Now it is used for a water supply to the township. Fresh water is continually pumped from the Herbert River into Warruma, then pumped out of there into holding tanks for the town supply. At the , Mount Garnet had a population of 458. At the , Mount Garnet had a population of 433 people. The Mount Garnet area has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:  Mount Garnet State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Garnet Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 50 students with 4 teachers and 6 non-teaching staff (4 full-time equivalent). A railway was authorised to be built from Lappa, on the then Chillagoe Railway and Mines Company's line, to Mount Garnet by the Mount Garnet Freehold Mining Company in 1897. It suffered a rather shaky construction period and it was not until 11 January 1904 that the line was ready as far as a flood-damaged Return Creek bridge, across that creek from the town. It took another eleven years before trains could officially negotiate the bridge to the Mount Garnet station. The line was taken over by the Government from 23 December 1914. It closed on 1 July 1961. During the life of the railway, minerals, timber, cattle and crops were moved to coastal ports and goods, mining machinery were brought in. The railway bridge at Mount Garnet, which ceased being used in 1961, was demolished by the big flood of 1967. The remains can still be seen in Return Creek. The rail track was lifted in 1961 and is now used as a vehicle road to Lappa Lappa Junction. This road is only negotiable by four wheel drives but is a very nice drive. Culverts along the track were remarkably made by stonemasons and still stand with many still serving their purpose by channelling water through to creeks and gullies. Today, the transport comes in the form of semi's and trucks. Being the "Gateway to the Coast" and "Gateway to the Gulf", this section of the Kennedy Highway is quite busy, particularly when the Bruce Highway is closed from flooding. In the 1930s several cattle stations were established within the community as well as farms that grew many crops, including tobacco, potatoes, corn and peanuts. Various mining operations, as well as lime production, are in operation today just outside the town. The Mount Garnet branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at QCWA Hall at 16 Garnet Street.