The Federal election is an important opportunity to vote to save Toondah and convince representatives vying for election to the new Parliament to protect this Ramsar wetland and foreshore koala colony. 

In the next few weeks, I will present party and candidate positions on Toondah. 

I hope this petition and the massive wider community campaign will persuade the LNP and ALP to reverse their current support for Walker Corporation’s 3,600 unit and marina development over public parkland and on top of the Moreton Bay Marine Park. How did it get this far?

Both parties have accepted thousands of dollars in donations from Walker including $225,000 to the Liberal Party and $23,000 to Queensland Labor in the same financial year the initial proposal was submitted. 

Current LNP Federal Treasurer and former Environment Minister, Josh Frydenberg, ignored his department’s advice this suburb in the sea would cause ‘permanent and irreversible damage’ and fast-tracked approvals by deeming it a controlled action under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

This bypassed meaningful community consultation and made the development assessable by an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) prepared by the Walker Corporation. Since 2017 this EIS has not been submitted nor has Morrison’s Environment Minister, Sussan Ley, used her powers under the EPBC Act to reject it. 

All this would not have happened if the Redland City Council, under Mayor Karen Williams, had not applied to the LNP Newman Government to declare Toondah Harbour a ‘Priority Development Area’ (PDA) overriding previous planning and environment laws. The Newman LNP Government approved the Toondah PDA in 2013. 

Once elected, the Queensland Palaszczuk Labor Government enabled a significantly larger 3600 unit development proposal to proceed via the PDA development approval process and signed a joint agreement with Redland City Council to appoint Walker Corporation as ‘preferred developer’ https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/76116 

This deal facilitates private ownership of public land and involves taxpayer funding yet remains hidden from the public. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-21/qcat-rulling-means-toondah-harbour-document-to-stay-secret/100081612

In 2016 Labor’s former and current Deputy Premiers, Jackie Trad and then Environment Minister, Stephen Miles, even arranged for a letter to be sent to the Federal Government requesting it to use its powers to change the boundaries and revoke Toondah’s internationally significant Ramsar listing in the ‘urgent national interest’.  https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/01/queensland-pushed-for-wetlands-boundary-change-before-development-letters-suggest

Thankfully the large and diverse community movement rallying to save Toondah’s irreplaceable biodiversity is growing every day and there are options to vote for parties and candidates who oppose this development. 

For example, the Australian Greens have consistently campaigned to save Toondah through state and Federal elections, especially Queensland Senator Larissa Waters and state member for Maiwar Michael Berkman.  www.michaelberkman.com.au/toondah_harbour

Current candidate for the seat of Bowman, Ian Mazlin is campaigning hard to protect Toondah and Brisbane City Councillor Jonathan Sri is also opposing the Toondah Harbour development.  

At local government level, independent Mayoral candidate, Clare Richardson almost beat Karen Williams losing by just over one percent on preferences. She later gained 21.48% of first preferences in her campaign for the state seat of Oodgeroo. 

In other Redland City Council election results, Toondah friend, Division 1 Councillor Wendy Boglary, increased her vote gaining 71.64% of first party preferences. Independent candidate and save Toondah’s Koalas campaigner, Adelia Berridge beat sitting Division 9 Councillor, Paul Gleeson winning by 54.15% of final preference votes. 

The New Liberals (TNL) are offering an alternative in the marginal seat of Bowman. Local candidate, Phil Johnson, will only support the development if it is  subject to a full, transparent and fully independent assessment for environmental impact and economic value. This includes  keeping wetland environments from the Brisbane River to Hope Island and considering the longer-term economic benefits of keeping Toondah's.

In the wider environmental campaign sense, there’s also the emergence of the ‘teal’ independents,

This is a democracy so it’s up to you how you vote. I hope you Vote 1 Moreton Bay! 

Thank you for signing my petition :)) 

Yours Toondahly  

Dylan