Time ticking as Toondah developer Walker Group assesses 26,000 submissions

A decision on whether the controversial Toondah Harbour housing estate will be allowed to proceed on environmentally significant wetlands has been bogged down with 26,000 submissions.

Hundreds launch a protest at Toondah Harbour against the housing estate on the foreshore. Picture: Contributed

A decision on whether the controversial Toondah Harbour housing estate will be allowed to proceed on environmentally significant wetlands has been bogged down with more than 26,000 submissions.

A Senate environment committee last week heard that an unprecedented number of submissions made about the controversial project had swamped the developer, Walker Group.

The Senate committee was told the sheer volume of submissions had slowed Walker Group’s delivery of an environmental impact statement to Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek by three months.

Although there is no time frame set for the developer to respond, Walker Group’s website had set an August deadline.

Walker Group’s town planning consultants Saunders Havill must assess all submissions before sending its environmental impact response to the minister.

Walker Corporation chairman Lang Walker signed a memorandum of understanding with the State Government and Redland City Council as the exclusive development partner for the Toondah Harbour and Weinam Creek Priority Development Areas. Mr Walker is pictured here with Redland mayor Karen Williams at Cleveland with Moreton Bay in the background. Picture: Matt Murray

A federal Environment Department spokesman Bruce Edwards, head of the Nature Positive Division, told the committee that the number of submissions was “at the higher end” of the scale and the minister was still waiting for Walker Group to send the document.

“The process is that the document has been consulted on by the proponent (Walker Group) so there is a draft environmental impact statement,” the department official said.

“It went out to consultation and they are currently considering quite a large number of public comments.

“Once they finalise that process, they will give the minister the final document.”

Mr Edwards was responding to a grilling by Greens Senator Larissa Waters who wanted to know if Walker Group’s environmental impact statement was “imminent”.

“I don’t think so … it’s my understanding that there are 26,000 comments that they were working through … we would ask that they consider all those comments and do that comprehensively,” Mr Edwards said.

“That’s what our focus has been to make sure that occurs first.”

An eastern curlew photographed at Toondah Harbour. Picture: Chris Walker

Senator Waters also asked whether the department was continuing to oppose the proposal as it had done prior to 2017 when it advised then minister Josh Frydenberg to reject the plans.

Senator Waters told the committee that the department initially perceived the development to be “clearly unacceptable over development in an internationally significant wetland”.

She said the number of submissions was almost as many as the number of eastern curlews left on the planet.

Mr Edwards told the committee that the Walker Group had withdrawn its original proposal and issued new plans with a smaller footprint.

Once the minister has received the Walker Group’s final statement, she will have 40 business days to make a decision on the development.

Redlands2030 spokesman Chris Walker said the Toondah Alliance website had counted about 25,000 submissions opposing the project.