Redlands PDA Schemes

Petition – Stop Toondah Harbour development

Here is a link to an on-line petition initiated by Naomi Bull in May 2015.

Expressions of Interest

On 19 June 2014 the Redland City Council and the LNP State Government issued an Expression of Interest invitation for Priority Development Area (PDA) development in and around Toondah Harbour and Weinam Creek.

Here is a link to where you can view the Expression of Interest invitation.
Toondah and Weinam Creek Expressions of Interest

Toondah Harbour Background
Toondah Harbour in Cleveland was established in the 1970s to support sand mining at North Stradbroke Island. The ferry service, now a monopoly controlled by Transit Systems Pty Ltd, also services residents and a growing tourism industry.

In the 1980s, the Cleveland community overwhelmingly rejected attempts to develop canal estates and marinas in the area to the north of Toondah Harbour. A petition with more than 12,000 signatures was submitted to Parliament. In 2007 the developer friendly Redlands Council led by former Mayor Don Secombe secretly planned the development of a 400 berth marina in this area.

Priority Development Area (PDA) Scheme
In 2013 the Redland City Council handed development control of Toondah Harbour and the surrounding area to the State Government, using the Priority Development Area (PDA) provisions of the Economic Development Act 2012 which limit opportunities for communities and interest groups to comment on issues of concern.

Early in 2014, the Council and the State Government put forward for consultation a draft development scheme with an 800 berth marina and buildings up to 15 storeys in and around G.J. Walter Park. Although various technical reports had been completed these were not made publicly available until well after the consultation period closed.

Environmental Issues
The proposed development scheme raises serious environmental concerns. The plan provides for a road through G.J. Walter Park right next to a koala corridor. The area proposed for marina development is in the Moreton Bay Ramsar site. Any dredging in this area would destroy sea grass beds, mangroves and tidal mudflats which provide habitats for vulnerable and endangered species such as dugongs, turtles and migratory shorebirds.

Community Concerns
Community concerns about the proposed Toondah Harbour scheme have resulted in a campaign of protests, submissions and petitions calling for the Toondah Harbour scheme to be withdrawn.

Scheme Approved and Submissions Report Released
On 31 May, the Government issued a media statement announcing that it had approved revised Priority Development Area Development Schemes for both Toondah Harbour and Weinam Creek.

The Government has also released a Submissions Report for each PDA consultation process.

The submissions reports provide considerable detail about issues raised. They also include the Government’s responses to issues raised. However, they do not provide any quantitative analysis of the views that were expressed by the community. This means that a reading of the submissions reports gives no indication as to whether or not the submissions were generally in favour of or opposed to each scheme.

Here are:
Toondah Harbour approved PDA Development Scheme released 31 May 2014

Toondah Harbour Submissions Report released 31 May 2014

and for reference here is the Draft Toondah Harbour PDA Development Scheme released for consultation in January 2014

and
Weinam Creek approved PDA Development Scheme

Weinam Creek Submissions Report

Go to News and Views about Toondah Harbour