Dugongs and Curlews Don’t Sleep in Beds—Save Toondah Harbour Wetlands
Here is my email with additions made to a draft copy received from Greens MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown and sent to The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for the Environment and Water:
My email heading “Dugongs and Curlews Don’t Sleep in Beds—Stop Harbour Development”
Dear Minister Plibersek,
I urge you to use your powers as the Environment Minister to reject Walker Corporation’s Toondah Harbour project which will destroy globally important wetlands and a refuge for some of Australia’s most unique and threatened wildlife.
A Ramsar-listed wetland is no place to build 3600 luxury residences including high-rise apartments, commercial strips and a 220-berth marina. It is beyond belief that this project is even being considered in the twenty-first century. We have already lost so much biodiversity due to corporate greed.
This project will have significant impacts on matters of national environmental significance: an internationally listed wetland (Moreton Bay), nationally threatened shorebirds including the critically endangered Eastern Curlew, migratory marine species (dugongs and turtles) and the locally threatened koala.
The Eastern Curlew is one of the 22 priority species in the Federal Government’s new 10-year Threatened Species Action Plan. Approving this project would be completely at odds with the Albanese Government’s goal of ‘No new extinctions’. I say save and preserve because there is no rebirth after extinction.
Failing to uphold Australia’s international obligations under the Ramsar Convention to protect this wetland and the species that rely on it, would set a dangerous precedent that could allow damaging developments in other important wetlands in Australia and worldwide.
Walker Corp’s claims that a vast high-rise apartment complex on sensitive wetlands would result in ‘No expected reduction in migratory bird numbers’ and ‘Deliver a positive outcome for koalas’ are beyond belief! The construction materials, vehicles and building cement run-off alone could pollute the entire bay area.
Toondah Harbour is in the Redland Bay Cleveland area of southern Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. There is significant opposition to this building project from the Redlands community and Australia-wide and rightly so. Once that wetland biodiversity goes, everyone and everything suffers—and it won’t grow back.
The health of local residents is already affected, they are upset and deeply concerned about the loss of already threatened wildlife; the impact on local businesses and tourism; and increased road traffic. Every single millimetre of Toondah wetlands must be preserved for a healthy future.
Thank you for reading this letter and considering my views.
Yours sincerely,
Gretchen Bernet-Ward
Brisbane 2024
Postscript: After I emailed my thoughts regarding saving Toondah Harbour wetlands from massive tourism over-development, I saw this on our Australian Parliamentary website and The Guardian:
https://minister.dcceew.gov.au/plibersek/media-releases/proposed-decision-refuse-development-toondah-harbour
and
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/apr/09/tanya-plibersek-rejects-toondah-harbour-project-over-impact-on-globally-significant-wetlands
THEN—TOONDAH HARBOUR DEVELOPMENT STOPPED! 18/4/24 It’s official! The iconic Toondah Harbour has been saved after Walker Corporation withdrew their application to build a $1.4 billion real estate project on the internationally protected wetland site. This momentous news comes after Environment Minster Tanya Plibersek announced last week that she intended to reject the nature-wrecking project on the basis that removing 58.7 hectares was unacceptable and would affect threatened flora, fauna and migratory birds. Also thanks to the groundswell of communities throughout Queensland and Australia with close to 200,000 people having called on our Government to save Toondah. View Tanya Plibersek’s announcement:
Please keep our waterways clean because…
Thoughts Become Words 