By its own admission, Walker’s ecocidal development of up to 3,600 units with a 200-berth marina and some residential areas built on reclaimed Ramsar wetland is as catastrophic as expected with the EIS confirming:

• The Toondah Harbour PDA has a total area of 67.4 hectares (ha), encompassing 17.9 ha of existing land and 49.5 ha of marine and tidal environments. Approximately 42 ha of the marine and tidal environments within the PDA are also included in the boundaries of the Moreton Bay Ramsar Site (MBRS).
• ‘All four threatened species likely to be significantly impacted are migratory shorebird species (includes critically-endangered Eastern Curlew and Great Knot, endangered Lesser Sand Plover and vulnerable Bar-tailed Godwit) that use the mudflats where reclamation and dredging will occur as foraging habitat’. There will be ‘a permanent direct impact on 28.9 ha of tidal flat habitat’.
• The Grey-tailed tattler, Whimbrel, Terek sandpiper, Red-necked stint and Common Greenshank will be significantly impacted by this project.
• Five threatened marine species have the potential to utilise habitats within or adjacent to the project footprint: loggerhead turtle, green turtle, hawksbill turtle, dugong and Australian humpback dolphin.
• Capital dredging of up to 530,000 m3.
  Direct loss of marine and wetland habitat including clearing of 2.5 ha of mangroves, 37.8 ha of seagrass and 7.5 ha of unvegetated intertidal sandbanks and mudflats.
• Dredging and reclamation to accommodate the Project footprint will result in that provides feeding habitat for migratory shorebird species.
• Removal of a primary koala food tree and 18 secondary food trees within the Project footprint.
• Significant residual impacts to 28.9 ha of foraging habitat for threatened and migratory shorebirds, 32.2 ha of marine wetland habitats and 2.5 ha of marine plants requires a financial offset of $4.75 million.
• Increase in traffic movements on Shore Street West from 7,680 vehicle movements to 15,000 – 20,000 and from 3,465 to 10,000 on passage Street which will become a trunk collector’ 
• publicly owned land lost to private development. 

Taking developer propaganda to a level I believe would impress Vladimir Putin, Toondah Harbour spokesperson Dolan Hayes said on ABC Brisbane’s Drive program, ‘there is a small group of opponents in this area using environmental issues as an excuse’.

Actually thanks to your signature there’s over 54,300 of us plus national and local groups including ACF, Queensland Wader Study Group, Birdlife Australia, Redlands 2030, the Greens and more opposing this.

Walker described G.J Walter Park where the koalas as a ‘disused dredge material disposal pond’.  

We’ve already lost so many intertidal wetlands in Moreton Bay (including 230ha for the Port of Brisbane expansion and 360ha for the second airport runway) that we cannot afford to lose another 48 ha of the 10,000 ha of important tidal flat habitat we have left.

More details of impacts are outlined below. We have until Tuesday 6 December to make a submission. Please tell your mum, dad, brother, sister, nephew, niece, aunt, uncle, grandmother, grandfather, friends, work colleagues and any person you meet in the street to send a written or email submission to:  

Walker Group Holdings, PO Box 9189, GCMC Bundall QLD 9726 or email engage@toondah.com.au and be sure to CC or post to Minister for Water and Environment Tanya Plibersek at Minister.Plibersek@dcceew.gov.au.

Walker’s EIS states ‘potential direct and indirect impacts from the project on the marine environment’ include:

• Loss of habitat directly under the reclamation and dredge areas.
• Marine fauna becoming trapped or injured within the reclamation area.
• Physical interactions with marine fauna (boat strike) during dredging operations.
• Changes to sedimentation rates and turbidity (water clarity) during dredging and, to a lesser extent, construction of the reclamation bunds.
• Release of contaminants from dredged material;
  disturbance of potential acid sulfate soils (PASS);
  spills of hydrocarbons and other contaminants.
• Noise associated with dredging and reclamation activities as well as other marine works such as piling associated with the jetty structure at the ferry terminal.
• Artificial light at night (ALAN).
• Introduction of pest species.
• Changes stormwater runoff quality and quantity.
• Spills of hydrocarbons and other contaminants including litter and
• Increased human activity including boat usage.

Walker concedes the extent of, and impacts from the project includes:

• Capital dredging of up to 530,000 m3 to widen and deepen the Fison Channel and extend the turning basin to meet minimum requirements for safe navigation (PIANC 2014, AS3962 – 2001) will be undertaken in two separate campaigns. Currently, the channel is approximately 45 m wide (excluding batters) with a target depth of -2.5 m below Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT). The Project proposes to widen the channel to 75 m (excluding batters), with a target depth of -3 m LAT.
•  All dredge and excavated sediments generated by capital dredging will be beneficially reused to reclaim 37.6 ha sub-tidal area north of the harbour to create new landforms for proposed public open space and urban uses as well as internal waterways including a central marina basin. The reclamation will be formed in two discrete stages. For each stage, a perimeter bund will be established to contain the dredged material, which will limit indirect impacts outside of the project footprint. The reclamation has been designed to balance dredge material volumes with fill requirements, minimising the need to import materials from offsite.
• The internal waterways and marina, which will include up to 200 berths with floating pontoons, are located within the reclamation area and will be excavated ‘in the dry’.
• New harbour and public transport infrastructure, facilities and amenities for ferry customers and visitors will be constructed south of the existing vehicle ferry loading area. These works will be undertaken concurrently with the first reclamation stage and overlap the existing ferry terminal and boat ramp aside from a 1.5 ha section to the south of the current car park made up of a disused dredged material disposal pond and a 0.7 ha patch of mangroves.
• A mixed-use village precinct that will comprise of residential areas on the northern and southern reclamation areas and a hotel, residential apartments, retail and commercial development focused around a new marina plaza. A further residential precinct will be located in the western part of the PDA replacing the existing trade college building. Including the hotel, the Project will deliver up to 3,600 dwellings.
• Installation of civil infrastructure and services – such as electrical, gas,
  telecommunications, water supply, sewerage infrastructure and roads will keep pace with development.
• Reclamation and channel design will allow for flushing within internal waterways and the marina to maintain acceptable water quality. The design will incorporate features such as culverts and bridges where necessary to improve flushing.
• Ongoing maintenance dredging requirements, including potential disposal options, will be considered in the design of the Fison Channel and internal waterways.