A PEAK regional advocacy body has doubled down on its support for the proposed Redland Whitewater Centre, arguing the Olympic-linked project builds on the Redlands Coast’s long environmental legacy as it undergoes a crucial Federal assessment.
Champion Redlands Coast (CRC) has lodged a submission backing the environmental framework of the Birkdale project, which is currently being assessed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Champion Redlands Coast CEO Cindy Corrie said the region’s track record in conservation should give the community confidence in the project’s design and delivery.
“Redlands Coast has a long and proud history as environmental stewards,” Ms Corrie said.
“And it is exactly that legacy that should give us confidence in our ability to deliver projects that are environmentally responsible.”
CRC’s submission comes as the proposed Redland Whitewater Centre – a key piece of infrastructure tied to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games – is scrutinised to determine whether it requires full Federal approval.
“This is a project where ecology has shaped the design from the outset,” Ms Corrie said.
Under the proposal, about 62 per cent of the 62-hectare Birkdale site would be permanently dedicated to conservation, with the development footprint limited to less than 20 hectares – largely on land previously cleared for farming and military use.
“For every hectare activated for community use, nearly two hectares are secured for nature,” Ms Corrie said.
CRC said the project would operate under a comprehensive Environmental Management Plan, including large-scale revegetation, habitat restoration and a dedicated koala protection and monitoring program delivered with the University of the Sunshine Coast.
Additional safeguards flagged in the submission include fully lined whitewater channels to protect groundwater systems and environmental modelling indicating no impact on the nearby Moreton Bay Ramsar wetlands.
“The precinct demonstrates how conservation, recreation and economic development can coexist,” Ms Corrie said.
The Federal referral documents outline the project’s environmental footprint, including the planned removal of 168 trees within the construction zone, while 74 trees would be retained subject to detailed assessment.
About 39 hectares of the site – particularly along Tingalpa Creek – would be protected as a conservation area containing remnant vegetation and habitat for threatened species such as koalas, greater gliders and glossy black cockatoos.
The referral concludes the development is “unlikely to result in a significant impact” on matters of national environmental significance, a threshold that determines whether the project is classified as a controlled action under Federal law.
