THE Federal Government has reopened its environmental decision on the controversial Birkdale Community Precinct and Redland Whitewater Centre after an alliance of local environmental and community groups lodged a formal reconsideration request.
In a notice published last week, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water confirmed the environment minister had received a request under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act to reconsider the decision not to regulate Redland City Council’s proposal.
The original decision, made on May 28, found the project was “not a controlled action provided it is taken in a particular manner” – meaning it was not considered likely to significantly affect matters of national environmental significance if delivered under specified conditions.
But that determination is now under fresh scrutiny.
The reconsideration request was submitted by the Community Alliance for Responsible Planning (C.A.R.P.) on behalf of local groups including Redlands2030, Birkdale Progress Association, Koala Action Group Queensland, ACF Community Bayside and Wildlife Preservation Society Queensland’s Bayside branch.
The groups say expert scientific confirmation shows koala habitat vegetation adjacent to the proposed Whitewater Centre obtains water from a shallow water table linking the development site to koala habitat within the Conservation Zone.
They argue this is substantial new information and contradicts Council’s earlier referral conclusion that the vegetation was not groundwater dependent.
C.A.R.P. says changes to groundwater levels caused by the development could affect koala habitat and other protected environmental values.
The Federal notice calls for public comment on whether there are grounds for the earlier decision to be revoked and replaced, including whether the new information warrants a fresh assessment.
Council said it remained confident the original decision was supported by extensive investigations undertaken over several years.
It said the project had been subject to more than seven years of ecological and environmental monitoring, groundwater and hydrogeological assessments, independent reviews of potential koala impacts, stormwater and water-quality modelling, and biodiversity conservation planning.
It said more than 60 per cent of the site would be retained and enhanced for conservation purposes.
Council also pointed to an independent groundwater assessment commissioned in 2025, focusing on the Whitewater Centre and its excavated channels.
According to Council, the report concluded the development would have no adverse groundwater impacts on the site and no corresponding adverse impacts on nationally protected environmental matters on the site, surrounding areas or Moreton Bay.
The development is a major part of Council’s long-debated Birkdale proposal.
Members of the public can comment on the reconsideration request until August 27 through the EPBC Act Public Portal under reference EPBC 2026/10471.
