MAYOR'S VISION TO LIFT TOURISM

A CHAIRLIFT running from atop the Toowoomba Range to the lush Lockyer Valley, taking in sweeping views and showcasing the region, could be on the cards.

Drawing inspiration from a plan first conceived 14 years ago, the chairlift would run from the Quarry Gardens to the bottom of the Toowoomba Range.

“It’s a long-term dream, but a dream worth having,” Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio said.

Plans to transform the disused Bridge St quarry were first conceived in 2003 when the council outlined the concept of Etopia which included an eco-hotel, conference facility, amphitheatre, cafe, visitor centre and a souvenir shop.

Cr Antonio said plans had been shelved after funding for a business case was lost with a change of state government, but with an election looming, the chairlift and tourism push were back on the table.

“It has been a long-term dream but it is still a dream,” he said.

“We either need to have it on the table, or prove why it won’t work.

“Maybe coming in to an election is the time to think and talk about it.”

Residents have thrown their support behind the move on social media where Cr Antonio first put the chairlift idea to the public.

He said the next step was to fund a business case to prove if the development was viable.