Save Toondah for the Birds

Toondah Harbour Residential Development - A reason to Take Action!

The Toondah Harbour Redevelopment - a private-public partnership to develop a massive residential complex on internationally-protected wetland, on the pretext of upgrading a ferry terminal.

  • Planned in secret, the project was put out to tender, and was awarded to the Walker Group, owned by Australia's richest developer Lang Walker. 
  • It's Priority Development Area (PDA) status means it's protected from the normal Council planning processes due to being classed as an urgent requirement.
  • A change of government led to a change of heart, and a quadrupling of the scale with no community consultation.
  • It's presence challenges the existence of the migratory Eastern Curlew and other threatened shorebirds.

In 2014 the Toondah Harbour Redevelopment was announced. 

It was a complete surprise to residents of Redland City whose Mayor, Karen Williams, had requested and been granted Priority Developmet Area for the project.

This means the redevlopment of an entire  bay could be carried out free of most of the normal Council planning processes because it was in  the "Urgent National Interest".  It wouId be put out to tender, and was justified by the need to upgrade the terminal for the Stradbroke Is. (Minjerriba) ferry services, and the lack of public funding to accomplish that.

Stunned residents were consulted, and a few concessions were made.

A tender was let and subsequently awarded to the Walker Group, owned by wealthy developer Lang Walker.

Labor, in Opposition at the time, were vocal in their condemnation, led by Jackie Trad, then shadow Minister for Devlopment.

Then a miracle happened.  A State election resulted in change of government  in Queensland.  Ms Trad, now Minister for State Development, endorsed the project, now a $1.3 billion residential development more than 4 times the size of the originally proposed project. 

Like to know more of this ?  Go to https://redlands2030.net/toondah-harbour-the-illustrated-history/

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