Presented below are known candidates for Bowman at the 2019 Federal Election together with information about their party’s policies on Toondah and environmental issues generally.
Liberal National Party Coalition
Andrew Laming, the LNP’s candidate, is hoping to represent Redlands in Federal Parliament for a sixth term.
The Liberal National Party Coalition’s environmental policies are, at present, a summary of what the Government has been doing over the past five years. Headlines include: reducing emissions, investing in renewable energy, protecting the barrier reef, protecting threatened species, landcare and reducing waste.
The Government’s performance on protecting threatened species has been heavily criticised. Species have been added to the critically endangered list but little action is taken to reduce the risk of extinction.
What’s missing from the Coalition’s policies, so far, is any commitment to improvement (strengthening) of Australia’s environmental protection laws.
During the Abbott years the Coalition pushed for adoption of a one stop shop approach to environmental regulation, to be achieved by delegating to state governments the Federal Government’s roles and powers under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
Andrew Laming has been a long term supporter of development at Toondah Harbour, “subject to every environmental assessment possible”.
The Coalition Government’s controversial handling of the Toondah Harbour project was exposed in November 2018. Steve Cannane’s for the ABC, “The bird and the businessman“, told how Minister Josh Frydenberg rejected departmental advice that the project be rejected as ‘clearly unacceptable’.
The Government then allowed Walker Group to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement. Most projects which progress to this stage under the EPBC Act, get approved.
Labor Party
Labor’s candidate for Bowman in the 2019 Federal Election is Tom Baster.
At it’s national conference in Adelaide in December 2018 the Labor Party passed a resolution to the National Platform about Ramsar wetlands and Toondah Harbour, which said:
That this conference:-
- Restates Labor’s support for the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, to which Australia is a Signatory, and notes Toondah Harbour is a Ramsar-listed wetland
- Recognises the importance of Ramsar listed sites to migratory wading birds
- Acknowledges that migratory wading bird numbers are is steep decline, principally due to loss of tidal roosting and feeding sites along their migratory routes from North East Asia to Australia
- Commits to protecting Australia’s intertidal habitat on which these birds depend, with special consideration of Ramsar listed sites
- Commits to protecting Australia’s intertidal habitat on which these birds depend, with special consideration of Ramsar listed sites
On Toondah specifically, Labor’s shadow Environment Minister Tony Burke has avoided making any commitments about what approach a Labor Government might adopt in making any decisions about Walker Group’s project which is now a ‘controlled action’ under the EPBC Act.
Labor has stated that it would support strengthening Australia’s environment laws. It commits to “Establish an Australian Environment Act within the first term of government”. Labor also commits to establishing a Federal Environmental Protection Agency. Details of Labor’s environmental policies are set out in Chapter 4 of its National Platform.
Labor’s environmental policies imply that they would be better custodians of the natural environment than the current Coalition Government.
It’s worth keeping in mind what the Queensland Labor State Government has and hasn’t done for environmental protection.
The Government has passed laws to end sand mining and reduce broadscale land clearing. But the Government hasn’t moved to protect Toondah’s Ramsar wetlands, nor have koalas in south east Queensland been given any relief from habitat clearing caused by urban development.
The Greens
The Greens candidate for Bowman is Emerald Moon
The Greens have clearly stated their opposition to Walker Group’s proposed Toondah Harbour project.
They say that the environmental impacts of the proposal (on Ramsar wetlands, migratory birds and koalas) are very significant and cannot be adequately mitigated.
The Greens say the project is not in the community’s best interests and there has been insufficient community consultation and planning.
The Greens support:
- development of a new ferry terminal (in public hands, not private) with no link to new residential buildings
- modernisation of tourist facilities as part of the ferry terminal
- Responsible, sustainable development that supports positive community and environmental outcomes
- full protection of the Ramsar listed site
- no encroachment on G.J. Walter Park and its associated wetlands
Emerald Moon and Greens Senator Larissa Waters have produced a short video about The Greens’ opposition to Toondah Harbour.
The Greens have a range of environmental policies including support for overhauling Australia’s national environment laws.
United Australia Party
The United Australia Party led by Clive Palmer will be fielding Shane Clarke as the Party’s candidate for the seat of Bowman.
