Logan River prawn farmers object to another sewerage plant
Prawn farmers have joined forces with residents to object to plans to build a fourth sewage treatment plant draining into the Albert and Logan river catchment.
Logan
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Prawn farmers have joined forces with residents to object to plans to build a fourth sewage treatment plant draining into the Albert and Logan river catchment.
Logan River prawn farmer Alistair Dick said the rivers were already under too much environmental stress with wastewater treatment plants at Cedar Grove, Loganholme and Beenleigh.
The Loganholme treatment plant, which is on the Logan River, recorded its second outbreak of COVID traces in two months yesterday.
Mr Dick and more than 10 other residents and groups wrote submissions to the state government objecting to the latest plant this month after developer Lendlease put up billboards advertising their plans for Redland Bay, on the border of Logan, last week.
The plans are for the waste to be pushed through a membrane bioreactor before being rinsed in a freshwater lagoon and through pristine wetlands and mangroves. before being dumped into the river at the Logan-Redland border.
“There has not been enough research done into this site,” Mr Dick said.
“We’ve just come through the white spot disaster and we definitely don’t want another hurdle if this goes ahead or further degradation of the Logan River which is already under stress from other treatment plants upstream.
“Lendlease is claiming this is a state-of-art plant but output figures I have seen do not point to the most advanced technology.
“If we had our way, we would call for this plant to be moved to a better place — maybe use the existing plant at Mount Cotton.”
Logan resident and town planner Bruce Laker said staff at Logan City Council had told him Logan council had not been contacted by Redland City Council over the issue.
Logan City Council said Mr Laker did not work at council and did not reveal if it was in discussions with Redland on the matter.
He said data used to assess the side effects of the proposal was out of date.
“The last Logan-Albert Rivers Backwater Analysis was done in 2014,” he said.
“Even though the Logan River flows into Moreton Bay in Redlands City Council region, neither Lendlease Shoreline or Redland council have spoken to Logan council about this data.
“Logan City Council advised the 2014 study did not take into account the effects of storm surge and climate change and a new study is under way this year.
“This study will take into account the effects of tidal storm surge, peak tides, high rainfall in both river catchments, high local rainfall and climate change.
“This is not good enough and is unprofessional technically and commercially.”
Residents and prawn farmers urged Planning Minister Steven Miles to delay any plans and use the updated data when making any decision on the project.
In December, Lendlease asked Mr Miles for a special planning designation to allow it to build the plant on the river without state or local government planning approval.
Redland City councillor Wendy Boglary said she had not been given the full scientific details of the sewerage plant but said pristine Serpentine Creek wetlands would be used to treat the waste.
“I don’t know how advanced the science is behind it all,” Cr Boglary said. “I know residents in the area have concerns.
“All impacts are from an unnecessary and out-of-sequence development on rich prime agricultural land.
“Improving the liveability in Redlands with sustainable local food production and security would have been a far better alternative than further congested roads and tankered out sewage.”
Lendlease said the project would benefit Redland Bay with more than 10,000 people moving into its staged housing estate, which is still yet to get approval for the sewerage system.
PUBLIC MEETINGS THIS WEEKEND
■ Lendlease has organised public meetings on Saturday at Redland Bay State School’s community hall for those who want to raise their concerns.
Sessions are at 10am, 11am and 12pm.
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