A couple of letters about recently unveiled plans for development at Toondah Harbour. One says it doesn’t make sense and another asks if it’s ambitious enough.
Also, Greg Underwood, Mayoral Candidate, talks about his plan for local jobs and there’s a song about Redland City issues.
Toondah proposals don’t make sense
The Toondah Harbour proposals recently put forward by Walker Corporation do not appear to make sense from either an engineering or environmental perspective. Additionally, I believe they pose a high risk from a financial standpoint.
Why then is our Council actively supporting these proposals and potentially placing us, the ratepayers, also at risk?
Toondah Harbour our gateway to North Stradbroke certainly needs improving. What is not warranted however, is the filling of the bay to produce what the proposals boil down to; a massive housing estate.
Clive Humphries
Cleveland
The Toondah Harbour Master Plan
Has anyone else noticed that Walker Corporation’s proposed Toondah Harbour development has burst outside the bounds of the designated Priority Development Area?
The recently unveiled ‘Master Plan’ bears hardly any resemblance to the draft development scheme that people were consulted about in January 2014. It ignores many important requirements of the final development scheme approved in May 2014. It also ignores the Council’s March 2014 decision which touted to have considered the community submissions.
The hours of effort by all who made submissions have been wasted! Efforts across the community to raise awareness and participate in the submission process, all in good faith, have been shown to be … pointless. And those ‘consultation awards’ that the Council obtained – perhaps they should be handed back.
After 21 months of secret planning, the community is now faced with a completely different project, which will cram the area full of crass new residential development and obliterate environmentally important wetlands. G.J. Walter Park will lose its seaside ambience, the new dog off-leash area is tiny and existing residents will lose their bayside views.
The proposal includes new park areas, but these will be shared with thousands of new residents. And there will be less free car parking for ferry customers – but the prospect of paying to use a multi-storey car park.
Was the initial consultation a scam designed to fool the community? Or has an astute property developer, keen to make money by making new coastal real estate, outfoxed the Council and State Government?
But are we all guilty of unambitious thinking? Why not reclaim land all the way to Peel Island and build a bridge from Peel to Dunwich? Then we would truly have a gateway (or tollway) to Straddie. No further need for a pesky harbour at Toondah.
Stephen MacDonald
Cleveland
Redlands deserves better
As Mayoral Candidate for Redland City, I recently outlined my credentials and the innovative steps I would take to create local jobs to the Chamber of Commerce.
I am very pleased that Mayor Williams has now somewhat hurriedly ‘borrowed’ an important part of my plan for a better Redlands economy – the creation of a large Enterprise/Technology/Learning precinct.
It fills a gaping hole in the current Council’s 25-year plan for the economic future of our City.
Because of the current single focus on residential land development, the local economic development policy targets mostly trades, services and retail businesses. And the jobs are short-term.
For long-term jobs, we need innovative and creative business development to keep residents working here at home. That’s what our economic development experts should be working on.
I am running for Mayor because Redlands deserves a better future and an ethical Council that puts its residents first.
My 30-year experience designing and delivering liveable communities will help us build a stronger economy, better development, realistic population growth, and ensure protection of our special part of the world.
Greg Underwood
Candidate for Redland City Mayor
Dear Editor
I’m reminded of Malvina Milder Reynolds 60’s anthem “Little Boxes” ( below in italics) made so famous by Pete Seeger. Is it as true today, as it was then?
LITTLE BOXES (REDLAND STYLE)
Little boxes on the Shoreline Little boxes made of ticky tacky, Little boxes on the Harbour Little boxes all the same There’s a grey one, and a beige one And even a café au lait one And they’re all made out of ticky tacky And they all look just the same. And the people in shoe boxes All cram onto the motorway Where they work in tower boxes Where they work, miles away. On the way home, in a traffic jam, they suffer talk back radio Priority all out of wicky-wacky And the spin means more the same And koalas are missing corridors And birdlife is in bewilderment Open Spaces and Conservation Are deemed “Surplus” by the Council And the kids will have no playground And no parks to run around in They’ll be put in little boxes In tiny lots, all the same Please spare us from little boxes Made by big developers Little Boxes made of ticky tacky Little Boxes all the same There’s an ash one, and a slate one, And a drab one, and a silver one, 50 shades is really ticky tacky And it’s time to change the game. |
Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes made of ticky tacky Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes all the same. There’s a green one and a pink one And a blue one and a yellow one, And they’re all made out of ticky tacky And they all look just the same. And the people in the houses All went to the university, Where they were put in boxes And they came out all the same, And there’s doctors and lawyers, And business executives, And they’re all made out of ticky tacky And they all look just the same. And they all play on the golf course And drink their martinis dry, And they all have pretty children And the children go to school, And the children go to summer camp And then to the university, Where they are put in boxes And they come out all the same. And the boys go into business And marry and raise a family In boxes made of ticky tacky And they all look just the same. There’s a green one and a pink one And a blue one and a yellow one, And they’re all made out of ticky tacky And they all look just the same. |
Robyn, Alexandra Hills
Letters and song published by Redlands2030 – 22 December 2015
Please note: Offensive or off-topic comments will be deleted. If offended by any published comment please email thereporter@redlands2030.net
All I can say, the Toondah Harbour letters above ( I am not denying Robyn, your ticky tacky theme is unimportant, it is) but, regarding what is happening here in Redlands, are very well written. The protest outside council chambers has reached the news. The media can be a powerful thing so perhaps we could use it more to bring our arguments to the forefront.