DESPITE the withdrawal of the Toondah Harbour development application by Walkers Corporation, State Member for Capalaba Don Brown says the development remains “very much alive”.
However, this time around Mr Brown is talking about a smaller scale, land-only project that he said would not impact on the Ramsar protected areas and would also see the preservation of GJ Walter Park.
He is encouraging the State Government and Redland City Council to work together on a more compact version of Toondah Harbour that protects Ramsar and preserves public open space.
Last week, Mr Brown told State Parliament that community support remained strong for a project that fixed the ageing harbour and delivered new housing and public infrastructure.
“The Priority Development Area (PDA) for Toondah Harbour remains in place and I am urging our government to push ahead to ensure Cleveland gets the vital housing and the infrastructure it needs,” he said.
“We need the benefits the project can deliver and I think the community will back a reimagined project that ensures the Ramsar site remains untouched and GJ Walter Park is preserved.”
Mr Brown said that while he was disappointed the recent proposal was rejected, he accepted the Federal Government’s environmental concerns.
“There should not be any community outrage when we are focusing on more housing and more units,” he said.
“It’s a positive sign that there are new cranes on the horizon at Cleveland and new units being built, but they are not supported by new public infrastructure.
Mr Brown said a private and public sector partnership to carry out the PDA development must upgrade the current Port facility, provide additional free parking and offer new, high-quality retail and dining options.
“We could utilise this area to provide more formalised car parks next to Toondah Harbour with much-needed CCTV and have space for a retail and dining precinct,” he said.
“Toondah Harbour is the gateway to Minjerribah and Moreton Bay. We need to upgrade Toondah Harbour, and we can do it in partnership.”
Walker Toondah Harbour spokesperson Dolan Hayes said: “Don Brown has always been a passionate advocate for his community and he has identified the two major problems which still exist for Toondah Harbour, which are the lack of housing and no quality infrastructure.
“Our decade of research told us the majority of the Cleveland locals would support Mr Brown and the Queensland Government to ensure Toondah Harbour and the surrounding region gets the upgrade it still desperately needs.”
In response to Mr Brown’s development support, Redlands 2030 Inc, who campaigned against the development, have followed up with a letter to every State Member and initiated a petition to Queensland Parliament calling for revocation of the PDA and related actions.
The preface to the online petition states that: “Given that development in Ramsar wetlands is now effectively ruled out, there are limited prospects for development in the Toondah Harbour PDA apart from upgrading the ferry terminal and associated car parking.
There is no longer any need for Toondah Harbor to be designated a priority development area.
There are four points in the petition,including recommendations to use powers under section 42 of the Economic Development Act 2012 to revoke the Toondah Harbour Priority Development Area (PDA), and for the Queensland Heritage Council to be asked to consider listing G.J. Walter Park (next to Toondah Harbor) in the Queensland Heritage Register.
FAST FACTS:
The Toondah Harbour Priority Development Area (PDA) was declared in 2013.
On April 9, 2024, Federal Minister Tanya Plibersek said she proposed to refuse the application because of unacceptable impacts on Ramsar wetlands and migratory shorebirds.
