THE war of words over the Ormiston College expansion has intensified, with allegations of threats, harassment and trespassing emerging as community leaders call for a more respectful debate over the controversial project.
Ormiston College headmaster Michael Hornby said some staff and students had been exposed to aggressive commentary and, in some cases, directly targeted because of their association with the school.
“We respect freedom of expression and understand our recent project has prompted passionate responses from the community,” Mr Hornby said.
“However, we are concerned by instances where public discussion has escalated beyond the issues at hand and become personalised, targeted and, in some cases, malicious – particularly when that commentary has been directed at individual students and staff members.”
Division 1 councillor Wendy Boglary has called for greater civility from all sides of the debate, while State Member for Oodgeroo Amanda Stoker used State Parliament to condemn what she described as unacceptable behaviour by some activists involved in the dispute.
Speaking in Parliament, Mrs Stoker said students, parents and school leadership had been subjected to verbal abuse, online harassment and even threats of violence during protests over the project.
“Recent behaviour from some activists has crossed a line,” Mrs Stoker said.
She also claimed trespassing incidents had caused concern for on-site ecologists and koala spotters, saying some protesters were endangering “the very koalas these people say they want to protect”.
Mr Hornby said students should not be dragged into the dispute.
“What we would ask is that young people are never made to feel unsafe or targeted as a consequence of decisions made by others,” he said.
“Our students deserve to feel safe within our school community. Our students are a no-go zone.”
The comments come as tensions continue to rise following the approval of the college’s Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID), which allows the project to proceed despite concerns about the removal of hundreds of trees on the Ormiston campus.
While defending the right of residents to voice concerns, Cr Wendy Boglary said the strong reaction reflected broader frustrations about the cumulative loss of environmental habitat across the Redlands.
“The people of Redlands love our lifestyle which is based on our environment, and it has been eroded drastically across the whole city over the past couple of decades,” she said.
“I think people are saying, ‘What we’ve got left, we have to protect’.”
Mrs Stoker used her parliamentary address to defend the environmental conditions attached to the project, arguing the expansion would proceed with “no net loss of koala habitat”.
She said the approval included 39 overarching environmental conditions and 42 additional provisions specifically aimed at protecting koalas.
According to Mrs Stoker, 80 per cent of the site will remain vegetated and at least 526 replacement koala fodder trees will be planted.
“This is not unchecked clearing, it’s a careful process on ecological advice, with strict compliance monitoring,” she said.
Mr Hornby said there had never been an intention to remove all vegetation from the site and said misinformation about the scope of works was fuelling parts of the public debate.
“There’s always been a commitment to retain a koala corridor,” he said.
“There’s never been any intention to remove all of that vegetation. There is vegetation remaining there now, which we’re very committed to maintaining.”
Mr Hornby said the oval clearing stage had now been completed, with earthworks and fencing expected to begin in coming weeks.
Development of the wildlife corridor is expected to begin around September.
Koala advocate Una Sandeman also condemned any threatening behaviour linked to the debate.
“Everyone has a right to express their views, but discussions should remain respectful and focused on facts, evidence and policy decisions. Personal attacks do not help,” she said.
However, she said much of the community response reflected genuine concern about the loss of protected koala habitat and questions surrounding the environmental assessment process.
“The level of support has been extraordinary.
“People from across the Redlands, Australia-wide and overseas have attended rallies, contacted decision- makers, signed petitions and offered practical assistance.
“It demonstrates how deeply people care about koalas and the protection of the natural environment.”
