Sunrise at Toondah Harbour

Sunrise at Toondah Harbour

Community voices of all ages question the real benefits of the Toondah Harbour mega development and express dismay at the environmental impacts on the wonderland that is Moreton Bay. Environmental tourism on Straddie must be protected and enhanced post mining, not devastated by massive apartment towers on reclaimed land. Parking solutions to meet the real needs of Toondah Harbour and, now, the major redevelopment of the Donald Simpson Centre are still missing in action.

Toondah parking needs to be fixed and free

Toondah Harbour overflow car parking

Toondah Harbour overflow car parking

I am a 76 year-old grandmother and live in Cleveland. I attend the Donald Simpson Centre Monday, Wednesday and Friday for sewing, yoga and Pilates.

I have grave concerns about the Toondah Harbour redevelopment. Already the many cars of island visitors and residents are parked right up to the Cleveland township on weekends and holidays, and you want to build 3,600 more units? The Cleveland CBD already has so many empty shops, why build more? Why pull custom away from our town centre? We should instead be investing in local businesses – not driving them to the wall.

Toondah Harbour parking for island visitors and residents needs to be fixed and free. This will encourage people to visit the islands – not burden them with more costs.

I hear the Donald Simpson Centre is going to be redeveloped. Why? Why hasn’t anyone spoken to my sewing group of over 60 women, to ask what our needs are? Based on the way this Council conducts business, I have no faith in its ability to address the simplest of community needs such as adequate parking.

Yours sincerely
Doris Duncan

 

Don’t destroy the Cleveland foreshore

Mangroves south of Toondah Harbour

Mangroves south of Toondah Harbour

I am 11 years old and have grown up on North Stradbroke Island. I have experienced the ocean, beaches, foreshores, lakes and waterways in the Bay. I attended Dunwich Primary School and learnt about the Bay and its amazing creatures; the turtles, dugong, manta rays and sting rays also mangroves and seagrasses.

The redevelopment of the ferry terminal in Cleveland is so big. The ocean is already suffering with pollution and so many animals and birds have already lost their homes due to construction on the water’s edge. Why do we need to keep doing that? When I was younger I loved to visit the neighbouring islands and snorkel around loads of special spots in Moreton Bay. If things like this keep happening people won’t be able to grow up and experience the amazing things I grew up with.

This project will destroy the Cleveland foreshore even more than it is already. You plan to take these beautiful places away from not just the animals and birds, but the people who live here. I am always doing beach clean-ups, filming soldier crabs, photographing birds and saving little animals. I won’t be able to care for the environment if you destroy it with huge developments like this. You shouldn’t have that right to take these treasures from us.

Annabelle Nette

 

Every foreshore site is precious

Mudflats and seagrass near Toondah Harbour

Mudflats and seagrass near Toondah Harbour

I have lived on North Stradbroke Island for the last 15 years. I am a property investor, both on island and mainland locations, also a professional and academic.

A big attraction for me moving to the island was its unique environment. In a post mining economy across the country I understand that environmental tourism presents wonderful opportunity. There are many island businesses built around environmental tourism and there is considerable effort gone into the branding of the island and Bay as a world-class environmental and cultural destination. Why do anything to threaten that? Doctoring the unique ecology of Toondah Harbour by building out into the Bay itself with reclaimed sand, will cause untold devastation to the habitats in and around the harbour.

People don’t want to come to see buildings. Discerning tourists will want to see facilities sensitively designed to be in unison with the natural ecology – not bulldozing, dredging and a built environment which pays no regard to stakeholders which include business owners, architects, culture workers and the children who will have to pay in perpetuity for the devastation this initiative engenders.

When does this stop? In ten, 20 or 200 year’s time? Put a stop to it now. Due to diminishing foreshores across the world, every site remaining is precious. For goodness sake we are identified as part of a Ramsar site – an ecological wonderland of remarkable diversity. Why undertake anything that threatens that? How uncannily short sighted to put the glitzy pizzazz of a maxi development by a global corporate ahead of community, common sense and the fragile ecology of our regions greatest asset.

Be a leader by stepping into a space of global preservation rather than devastation.

Jo Kaspari

 

Letters published by Redlands2030 – 1 October 2016

6 Comments

Tony Bellette, Oct 07, 2016

Words cannot express my profound disgust with the pro development previous Williams council and those currently holding office.

Amy Glade, Oct 02, 2016

As stated above by Annabelle and Jo, every foreshore is precious and must remain free of human encroachment. I recall hearing in the US that no person can own ocean beach fronts. They are for the people, all of the people, for all time. Same should apply here on the Toondah waterfront. As has been stated by many Redland residents over many months, time after time after time to Qld State government’s infrastructure minister, Jackie Trad, and here I’m repeating it again: “Stop the rort, fix the port”.

Megan Forward, Oct 02, 2016

I do hope that this development does not go ahead. The environment is more important than redevelopment in this area in my opinion.

Beverley Hall, Oct 01, 2016

How impressive to receive 3 letters from such diverse age-groups as this; they are all relevant and to the point. As Doris says, the Council should concentrate on fixing the parking around Toondah Harbour, instead of attempting to shove more people into the area, and as for the Donald Simpson Centre – looks like another badly-planned ‘upgrade.’
Very well said Annabelle. If Council won’t listen to us, maybe they will listen to you.
Jo, you are absolutely correct – people don’t come to see buildings, they do want to see natural beauty and facilities sensitively designed to be in unison with the natural ecology.

Lynn, Oct 01, 2016

I agree with Jo Kaspari and her/his intelligent, thoughtful, heartfelt comments about Moreton Bay and it’s environs. How can our Local Council and State Government continue headlong into this disastrous over-development of Toondah Harbour after all the public submissions and continual outcry from those who love and value the natural beauty and diversity of Moreton Bay.

Yes, tourism is the future (even according to Council) BUT these same tourists will be attracted to Moreton Bay by its ‘natural’ assets NOT highrise apartment blocks that they can see in major cities around the world.

It angers me that our elected ‘representatives’ DO NOT represent the wishes of their electorate but instead completely ignore the pleas for restraint and continue to chase the almighty dollar and from developers ie campaign donors.

What is the use of having RAMSAR protection if it can be ignored so blatantly and so easily? The hypocrisy of our Council to approve this devastating (to the natural environment of Moreton Bay) development while making ‘feel good’ donations to other environmental groups would be considered laughable if it wasn’t so sad.

What needs to be done to ensure this Council listens to its ratepayers and represent the majority view? After all, developers are NOT ratepayers. They receive very generous discounts of development and associated fees, make their huge fortune, pay their ‘donations’, continue on their merry way and leave the locals to pick up the mess ie infrastructure requirements created by their new estates.

Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net

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