Walker Group’s latest plan for developing up to 3,600 dwellings on dredged and reclaimed wetlands at Toondah Harbour
Walker Group’s latest plan for development of 3,600 dwellings on wetlands next to Toondah Harbour has been released for public consultation until Monday 18 June.
Increased traffic congestion, inadequate infrastructure, destruction of protected Ramsar wetlands, reduction of the Marine Park and loss of the local koalas are some of the project’s likely impacts if this development proposal is approved.
The Federal Government is currently considering significant environmental implications of the new development plan, following procedures set out in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
A short period of community consultation closes on Monday 18 June. Links to the Walker Group’s latest EPBC referral documents are provided below.
Community consultation – by Redlands2030
A workshop to help people understand Walker Group’s latest plan and the project approvals process will be held by Redlands2030 at the Red Place, 99 Bloomfield Street, Cleveland on Sunday 10 June from 10:00am to 12:00pm.
This is an opportunity to discuss your concerns or questions, to write a submission or to discuss ways you can make your views known to decision makers.
A template for making brief submissions to the Federal Government will be available at the workshop.
Submissions about Walker Group’s previous plan
Many submissions about Walker Group’s previous plan were obtained by Redlands2030 through a Freedom of Information request. A number of these submissions were published by Redlands2030. Links are included below:
Since the new plan is not much altered, many submissions about the Walker Group’s previous Toondah plan will contain points relevant to the new plan.
Submissions made in response to Walker Group’s previous development plans will not necessarily be re-considered by the Federal Government so anyone who made a submission last time should submit their views again.
How to make an EPBC submission
Advice on making submissions about EPBC referrals is available from:
EPBC Referral Notices Facebook page (a community page)
Submissions or comments can be sent to:
Email: epbc.referrals@environment.gov.au
Fax: 02 6274 1620
Or post to:
Referrals Gateway
Environment Assessment Branch
Department of the Environment
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601
Walker Group’s third Toondah EPBC referral
The EPBC referral number for the latest development plan is 2018/8225.
The following documents have been made available via the EPBC Public Notices webpage.
Attachment 2: EPBC Act Protected Matters Report
Attachment 4: Assessment of Potential Impacts on EPBC Act Threatened and Migratory Species
Attachment 5: Marine Ecology EPBC Referral
Attachment 6: Terrestrial Ecology Assessment
Attachment 7: Water quality report
Submissions Report (from 2014 consultation about the Priority Development Area development scheme)
Other information about Walker Group’s latest proposal
Walker Group has also provided some project information on its website.
Redlands2030 – 8 June 2018
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net
12 Comments
I wonder if Cheng is serious or just has a funny way of deriding the Walker proposal. The spelling of dissertation leads me to believe the latter because the removal of protected wetlands, rich in flora and fauna, would result in a desert devoid of all wildlife except humans. No responsible person would want to cause such environmental damage even if it did mean a few jobs for truck drivers and dredging contractors.
Very good desertion. Let the Walker Group go ahead with it. We need work in Redlands.
Cheng…that is an illogical position to hold. In economic terms capital is footloose and could be spent anywhere…it is not site specific and Toondah is a thought bubble driven by greed (and free land).
There is so much wrong with the Toondah site…why not somewhere else in the Cleveland CBD or north of Raby Bay for example.
BTW the project as argued creates more commuters than jobs…ie a bigger employment deficit…how smart is that.
Interesting reading in today’s Courier Mail (06-08-2018) CITY BEAT about the gang at Australia’s biggest privately-owned development firm Walker Group Holdings’ planned new revised design for $1.4 billion waterfront makeover at Cleveland hoping for ‘third time lucky’.
Developing the Toondah Harbour Project involves intensive dredging of the marine environment, destroying the Ramsar roost for migratory birds, Eastern curlew and other wild birds… some flying non-stop from Siberia where Cleveland is one of few under protection that Australia is signatory to. Peter Saba is Walker’s Q’ld development manager, says new version will be ‘greener’. Previous reclamation footprint of 3.5ha has been trimmed by more than 12ha.
Also in the plan is a 3.5ha conservation area, a South-Bank style foreshore parkland, enhanced buffer areas and ‘a more organic and natural system of waterways and marina coves,’Saba says’.
Critics are still appalled and outraged knowing the amendments are little more than cosmetic window dressing aimed at placating detractors. Submissions against the last scheme, totalled 1,500. If Federal, State (Jackie Trad, Labor Treasurer was quick to give approval to this massive project) and local politicians approve, where new version doesn’t change apt bldgs. to house 3,600 units to be built on harbour surrounds, then trimming around the edges won’t make any difference to the end result. In my view, the more things change, the more they stay the same. People of Redlands want to see the ferry terminal and parking issue fixed… heard many times…i.e. stop the rort, fix the port. This being a priority, further development, as appropriate, can follow. Labor’s Palaszczuk govt has embraced eco-tourism as should Redlands but excessive development won’t attract tourists who would have to fight their way through, as often seen today, traffic gridlock on Redland roads with some considered to be unsafe. Walker’s group should understand it’s NO to building on internationally protected wetlands.
A pig with lipstick on is still a pig!!!
The Third Walker Referral still proposes 3,600 dwellings on reclaimed land. I estimate that this means that the population density in the Toondah Harbour area if the proposal proceeds will be between 140.28 and 200.40 people per hectare. Currently, Cleveland has a population density of 13.03 people per hectare! Imagine the impact on the environment, roads, traffic congestion, parking etc.
Wow the inpact is already showing with the latest high rises and land development, I work in Brisbane and have an added 2 hours travel time to my days, coming back into Cleveland is almost as bad as leaving in the mornings, I leave at 5.45am and return at 20.15hrs. These times are pre and post peak hour but still very frustrating, cannot begin to imagine how much worse it will be.
I can Marianne… much, much worse! 3600 apartments at Toondah Harbour… occupants all heading off to work each morning and back in the afternoon, Welcome to the commute from Hell!
To make it easier for ordinary folks like me, who get lost wading through these documents, it may be worth while posting exactly what the submission title is supposed to contain (EPBC number and proposal title). Get that wrong and the submission is worthless. I am pretty sure I got it but there may be some who do not.
While we do not have necessary EDQ and RCC Documents this means Walkers will have to renegotiate another agreement .
Is there a template I can complete to make a submission?
BirdLife Australia has a ready submission to sign for those who want to make a submission but are daunted by the process
https://birdlife.good.do/respectramsar/ramsardeservesrespect/