Community dissatisfaction with Redland City Council, plaudits for the recent Welcome Back Shorebirds event, and concerns about the “madness” of the planned development of apartments in Moreton Bay feature in letters published this week.
Letters to the editor are a traditional path for people to express concerns, views, and attitudes to the things that are important to them.
Please email your letters to: theeditor@Redland2030.net
Council polls poorly
Readers of letters to Redlands2030 are all well aware that a survey of residents was carried out on behalf of Redland City Council. It showed that only 19% of people were satisfied with management of growth and development. This was a significant drop from 35% in 2017.
Apparently information was leaked to Redland City Bulletin (31/07/19) which indicated “that the council ranked far below average – 58.3% – in managing the city. ” Clearly, many of the decisions made within Redland City Council are heavily biased towards developers and development. A recent council meeting was very annoying to any observer. It was the meeting of Wednesday 7th August and it demonstrated what can wrong.
This voting exercise was recorded on video tape from start to finish and was later reported in the Redland City Bulletin (RCB) (same date). The issue concerned the reclassification of land in a koala protected habitat from bushland to rehabilitation land. The developer (understandably) wanted the land to be reclassified so that they could construct 59 home units on the land. To do that, the best way forward was the removal of remaining eucalyptus trees.
The council meeting started with a 7-minute address by a spokesman for the development company, followed by a discussion between councillors and then voting. The result of the vote was 7-3 in favour of the reclassification so that the development could proceed. Although heavily timbered prior to 2013 according to the RCB report “tree clearing had been approved by the Council in 2013 and 2016, based on arborist reports. ” One councillor quite correctly pointed out that these blocks of land that were heavily treed before 2013, had since been cleared so they resemble a football field.
It seems our environment is being given away by the process of a thousand cuts. This is not good enough in my mind. If we wish to retain koalas in the Redlands it is essential that we maintain large sections of mature eucalypt forest, especially in the koala protected zones. Certain councillors have the audacity to link proposals for high density unit development with the future of tourism in the Redlands.
Do they not realise that koalas in the wild and a healthy bay with dugong, dolphins and migrating whales are what attracts tourists, not ten storey blocks of units?
DT
Victoria Point
Shorebirds welcome
The effort last Saturday with the Welcome Back to the Shorebirds was a credit to all involved. The model birds, the birdwatching telescopes and the koala walk were a great way to show what is at risk.
Your speakers were first rate and the introduction of Milly Formby was a gem.
All of the exhibitions put on by all the groups involved was informative, interesting and well worth the time taken to visit the stall holders.
I understand the fire situation on Straddie “clouded’ some aspects but bringing the helicopters into the show was a bonus.
In a word or two, a great day. Best part was seeing the flock emerge and of course the strawberries. Hoping for bigger and better next year.
CS
Carindale
Madness in the Bay
Having attended the Welcome Back Shorebirds Festival on Saturday the 21st at Cleveland, I wonder just how many Courier-Mail readers are aware of the proposal to build 3,600 units on the site at the Toondah Harbour in Cleveland.
This development will destroy a healthy Moreton Bay, gateway to North Stradbroke Island and a habitat for birds, while encroaching on the koalas habitat, as trees are felled for the process (NOT progress!)
Theoretically protected by RAMSAR (an internationally recognised convention to protect wetlands) it seems to have been handed over to a developer by politicians.
Apart from this appalling situation being extremely destructive it will also add at least 3,600 cars to the area and potentially 30,000 vehicle movements per day to local roads. These roads are already struggling and so the development seems, to me, like utter madness.
Then we continually hear about the glut of apartments in Brisbane and surrounds. So why is this idea being given any consideration all?
I would be interested in just how many people know about this madness and what we can do about it.
JF
Kenmore
More letters
Previously published letter can be found in the following posts:
- Adani and UNESCO inspire letters on Toondah
- Letters to the editor on climate, elections and citizen journalism
Letters published by Redlands2030 – 28 September 2019
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net
4 Comments
Why did Council give permission in 2013 and 2016 for ” tree clearing to be approved in koala protected habitat ” by the owner, which prepared the way for this precious bushland to be downgraded in the first place? WHY? What is the use of zoning to protect habitat, if mature koala trees can just be razed to suit a developer? Why was discussion restricted to a representative from a developer? So tired of the decisions ALWAYS favouring development, regardless of environmental balance and community wishes.
I write from Victoria to add my dismay at the proposed Walker development at Toondah Harbour in Cleveland to the myriad letters, emails and protesters, who have quite rightfully questioned the wisdom of such a proposal in the first instance. The world-wide protests that extinction of species is not being addressed or even taken seriously by governments is demonstrated in this case alone. The international Ramsar Treaty has specifically been put in place to protect wildlife habitat. All sides and degrees of our parliamentary system appear to be ignoring it by even considering this outrageous proposal and its obvious effects on the future of many species of wildlife. The huge numbers of species in Australia that have already become extinct on our watch is phenomenal. Beside the well documented contempt expressed by many politicians and developers in the past with regard to the very existence and worth of the humblest of small creatures and even mangroves! Such ignorance is hard to contemplate and must be challenged to prevent more destruction.
A comment on council operating poorly, they seem to get voted in and they do have so much in dollars backing from investors etc.
The public needs to take more of an interest and vote against badly managed councils.
Or is it that they do take an interest, but its on the greedy part of it all.
Today I have spoken to two of the officers at Redland Bay Police Station, which is still only manned from 8am to 4pm weekdays and not on weekends or public holidays despite the huge increase in the population of the Redlands. Our Qld State Members for Redlands and Capalaba still don’t appear to appreciate the level of crime we are experiencing over the last 5 years in the Redlands so the Police have issued an invitation to please call in and find out. Neither of these politicians have assisted the Redlands with either congestion problems on single lane main roads or with vandalism. The Council has actually hindered the efforts of our understaffed Police Force by continuing to obstruct the urgent requests for CCTV surveillance cameras at ferry terminals and major shopping centres. Let’s hope things are now changing and I’m happy to report that Redlands Police have now caught a number of the offenders who were vandalising cars at Weinam Creek. In case you think the LNP were doing a better job when they were governing the Redlands area, the numbers of police employed did not keep pace with the population increase and they actually used police to book motorists doing a couple of kilometres over the limit in an effort to boost their State Government coffers.