Toondah Harbour project set to be rejected out of concern for birds, bay

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has moved to reject the massive Toondah Harbour development near Brisbane, in what environment campaigners have labelled “a landmark decision”.

Plibersek has given developers the Walker Group 10 business days to respond to her proposed rejection of the project at Cleveland, originally tipped to cost $1.4 billion to complete.

The Walker Group’s latest images for the development, with Cassim Island, used as a roosting site by migratory birds, in the foreground.Credit: Walker Group

The company has for more than a decade proposed building thousands of apartments, a marina and a retail centre over internationally recognised wetlands along the Cleveland foreshore.

“I have made my proposed decision, which is to protect Moreton Bay from unacceptable impacts from a proposed development,” Plibersek said.

“These wetlands are rare, unique and important to prevent the extinction of animals like the eastern curlew and loggerhead turtle.”

Environmental groups, including the Australian Conservation Foundation, welcomed the move.

“This is a landmark decision for nature and people,” said ACF’s chief executive Kelly O’Shanassy.

One of the most active campaigners against the project, Birdlife Southern Queensland’s Judith Hoyle, said she was heartened by Plibersek’s intervention.

She said she had naively thought federal environment laws would have already protected the wetlands and Moreton Bay from a development of that scale.

“What can I say? The Walker Group could not make a compelling argument over 5000 pages in the (Environmental Impact Statement) documents, so they are not going to be able to mount a compelling argument in 10 business days,” Hoyle said.

“It was a testament to all our followers, to the tens of thousands of them. If Tanya Plibersek wants to hear from them, she certainly will.”

The Walker Group has yet to comment.