The United Australia Party’s environmental policies have yet to be announced, ahead of the Federal Election expected on 18 May 2019.
Shane has said that he is keen to get a full briefing on Toondah Harbour.
Further reading
Toondah Harbour – the illustrated history
Redlands2030 – 10 April 2019
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net
6 Comments
In the last two Federal Elections I voted for the Liberal Coalition because Australia was losing control of its borders and people smugglers were becoming rich while boat people were drowning. I am thankful that now both major parties can see that border control is very important. Over the last two years I have closely examined issues that need to be addressed in 2019. One of them is Climate Change and another is the future direction of Australia. We need to emphasize employment, but for the sake of future generations we need to look after our environment and the wildlife that relies on it. I note that Joe states that “we need this to keep and attract ambitious young talent.” I agree with you Joe but what does a commercial housing development over reclaimed wetland have to do with attracting young talent? All construction sites employ builders and dredging requires workers on dredging equipment. Likewise a constant stream of heavy cement trucks requires drivers until the construction is completed. Then they move on to the next construction. Many of us are not against unit construction but we are against the dredging of 42 hectares of migratory shore bird zone in protected wetlands. There is plenty of real estate on dry land where Lang Walker or any other developer can construct units without the undisputable damage to the foreshore and its wildlife. You’re the one who mentioned “narrow minds.”
I will vote for whoever tells me Toondah Harbour development will proceed, obviously we need this to keep and attract ambitious young talent, wish we could all work together to make this development work for our local economy rather than just having closed and narrow minds and saying no. We need people for our businesses to thrive to provide employment and opportunities. God speed to those who have the courage to look into the future and build this development for us, we will all be so thankful, please keep going, Redlands 2030 are just a cheap front for Greens and Labor, employ nobody and contribute zero to our economy and life here in Redlands.
So is filling in the sea the only way to create economic activity and jobs, Joe Sivia? Wouldn’t it be better to pursue projects on solid land that still leave the wetlands intact? Intact wetlands also produce jobs – fishing, tourism, recreation, – but they aren’t all quite so obvious. A development like Toondah Harbour injects a sugar hit into the economy, but after that, residents are left with the traffic congestion as residents head to Capalaba or the city to work.
As a concerned citizen and resident of the Redlands I have been in contact with Andrew Laming (Coalition), Tom Baster (Labor) and Emerald Moon & Larissa Waters (Greens). Andrew Laming has produced a newsletter exposing his support for the flawed commercial development proposal at Toondah at the expense of the environment. He and Josh Frydenberg have obviously both been influenced by generous donations ($225,000) by a wealthy developer. Tom Baster is well aware that the flawed Toondah Proposal flies in direct opposition to Labor’s Environment Policy but he cannot come out against it while his Deputy Leader is supporting it. Her Party has also received a donation from the wealthy developer. Shane Clarke, the fellow representing Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party, is still in the woods so close to an election, which leaves only the Greens. They have come out strongly against Walker’s Toondah Proposal and they do not mince their words on the blatant environmental damage such an ill conceived commercial proposal would entail. The question many residents are now asking is why have both Council and State Government sided with a commercial developer when that very same developer would leave the ferry terminal in its current state for at least another 10 years. A spokesman for Walker Corporation has admitted they would need to make “substantial profits” before they would initiate any ferry terminal upgrade. Such an upgrade should be in public, not private, hands and no developer should be allowed to dredge any part of the protected wetlands covered by the Ramsar Agreement.
Australia’s environmental laws are a disgrace…what is the point of the EPBC Act as it stands when nobody even notices it. The EPBC Act has been described as a speed hump on the way to development. It has failed to protect the Moreton Bay Ramsar area, and wasn’t even noticed when the Toondah PDA was declared and as for koalas the Act has been a “dead loss”.
So on that from the LNP score 3/10. ALP 5/10, Greens 7/10 and UAP ?/10
Will Redlands 2030 pose a question directly to every Bowman candidate to answer in one word..either yes or no?
It could be a question as as simple as “do you support the Toondah Harbour development proposal.”
Since politicians are averse to giving simple answers perhaps you can offer them 50 words or less to explain their one word answer.