAQ – Conservationists Dismayed at Push for Cableway in World Heritage Area
National Parks Association of Queensland
NPAQ – Respect Springbrook Mountain Campaign
Media Reports Regarding Funding, Consortiums and Route Investigations
Courier Mail – Consortium Interest in $170 Million Cableway
Courier Mail – Council Funding and Preferred Route Investigations
Springbrook Groundwater Investigation Report
The most important scientific document currently available:
Springbrook Groundwater Investigation (SGI) Final Report 2025
This report contains findings relevant to:
- Groundwater extraction
- Water table sustainability
- Aquifer connectivity
- Groundwater-dependent ecosystems
- UNESCO World Heritage values
- Risks associated with hydrological change
- Recommendations for groundwater regulation and transparency
Mount Wellington / Kunanyi Cableway History (Tasmania)
For your comparison article, these are useful background sources:
Mount Wellington Cableway Company
Tasmanian Government Planning History
Kunanyi / Mount Wellington Cableway History Overview
The Mount Wellington project is particularly relevant because it demonstrates how large tourism infrastructure proposals often progress through:
- Feasibility studies and route selection.
- Supporting infrastructure and land acquisition.
- Final approvals and project commitment.
Many Springbrook residents see similarities between that process and current developments occurring around the Springbrook cableway proposal.
These links should give you a solid evidence base for an updated blog post while clearly distinguishing between verified facts, council plans, environmental concerns, and community speculation.
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