A tourist from Belgium says why she fell in love with Cleveland and decided to spend many months here.
Other letters discuss the proposed Redlands Whitewater Centre, questioning its viability and impact on koala bushland.
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A Note From A Tourist staying in Cleveland
When I arrived in Australia last year, April, I did not have a plan ready to do travelling.
I started out in the little town of Quirindi, NSW, and spent some time with an old friend before I left and started my journey, just going along with whatever came my way.
Travelling to Sydney, Manly(NSW), Wollongong, Kiama, Melbourne, Portarlington, Darwin and arrived here, Cleveland in November.
Staying in Raby Bay with views on the marina, I immediately fell in love with this beautiful region.
I believe that in the point of view of a tourist, Cleveland ticks a lot of boxes.
Beautiful nature and wildlife all in walking distance, stunning views of the moonrise at the sea side, a pretty town centre with great coffee shops, a nice library and a wonderful aquatic centre and good public transport.
If this isn’t enough to satisfy your touristic needs you can easily catch a train into Brisbane and experience the city life or you can catch a ferry to beautiful Coochiemudlo Island or Stradbroke Island.
Being so impressed with all the above, I decided to stay here in Raby Bay until I leave back for Belgium in April 2025.
Everyday I discover something new and I meet lovely people who all give me tips on where to go to spot wildlife.
I went on the Discovery Walk at Oyster Point Park last Saturday and there I even got to see my first koala up in a tree and that beats any koala I have seen in any zoo!
Valerie
Belgium
My Eight Whitewater Questions
As the process for selecting Olympic venues has played out, there are some very real issues that should disturb every ratepayer in Redland City. Piecing together all of the snippets of information that have escaped the Cone of Secrecy that seems to surround most Redland City Council initiatives, I am concerned about the potential outcomes for ratepayers, especially the financial ones.
This letter is focused on the planned financial outcomes. I ask myself these questions:
- In the business plan, touted as positive, is there a separate plan for each of :
The Olympic Whitewater Facility?
The Resilience Training Centre (speciously retrofitted to the plan for Olympic “New Norm” compliance)?
The Birkdale Community Precinct? - Is there a consideration in the plan for any of the above venues to subsidise one another?
- Which of the above facilities have committed funding?
- Are Redlands ratepayers fully responsible for funding related infrastructure we would not normally fund?
- Are the ratepayers responsible for losses incurred if the Whitewater venue is unsustainable?
- How is the risk of unprofitability characterised, and what are the mitigation strategies?
- What are the perceived benefits to ratepayers if the Centre is a success?
- Why can’t residents see the business plan, and make their assessment, or perhaps seek an independent assessment?
Our Council have assured us all is well – if there’s a chance this abominable plan will go ahead, I’d like to see an independent opinion of the Business Plan to make me feel a tiny bit better about this proposal or bring to light its deficiencies.
D.C.
Thornlands
Save our koala bushland in Birkdale
We live in a beautiful semi-rural part of Sheldon and have now lived here for three years. Over that time we have seen many wallabies and a host of bird life, even on our own property, but we have never seen a single koala in this area.
The recorded history of Sheldon indicates that just 150 years ago it was a haven for koalas. In fact back then people used to shoot koalas in order to sell their pelts. That is sad I know and we cannot change the past. But we can work to save as much of the remaining koala habitat as possible.
About 80% of Redlanders surveyed for their opinion of Whitewater showed residents do not want to see the koala bushland of Birkdale destroyed in order to construct a white-water kayaking centre that would be used for two weeks in 2032.
Then it would need to be maintained at ratepayer expense and we are talking big bucks.
Many residents and some councillors are saying that there is already a functional white-water centre at Penrith, built at huge cost. Surely we should be using that for the 2032 Olympics.
Even the next Olympics (Los Angeles in 2028) are holding the whitewater events well away from LA, in Oklahoma and that is further than Penrith to Redlands.
The logic seems impeccable, the Brisbane 2032 Olympics should use Penrith Whitewater Stadium.
Dr Dennis Tafe
Sheldon
More Letters To Redlands2030
Redlands community concerns in letters to the editor
Footpath fail, new Toondah plans and Olympic venues review in letters to Redlands2030
The opinions by the tourist from Belgium should ring the alarm for the Redlands Information Centre, her opinion didn’t mention the VIC as a source of anything and yet she found the heritage walk function organised by the Toondah Alliance.
The experience of ane international tourist may not dictate how this should be done but is the VIC isn’t switched on to what is actually happening that visitors might like to do (and clearly she did enjoy the experiences) then what does the VIC do?
But I was interested in DC’s questions and the response from the Redlands City Council, will Council respond of leave the questions “on the table”.
Dave
Interesting to read what tourist Valerie from Belgium had to say about Cleveland….and how seeing a koala in the wild beats seeing one in the zoo. But..I’m reminded of ex Labor Member for Capalaba Jim Elder telling my then neighbor, Lyn, the only koala to be seen in future, is in the zoo. Member of Redland Sporting Club also looked at me and said: “Sorry Amy, but the Redland koala is doomed”! Lyn left after raising family here, when our specially protected wetland site on Coolnwynpin Ck under Koala Coast Policy, was handed over to commercial developer of Alexandra Hills, Peter Endacott, who claimed the area was not a wetland. After destroying koala food trees for mulch, it took several weeks to fill the mini-crater with imported soil. Tried speaking up for our koalas at final meeting but Cr Ross had his foot across bench to prevent entry. Item was third on Agenda but due to my presence was moved to first, so when I entered, Cr Decalie Newton, Wellington Pt, looked up at me and stated ‘it’s over, Amy’. Only 3 councillors were there, others had not yet arrived. Drove home to the site. and shed tears seeing young koala reaching for new leaf, knowing that soon it would perish along with rest of the colony on Crotona Rd creek bank as Redland City Council do not value koalas. It’s well known prolific, popular developers Fiteni & Son, admitted to hating koalas, and in Capalaba we have helplessly stood by and watched as trees have been bulldozed with koalas still in them.. Fiteni has reputation of taking boundary trees as well when clearing land to develop. Latest I saw was opposite Willard’s on Old Cleveland Rd East, where boundary trees were taken too, seeing squashed ring tail possums, protected species, on road next day. This should give readers an idea on how Redland City Council view koalas in the wild in Redland City.
I retired to Redlands 9 years ago and thought the place was a marvel. I still think that a lot of it is good, even road conditions are better than in many other places. However, in 9 years I still have to see a koala in Redlands. Not even at Indigiscapes, where I walked a few times, did I see a koala. I’m opposing the whitewater rafting area, they can go to Penrith. We don’t need that white elephant and the expensive maintenance we would be stuck with. We need to protect every koala tree we still have.
I opposed the Toondah development, happy that is canceled now. We need to preserve the Redlands character and not let it be destroyed by developers who will cut trees and put up towering apartment buildings. We may need a few low rise buildings to take the place of old single family homes, but let’s not destroy the character of the place. We should beware not to become a copy of the Gold Coast, where character has completely disappeared, and crime is flourishing.
Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast are developers’ paradise, keep them out of Redlands. And let the Council be more open. We are a democracy, let the sunshine in.!