Toondah document to reveal environmental impact of ferry terminal high-rise
A three-year wait will soon come to an end when the expected environmental impacts of a $3.4 billion ferry terminal and residential high-rise project at Cleveland become available.
Redlands Coast
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A three-year wait will come to an end on Wednesday when bayside residents will finally get to see the expected environmental impacts of a $3.4 billion ferry terminal and residential high-rise project at Cleveland’s Toondah Harbour.
Developer Walker Group will publish the draft Toondah Harbour environmental impact statement, believed to be more than 2000 pages and compiled using five years of data.
Walker Group said the document was compiled by 11 scientists using consultants employed by the developer, and would explain the hydrological effects of building more than 3600 units on reclaimed land at the ferry terminal.
It is also expected to focus on matters of national environmental significance, giving details of findings from studies on migratory shore birds, koalas and the impact on the Cleveland shoreline and significant Ramsar wetlands.
A key finding, according to Walker Group, was that there would be no expected reduction in migratory bird numbers due to the project.
The Walker Group has given the public two months until December 6 to comment and respond to the findings.
It will then be up to Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to make a decision on the project, which is expected to be announced next year.
In 2013, the Redlands City Council and the Minister for Economic Development Queensland, established the Toondah Harbour Priority Development Area.
Redlands City Council went out to tender on the basis it didn’t want to hit ratepayers with a bill to fund the hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure costs to cater for the ferry terminal and residential highrise, additional car parking, and the deepening and widening of the navigation channel.
Walker was selected to deliver the project after an Expression of Interest process in 2014 before the developer submitted three referral statements to the federal government and approval for assessment was finally granted.
Toondah Harbour spokesman Dolan Hayes, for the Walker Group, said the findings proved the development would deliver a major economic and lifestyle boost, while protecting and sustaining the natural environment.
“Crucially, scaremongering about negative environmental impacts to bird life, marine ecology and koalas has been proven wrong by the best, independent science,” he said.
The document is believed to include evidence from principal wildlife specialist biodiversity assessment and management Adrian Caneris who has refuted claims the Cleveland koala population would be affected.
It is also expected to include evidence from ornithologist Penn Lloyd who found the project would not reduce the number of eastern curlews using Moreton Bay.
However, those claims have been dismissed by environmentalist and anti-Toondah Harbour campaigner Chris Walker.
“We encourage anyone who cares about the future of Cleveland and Moreton Bay to examine the draft EIS very carefully and have your say.”
The massive document will be published online on Wednesday.
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