Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek suggested rejecting a development proposal for Toondah Harbour near Brisbane on Tuesday.
Toondah Harbour lies within the Moreton Bay Ramsar Site, acknowledged globally as a vital wetland area.
The Toondah Harbour is a boat harbour at Cleveland in Redland City, Queensland, Australia.
Toondah Harbour Project Plan and Rejection
The plan aimed to establish a multifunctional area combining residential, commercial, retail, and tourism activities.
Plibersek deemed the proposal unacceptable due to its impact on the internationally protected wetland, which involved removing 58.7 hectares.
In a draft ruling, she denied the project. Plibersek has opened the floor for comments and feedback before finalising her decision.
Walker Corporation respects Plibersek’s decision on the wetlands project and plans to review the reasoning behind it within 10 days.
The Australian Conservation Fund applauds the minister’s preliminary decision, prioritising the preservation of wildlife habitat.
The project
Walker Corporation had proposed a $1.4 billion construction project in 2014, intending to build a marina and a 3600-unit complex by dredging the wetland and using the sediment for land reclamation.
The project will stretch over 15 to 20 years, with additional amenities such as parklands, a lagoon, cycling, and heritage trails, along with upgrades to ferry facilities, framing it as a harbourside precinct.
Impact and Opposition
Walker Group’s proposal for a marina and high-rise apartment complex threatened to devastate crucial feeding grounds for migratory birds, a significant portion of the Ramsar wetland, and mature eucalypt trees serving as habitat for koalas and other wildlife.
ACF, BirdLife Australia, and the Toondah Alliance, alongside local organisations, have tirelessly campaigned against this attempt to replace a thriving ecosystem with urban development.
Former environmental lawyer and secretary of the Stradbroke Island local environment group, Richard Carew, emphasised that the project would violate the Ramsar convention on wetlands, which Australia and 172 other countries have signed.
News source: DCCEEW and APP
