Guardians of Glass House Mountains

February 2026

Rising from the coastal plain, the Glass House Mountains are far more than a dramatic skyline; they are a place of deep cultural meaning, rare ecology and shared community identity.

For decades, quarrying has operated in their shadow, predating the area’s recognition as a National Heritage Landscape in 2006 and, more recently, the Sunshine Coast’s designation as a UNESCO Biosphere in 2022. In 2026, a proposal to deepen the Glasshouse quarry marks a new and confronting chapter.

While industry argues the need to meet regional growth, many locals are concerned about the environmental, cultural and visual impacts of taking the landscape ever deeper. In a region celebrated globally for balancing people and place, a question now sits with the community: how much is too much?

Community members, Traditional Owners, artists and advocates speak from the heart about what the Glass House Mountains mean to them, and what their future should hold:

Senior Elder Uncle Kenny Murphy

For the Jinibara People, the Glass House Mountains are our ancestral spirits. The mountains are a family, with Tibrogargan the father mountain always looking out to safeguard his family, Beerwah the mother mountain always pregnant, and the other mountains in the group are their children. The mountains have always looked after the Jinibara People, and it is our responsibility to look after them and the land around them as effectively this is where the ancestral spirits have chosen to camp. The Jinibara People who were trained properly by their Elders do not believe the quarry at the base of Coonowrin should be there as it is damaging the mountain and his camping place.

Megan

I am not here to fight. I am here to protect – my home, my children’s home, this living landscape, and my fellow neighbours. This is the intention I carry in my heart. The only way we can do this is in solidarity, as one community, with all of our community. We are human beings connected to these mountains, and these mountains are asking us now to stand up, each in our own way. There may not be many of us, but every voice matters. If we stay silent, if we do not speak, if we do not act, then nothing changes. And yes, it is frightening. I have never been to court. I have never been an activist. And yet, here I am. Because I love these mountains. They have changed my life. They are worth standing for.

Dean Reilly

My name’s Dean Reilly and I’m an artist grounded in a deep respect for the land and the stories it holds. Living and creating on the Sunshine Coast, I’m constantly drawn to the quiet power of the Glass House Mountains, not just as subjects of beauty, but as ancient presences that shape who we are.

In a region growing faster than ever, it’s easy to see these mountains as scenery or resource, but they’re so much more. They’re sentinels of time, sacred to First Nations people, and central to the identity of this place. What if we chose to see them not through the lens of what they can give us, but what they already are? Not just material assets, but living beings, worthy of reverence, protection, and pause. In a time of rapid change, they offer us something very rare, stillness, memory, and the chance to belong to something greater than ourselves.

Theresa

The first time I drove past the Glass House Mountains in 1982 was a mystical experience for me. I had only recently immigrated from the United States, yet I felt the strongest sense of connection and belonging to this place. Three years ago, the opportunity to live amongst these mountains arrived, and it felt like a homecoming. Initially, I had no idea the quarry existed nearby. I soon learned the truth however when I experienced a quarry blasting event at home, on a quiet morning. At first, I thought there had been an earthquake, but later my housemate told me about the quarry. I was shocked. It felt so wrong to me that this sort of industry was allowed in such a culturally significant area. Shortly after I learned of the bid to expand the quarry, and about the Save Our Glass House Mountains community. Immediately I knew I wanted to be involved to help protect this special place.

Gerard

I cannot understand why these unique mountains are not already protected from mining, even for their sheer beauty and presence alone? They have been here for many millions of years. If we cannot raise our concerns to preserve something that we consider most beautiful, then what is this saying about our current state of humanity? Multinational mining corporations have a long track record of destroying the environment, along with the richness of habitat and the ancient cultural heritage of the land, for the sake of maximum profit. These Glass House Mountains are sacred to the local Jinibara people, and we must do all that we can to preserve them for our children and future generations to come.

Lily

As part of a younger generation, it’s heartbreaking to watch ongoing environmental damage, especially in a place as significant as the Glass House Mountains. Once this land is altered, it cannot be restored, there is no undo button. This isn’t just about one place. If a National Heritage listed area can be damaged, what’s stopping the same thing from happening across the country? I struggle to understand why continued extraction from the earth is prioritised when innovation and alternatives exist, we’re creating cars that can drive themselves, yet still choose to blast the earth? It is future generations who will live with the consequences, which is why it’s our time to stand up and protect what ultimately gives us life.

Burnice

I love these mountains. I grew up at Redcliffe, so I’ve always been looking over to this landscape. I have been a hiker, and I’ve hiked around most of them. I’ve climbed one or two, but I don’t do that now. I’m a bird watcher, so my heart breaks when they start blasting. Nobody sends out a memo to the wildlife. Our glossy black cockatoos are a vulnerable bird species and their flyways, nesting trees and food and water sources are getting dusted by quarry blasts. They might not drop dead at that moment, but they could have a heart attack and/or lose their habitat.

Sarah

The Glass House Mountains are approximately 25 million years old. They hold the history of this land, its plants, animals and culture. I understand they are very significant. In a short window of just over 200 years, this land has been all but decimated to a point where any attempt at rehabilitation will be useless. If we allow them to be further destroyed, we are setting a precedent. They are irreplaceable. Once they are gone, they are gone forever. This needs to be stopped.

Maree

I just love the mountains. I’m very much an earth person. I’ve been driving around Australia for 10 years in a van and I now live on the land here in my van. People ask, what’s the reason for standing up to protect them? I just love them. They’re important. I can feel their energy. I’m particularly connected with Beerwah. When I was 1000 miles away, I could actually feel her energy.