Redlanders ask questions about coastal protection and open space.

Redlanders are seeing the hypocrisy from all three tiers of Government in respect of policy positions. The community is seeing the words about protection of natural values and open space while actions of State, Federal and local governments do the opposite.

Do you want to make your point of view on these or other matters, send your letter to  Theeditor@redlands2030.net

Coast line protection and Toondah: It is hypercritical

R2030

I read RCB 17.3.21 the story “Council plan to protect our Coastline”. I was disgusted at the hypocrisy of the Mayor and her team when at the same time Council is pushing for Toondah Harbour. A development proposing to fill with soil and marine mud to make an island of 100 acres into the waters of Moreton Bay Marine Park in front of GJ Water Park in Cleveland. 

The plan is to build 3600 units, some in 10 story buildings, including a hotel and 400 berth marina.  This development will have a huge impact on our Marine Park and I am shocked that the Local Federal Member and State Members of Parliament are supporting this development.   

ALP policy is to refuse any development in Qld in a marine park, so how did this get a tick? Maybe the large donations by the developer helped ie LNP $250,000 ALP $54,000?   

I was amused in the story that the Mayor highlights coastal hazards such as coastal erosion, storm tide inundation and sea level rise yet trashing the coastline in Cleveland by building an island in the Bay to accommodate a population about the same size as Alexandra Hills is a definite hazard.  This development is a real hazard as it will destroy the feeding grounds of our dugong and other fish, habitat for the wader birds who fly from Siberia each year and the general enjoyment of many families who use this beautiful part of our bay daily.

TB

Sheldon

A thought for Sussan Ley

Dear editor

I am so concerned the Toondah Environmental Vandalism in Moreton Bay Marine Park that I wrote to Minister Sussan Ley, the Federal Environment Minister. I told her she was to be commended for acknowledging the national and international importance of Ramsar wetlands.

I went on to say, acknowledging is the easy bit. The harder bit is ensuring that progress and development do not degrade our environment so life becomes untenable.

I reminded her that a previous Minister (Josh Frydenberg) dismissed his own department’s advice that Walker Corp’s proposal for the Toondah Harbour development in the Moreton Bay Marine Park, was “totally unacceptable”.

Yet Minister Frydenberg also approved for an EIS to be conducted by the developer, akin to “asking the fox to guard the chickens”. 

Most people I speak to agree with Graeme Samuel’s October 2020 EPBC Review, and regard our out-of-date EPBC act as totally inadequate as a basis for assessing the soon-to-be-released Walker Corp Toondah EIS, as failing dismally to address any current or future environmental issues.

I expect that, once again, science and sound advice will be ignored, for political expediency and to suit the wishes of one of Ms Ley’s party’s major donors.

I am not against progress, and yes we may need 3600 more residential units at Cleveland, but building them where they will cause mass extinction of marine and bird species, for the sake of developer dollars, is an environmentally criminal act. 

I asked the Minister, if we get this wrong, then you, like all of us, will one day have to answer to the question “why did you do this to us?”

RP

Wellington Point

The Council giveth and taketh open space!

R2030 Editor

Thanks for the opportunity to express my opinion on issues confronting Redlands. I read with interest the views of so many in the letters you publish.

Of late I feel compelled to join in, and my concern centres on watching the Council laud itself for creating a 60 ha community precinct at Birkdale. Of itself a noble goal, but this is the same Council that has planned to expunge almost 60 ha of existing open space at Toondah under the guise of the PDA that it brought down upon us.

I fail to understand how Councillors can see worth of new community open space at Birkdale but have never shown any regret for their move to massively urbanise the PDA part of the Moreton Bay Marine Park (which is notably Ramsar listed and Crown land below sea level).

On top of that, we see the Walker Corporation advertisements lauding the creation of a new 3.5 hectare park at Toondah. But the advertisements fail to mention that the new park is currently open space, being a Marine Park, which in reserve status is the equivalent of a National Park. So does it make sense that Council is abetting the revocation of about 40 hectare of National Park to create the highest density residential area in Queensland.

Can someone from Council please explain how it is we need 60 hectares of open space at Birkdale and 60 hectares less open space in Cleveland?

NM

Cleveland

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Toondah Harbour Discussed In Letters To Redlands2030