Local politicians have a long history of pushing for development at Toondah Harbour in Cleveland.
Initially, the locals wanted the State Government’s help (and funding) to get a boat harbour developed.
In 1937 the Courier Mail reported on comments from Cleveland Shire Chairman G.J. Walter and the Federal MP for Moreton Josiah Francis. The story is reprinted below.
BOAT HARBOUR FOR CLEVELAND ‘Everything in Favor says Mr Francis
Cleveland residents intend to ask that a boat haven and landing point for tourists be built from the funds allocated from the petrol tax in the next 10 years.
The site so far indicated is a stretch of water between Cassim Island and the mainland near Cleveland Central. Ordinance maps refer to the locality as Toondah Harbour.
Discussing preliminary arrangements for holding a public meeting in Cleveland on August 4 with Mr J.F. Francis M.H.R. yesterday morning, the chairman of the shire council (Councillor G.J. Walter) said the suggested site had natural approach channels, was extremely sheltered, and was near existing arterial roads.
Mr Francis said Cleveland had everything in its favour for a boat harbour, and the district lent itself to an economic plan. When the Cleveland residents reached a decision it would be a matter to take up with the State Government.
Why is it called Toondah Harbour?
In case you’re wondering, local historian Peter Ludlow writes that the locality of Toondah Harbour was named after a boat, the steam vessel Toondah which was used in the late 1800s for fisheries management and survey work by Fisheries Inspector Cecil Fison.
The channel leading into Toondah Harbour was surveyed by Mr Fison and it’s named after him.
The vessel Toondah was decommissioned and laid to rest on Cassim Island in the early 1900s.
Development of a barge terminal at Toondah Harbour
On 22 October 1968, Queensland Parliament was told by Mr E.G.W. Wood (he was both local MP and Shire Chairman) that Redland Shire Council had been making “great efforts” to establish Toondah Harbour as the gateway to Stradbroke Island but “At present most of the capital that is provided is private capital, and the Department of Harbours and Marine is not spending a great deal of public money on it”.
The private capital was being provided by Stradbroke Ferries who wanted to relocate their mainland terminal from Redland Bay to Toondah Harbour.
An aerial photo from February 1969 shows earthworks underway at Toondah Harbour. By 1972 Stradbroke Ferries was using the new terminal. A large new vessel, the Moongalba, began operating out of Toondah Harbour in 1974.
CSIRO built a fisheries research facility next to Toondah Harbour which can be seen in the November 1976 aerial photo.
Passenger ferries
A passenger ferry service began operating from a pontoon in Toondah Harbour in the mid-1980s. This business was bought by the Groom family in 1986. It’s still operating today between Toondah Harbour and One Mile in Dunwich as the Stradbroke Flyer.
Stradbroke Ferries responded by introducing its own passenger ferry service from Toondah Harbour to Dunwich in the late 1980s.
Proposed canal estate at Toondah Harbour
In 1968 the State Government “called tenders for the reclamation of 500 acres of Raby Bay foreshore for residential, business, tourist and other commercial purposes.” according to Redland City Council’s on-line history of Cleveland. Cabinet gave the approval for the project to proceed in 1980 and construction commenced in 1983.
Environmental impacts of the Raby Bay canal estate project included destruction of wetlands used by thousands of migratory shorebirds.
On 26 April 1988 the State Government gave Brisbane Shores consortium a 312 hectares ‘investigation lease” for a canal estate at Toondah Harbour.
Community group Save Toondah’s Invaluable Resources (STIR) campaigned against the proposed canal estate. A STIR petition opposing the project was signed by more than 12,000 people.
In January 1989, local MP Paul Clauson said the Toondah canal estate project was “definitely off”.
Lands Minister Bill Glasson told State Cabinet that the Toondah leases had resulted in: “severe antipathy from local residents” and it was “not in the community interest nor the public interest” to proceed with this lease “nor with any development as may be envisaged or proposed thereunder”.
Moreton Bay Ramsar site listed
In 1975 Australia signed onto an international agreement to protect wetlands known as the Ramsar Convention (because it was signed in the city of Ramsar, in Iran). Conservation of migratory water birds is a key objective of the Ramsar Convention.
The Queensland State Government decided in 1990 to nominate a large part of Moreton Bay to become one of Queensland’s first Ramsar sites. With Federal Government support, the Moreton Bay Ramsar site was formally listed on 22 October 1993.
Most of southern Moreton Bay was included in the Moreton Bay Ramsar site. The Toondah Harbour ferry terminal and a small area next to the ferry terminal were excluded.
The Ramsar Convention requires countries to conserve their listed Ramsar sites and promote “wise use” via sustainable development. Any changes reducing the boundaries of a listed Ramsar site can only be made if they are in a country’s “urgent national interest”.
1993 Redevelopment Plan for Toondah Harbour
In 1993 Redland Shire Council adopted a Toondah Harbour Development Plan prepared by consultants Kinhill, Cameron, McNamara.
This development plan focused on improving car parks and other ferry service facilities.
Kinhill, Cameron, McNamara advised against a large-scale redevelopment of Toondah Harbour, saying:
“the need for extensive dredging (and spoil dumping), mangrove removal and seagrass losses to accommodate facilities such as a marina was not seen as justifiable”.
They went on to say that “grand schemes also revive visions of the earlier large-scale schemes for development of the locality including Cassim Island, which polarized the community”.
Over the next decade development in the area around Toondah Harbour proceed largely in accordance with the 1993 redevelopment plan.
A 2nd Vehicle Ferry Service
On 1 May 2003 Mayor Don Seccombe opened a new loading ramp for Islands Transport to compete with Stradbroke Ferries in providing a vehicular ferry service. Initially, passengers travelled on the Sea Spirit but in 2004 the Big Red Cat began operating from Toondah Harbour to Dunwich.
In 2007, Islands Transport’s Big Red Cat was bought by Transit Systems. Competition ended in 2011 when the Transit Systems and Stradbroke Ferries businesses merged. SeaLink bought the merged business in 2015. The Big Red Cat is now known as ‘Seabreeze’.
Up next in Part 2
Redland City Council’s plans for economic development at Toondah Harbour starting with secret discussions in 2006.
As concerned residents of the Redlands we need to conserve the Ramsar site and the intertidal feeding grounds which support a huge array of marine life, migrating shore birds, dolphins, marine turtles, Humpback Whales during the migration season and dugongs within the seagrasses. In time this vast array of species will attract many visitors to the Redlands. We must not allow developers to ruin the area simply to make money.
There is another model that potentially could be a win-win for residents, eco tourism and the environment. The Brook Street Pier model in Hobart is worth a look at. So far it is Australia’s only multi-story floating pier – the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere.* Part building, part boat – 80m long and 20m wide, the entire structure rises and falls with the tide.
The structure’s ‘foundation’ consists of 4200 tonnes of floating concrete – most of which sits below the waterline. Built locally (five nautical miles upriver) and towed into place by two tugboats, the building was officially opened in January, 2015. The pier is fully accessible and DDA compliant with ramps, accessible toilets, and a lift serving all four levels.Has anyone discussed a similar model for the Redlands?
Surely this model could be built without compromising the huge array of marine and bird wildlife that depend on the area around the Ramsar Site. Having a floating pier that can be built off site and towed into place would be perfect for this location. Has anyone considered it? I am a relatively new resident to Cleveland and my background is in Sustainable development so I am keen to discuss with anyone who is interested in finding a solution.
https://brookestreetpier.com/about/