Winter Memorial Park in Capalaba
Letters to the Editor 15 July 2023
Capalaba needs attention to make it more ‘people friendly’ than it presently is, says a local resident.
People are homeless in the Redlands but is building 3,600 apartments at Toondah Harbour the answer?
Should bank branch closures be reviewed by some sort of independent process?
Have your say about local issues by emailing a short letter to: theeditor@redlands2030.net
Homeless in the Redlands
I urge you all to link into the Redlands2030 group and keep on top of what’s going on particularly concerning Toondah and the Olympic ‘whitewater elephant’.
First things first. We are seeing more and more homeless beggars appearing in the Redlands e.g. Birkdale and Wellington Point. The question for us is what is our Council doing to alleviate the problems. One initiative is to report empty housing to the authorities by questioning why these properties are continually left unoccupied.
As to the nasty effects of inflation down on main street, we ratepayers are not immune so look forward to higher Council fees and charges despite the fact that most Council fees are not normal consumer inflationary products. As usual, all we will have to do is cop it sweet and as our esteemed Council touts multi-million dollar development contracts at least make sure to remain proactive by having your say starting with a clean out at next year’s election.
Don’t forget that even if you feel powerless in the political process, if you do nothing then nothing changes. I welcome any feedback on these matters.
M.B.
Wellington Point
Hold the bank closures
I’d love there to be some sort of independent (of the banks) approval before the closure of local bank branches. Here in the Redlands, we suffered only a few years ago from NAB closing its well-supported Victoria Point branch, customers being diverted to its branch in Cleveland This is now to close from early September, with the NAB branch at Capalaba being the nominated replacement.
Lots of residents from the Bay Islands in particular have been grossly inconvenienced by these two closures by the NAB, whose customers, often of lengthy patronage (over 55 years in my case) are totally overlooked. It’s not good enough for the bank to offer Internet banking as an alternative. Many older residents may not be computer-savvy or are anyway insecure about internet use given the prevalence of scamming. The power of the banks over customers is frightening, and some controls need to be implemented so that customers come first.
L.W.
Redland Bay
Capalaba needs attention
Listened with interest to Mayor Williams relating how the 2023 Budget would be spent.
Capalaba missed out…again! Along with her voting bloc, it appears Capalaba is a ‘no go zone’ for beautification projects. For sure, no wonderful lifestyle here in Capalaba as our parks are neglected.
Winter Memorial Park on Mt Cotton Road is neglected badly. It has too little playground equipment to attract locals and the slide for toddlers has no shade cover … in Queensland, the skin cancer capital of the world.
Capalaba needs attention to make it more ‘people friendly’ than it presently is.
Amy Glade
Capalaba
The Toondah Harbour proposal
Redlanders are well acquainted with Walker Group’s proposal to build 3,600 units (maybe over 7,000 residents, or a small town). This urban misfit in 10-storey high towers, built over a period of 20 years, on environmentally sensitive Ramsar Wetlands and in a Marine (read national park) Park.
The Moreton Bay Ramsar Wetlands site at Cleveland Qld was declared in the mid-1990s, based on extensive scientific assessments, defended by wise minds, and equally as significant and important today, owing to the destruction of migratory bird and marine feeding grounds around the world.
Previous Federal and State government Ministers have promoted the proposal and discussed changing the Ramsar Wetlands boundaries to accommodate it. However, any change to delete or restrict a boundary must demonstrate the change is in the “urgent national interest”. This has never been invoked by any signatory nation. So far Government mapping reviews concluded that there is no justification for amending the Ramsar boundary at Cleveland.
It is fanciful and ridiculous to suggest “urgent national interest” is served by a private profit real estate scheme. No doubt the economic interests are high but it accrues (mainly) to the private sector.
Our politicians need to bring some common sense, integrity and decency to this debate. That would start by refusing the existing application, outright. Start again with a proper proposal, without secrecy being a central tenant, and serious options fully examined and concluded with a proper and timely consulted project.
R.P.
Wellington Point
Labor conference doesn’t support Toondah
Queensland Labor’s 59th State Conference was held at Mackay from 2-4 June 2023. The conference is the forum by which members of the Party get together to debate and form policy, to share ideas, and elect members to Party positions.
It is the resolutions of the conference that we watch closely, especially when Toondah related matters appear on the agenda.
This year was one of those occasions, and a significant Toondah related resolution was carried, without opposition or dissent at the Conference. As a result, this year’s State Conference resolution reads as follows:
“This Conference notes that Toondah Harbour is within the State Moreton Bay Marine Park and is listed as a Ramsar area – a wetland of international significance.
We further note that the proposed Toondah Harbour development is a product of the Newman Government, and was proposed by then Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Geoff Seeney. We note that in opposition the Queensland Parliamentary Labor Party committed to oppose the Priority Development Area that supports the development. In Government Labor failed to keep that commitment, and went on to support the development and advised the Federal Government as such.
This Conference therefore calls on the State and Federal Labor Governments to support our Party Platform positions, State and Federal, and not support this proposed development.”
Now the task before the community is to call on the elected members of the ALP to stand by the conference resolution. The credibility of the ALP is at risk as one can only wonder what would be the point of having a Party Conference and conference resolutions that are not taken up by the elected representatives including Government Ministers and local ALP members of Parliament.
Steve MacDonald
President – Redlands2030
More letters to the Editor
Council clean-out, Birkdale lands and G.J. Walter Park road plan – in letters
Birkdale Whitewater Proposal, Turtle Killings, And Toondah In Letters
Do Nothing And Nothing Changes – Letters To The Editor
Redlands2030 – 15 July 2023
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net