Harbour project set to be scaled back in bid to placate critics

The company behind the controversial Toondah Harbour development will use a 10-day regulatory review period to attempt to scale back the proposed $1.4 billion marina and apartment complex.

The clock started on Tuesday when Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek informed the Walker Group of her intention to block the project, which would extend from the Cleveland foreshore into Moreton Bay.

An artist’s impression of the Walker Group’s planned Toondah Harbour development.

“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.”

In a statement, the Walker Group made clear it was not willing to abandon the project and would instead “work with our consultant team and joint venture partners to see what opportunities might exist to mitigate or ameliorate the environmental concerns”.

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has given the Walker Group 10 days to respond to her proposed rejection of the Toondah Harbour marina over internationally protected wetlands at Cleveland.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“[We want] to ensure we provide the best opportunity for this important project to proceed to deliver housing, jobs and new state government infrastructure whilst ensuring world’s best environmental practice,” the company said.

“We will now take the time to carefully review and understand the reasons behind it.”

Griffith University urban planning expert Dr Tony Matthews, who lives nearby, said the original application over the protected Cleveland wetland should never have been allowed.

“The proposal to develop 40 hectares of Ramsar wetland was absolutely absurd to begin with,” Matthews said.

“This is the highest level of environmental protection – the highest level – and can only be allowed if it is a matter of national significance.”

The Walker Group’s plan, as of June 2018, for Cleveland’s Toondah Harbour.

Matthews said there was potential for a more sensitive, lower-impact, mixed-use development at the site.

A local community group, Redlands 2030, said residents were angry the project had blown out in scale over a decade but had yet to deliver any benefit.

Chairman Steve MacDonald said the community would welcome improved access to Moreton Bay, but not if it was contingent on the construction of 3400 apartments.

“I think if the state government had been honest in the first place and just upgraded the harbour it would have been quite acceptable,” MacDonald said.

“Many, many people would have accepted that. I do too. It was when the port upgrade became the Trojan Horse for the major real estate development that people got a bit shirty about it.”

The newly elected Redland City Council described Plibersek’s decision as a “missed opportunity to revitalise an existing working port to acceptable international standards for more than 1 million passengers”.

“Council has long supported the proposed development and believes the impacts of a refusal would be detrimental to the city, and a missed opportunity for significant private investment in Redlands Coast,” the council said.

“With Toondah Harbour being the gateway to Minjerribah – a significant tourism destination and home to more than 2000 people – improvements to the Queensland government-owned port are long overdue and have been called for by the community.”

State Development Minister Grace Grace said the government would not comment until the Walker Group had been given 10 days to respond to Plibersek.