Traditional owners call for talks over plan to dredge Moreton Bay

A $3.5 billion dredging plan for Moreton Bay faces backlash, with traditional owners claiming the Port of Brisbane failed to consult them with the Port insisting consultation is ongoing and lawful.

The Port of Brisbane has started consultation on a massive plan to dredge parts of Moreton Bay to allow ships better access to the Port of Brisbane but Indigenous traditional owners claim they have not been consulted. Picture: Port of Brisbane

Plans to dredge Moreton Bay to deepen and widen shipping channels for the Port of Brisbane have come under fire, with local traditional owners claiming they were not properly consulted during the critical early stages of the approval process.

The $3.5 billion Port of Brisbane Channel Enhancement Project, currently undergoing environmental impact assessment, will involve the removal of more than 96 million cubic metres of sand, silt, clay and mud over a 25-year period.

The works are intended to accommodate increasingly larger container ships and ensure the port’s competitiveness into the future.

But the Minjerribah Moorgumpin Elders Council, representing Quandamooka traditional owners of Moreton Bay and its islands, said it was never informed or invited to provide input when the Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd (PBPL) submitted its Initial Advice Statement to the federal government last August.

Minjerribah Moorgumpin Elders In Council look out across Moreton Bay towards the Port of Brisbane. Picture: MMEIC

Quandamooka woman and spokesman Pekeri Ruska said the lack of early engagement represented a serious failure in respecting Aboriginal cultural connections to land and sea.

She said she’s particularly concerned about the potential damage to culturally significant sites on and under the sea, as well as to local fisheries that are both economically and spiritually important to her community.

Ms Ruska said meaningful consultation would have meant early and ongoing dialogue but not being informed after key decisions were already made.

“It poses such a risk, a huge risk to the bay and we’re really fearful of, you know, what it could do if it goes ahead,” Ms Ruska said.

“Our people have fished these waters for generations — we know these places, and we’ve seen the damage dredging can cause.

“To not be properly informed or consulted at the start shows a lack of respect for our rights and knowledge.

“Often, when seeking environmental approval, projects treat consultation as a tick-box exercise but we are not a box to tick. We are the caretakers of this place.”

The project’s scale and potential environmental impacts triggered a “controlled action” declaration under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act in September 2024.

North Stradbroke Island woman Pekeri Ruska. Picture: Contributed

The Port of Brisbane defended its proposal and denies any wrongdoing, claiming it has consulted with traditional owners as required.

A spokesman said the company “has already begun engagement with Traditional Owner groups” and that these conversations “will remain ongoing throughout the life of the project”.

However, documentation from the project’s initial documents shows that early consultation focused heavily on commercial stakeholders, port users and government agencies.

The port said it had made great efforts to keep all parties informed, claiming it has been providing monthly updates through its Port News publication and maintains a dedicated project page online.

“Port of Brisbane Pty Ltd (PBPL) is following the Environmental Impact Statement process outlined by the commonwealth and state governments which includes multiple opportunities for consultation,” the port said in a statement.

“Since late last year, many months prior to the release of the draft Terms of Reference, PBPL has met with MMEIC representatives in-person and online and has made offers for project briefings in writing at least six times.

Moreton Bay and Port of Brisbane. Picture: Port of Brisbane

“PBPL supports and encourages any person or group to make a submission to the Coordinator-General on the draft Terms of Reference which governs what the EIS must cover and address.

“The EIS will cover all aspects of the project including … cultural heritage matters, social and economic development and project funding.”

The port also confirmed that “a highly experienced cultural heritage consultant will be appointed to undertake this work” to ensure cultural sites were properly assessed and protected.

A map showing the shipping lanes in Moreton Bay. Picture: Port of Brisbane

The draft EIS is still in early stages and will be released for public consultation by the Queensland Coordinator-General.

Public consultation on the draft Terms of Reference for the Environmental Impact Statement is now open until Monday, May 26.

The Minjerribah Moorgumpin Elders Council are also calling for the environmental process to be paused until traditional owners can be properly consulted, and for independent assessments of the project’s impact on cultural heritage and marine ecosystems.

“This isn’t just about sand and ships,” Ms Ruska said. “It’s about who gets to decide the future of Country.”

Originally published as Traditional owners call for talks over plan to dredge Moreton Bay