From what I know and hear, the submissions opposing Walker’s plans to trash Toondah are pouring in. If you haven’t already, PLEASE lodge yours ASAP as it closes 11:59pm, Tuesday 6 December. 

Email your submission to engage@toondah.com and Minister.Plibersek@dcceew.gov.au.

You can say as little or much as you want. If you want to help but don’t know what to say, copy and paste the summary of my 10-page submission at the bottom of this update.

Thank you to all the incredible community groups and people whose responses helped me write my submission. 

Here are some other easy email submission sites or text you can use too: 

• The Australian Conservation Foundation -  https://www.acf.org.au/toondah-comment 
• Redlands 2030 - https://www.toondahharboureis.net/respond-to-the-eis/
• Australian Marine Conservation Society - https://www.marineconservation.org.au/marine-parks-2/
• Birdlife Australia - https://www.actforbirds.org/savetoondah 
• Save Straddie - https://savestraddie.com/toondah-harbour/
• Birds Queensland – 
  https://birdsqueensland.org.au/toondah-harbour-eis/
• Minjerribah-Moorgumpin Elders-in-Council (MMEIC) - useful for information to support the traditional owner perspective

Thank you so much for your passionate persistence, this will be a true test of the new Minister and Government’s genuine commitment to protecting 10 threatened species and a Ramsar wetland in the Moreton Bay Marine Park.

Have a wonderful week :))

Yours in Toondah 

Dylan 

SUBMISSION EMAIL TEMPLATE  - please use as much or little as you like and add what you want. 

Dear Walker Group 

I am commenting on Walker Group’s draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for its proposed Toondah Harbour development (the Proposed Action), referral EPBC 2018/8225. 

[Say why you think it’s important to Save Toondah Harbour] XX 

I share the concern of over 61,400 people who have signed a change.org petition to save Toondah and the habitat of the 10 threatened species living there.

I want to protect an internationally significant Ramsar wetland on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway inside the Moreton Bay Marine Park with a foreshore koala colony and stop the following ‘clearly unacceptable’ impacts from the Proposed Action including: 

• Losing almost 50 hectares of the Moreton Bay Marine Park - including 42 hectares of the Moreton Bay Ramsar site (MBRS) wetland
• ‘A permanent direct impact on 28.9 ha of tidal flat habitat’ Iikely to significantly impact four threatened migratory shorebird species that use the mudflats where reclamation and dredging will occur as foraging habitat’ including the critically endangered Eastern Curlew and Great Knot, endangered Lesser Sand Plover and vulnerable Bar-tailed Godwit 
• Significant impacts to the Grey-tailed tattler, Whimbrel, Terek sandpiper, Red-necked stint and Common Greenshank
• Loss of habitat for five threatened marine species within or adjacent to the project footprint including the loggerhead turtle, green turtle, hawksbill turtle, dugong and Australian humpback dolphin
• Capital dredging of up to 530,000 m3 resulting in 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
• Removal of 19 koala food trees within the Project footprint.
• Removal of safe areas for growth for juvenile fish and prawns and habitat supporting increased fish numbers and invertebrates, including economically valued species by recreational and commercial fishers (bream, flathead. whiting, king and tiger prawns)
• Loss of publicly owned land to private development. 

You don’t have to be a scientist to know removing the above habitat and replacing sea, vegetation and land with a high density housing development for 7,000 plus people with a 200-berth marina (boat strikes) will significantly impact a Ramsar wetland and 10 threatened species living and feeding there.

If approved, this Proposal would breach Australia’s Ramsar Convention obligations. The context of this obligation includes the Convention’s general obligations of ‘conservation’, ‘wise use’ and maintaining the ‘ecological character’ of wetlands. 

Contrary to claims made in the draft EIS, the Project will result in the destruction of 3.8% of feeding habitat within 5km of the project area, ‘seriously disrupting the life cycle of the critically endangered Eastern Curlew’ that flies 10 days non-stop to feed in Moreton Bay.  

It is amazing to see a healthy urban colony of Redland icon, the endangered koala, surviving in or traversing through the Toondah Harbour Proposed Action footprint. 

It is beyond believable that the impacts of building a new road through GJ Walter Park, losing 19 of their food trees and introducing another 7,000 plus residents (some with dogs) with thousands of increased vehicles movements a day could be mitigated. 

I share concerns raised by some of Toondah’s traditional owners that the cultural significance of this area to them through their ongoing connection to it has not been properly considered and further consultation an undersea investigation should be made.  

Walker has failed to investigate feasible alternatives such a smaller-residential and commercial development with an upgraded terminal on already disrupted land in the existing ferry terminal footprint not in a Ramsar wetland. The existing ferry channel is also adequate. 

The draft EIS does not offer any specific and enforceable offsets that would compensate for the loss of 49.5 hectares of the Moreton Bay Marine Park including the Ramsar wetland and essential habitat for ten threatened species.

Walker has proposed to set up a $4.75 million fund to deliver direct and indirect offsets (not necessarily in the development area) through a fund managed by an unknown ‘third party’ without details of what they will be or how they’d be enforced. 

Given Walker’s previous convictions for illegal native vegetation clearing in NSW, Walker Corporation cannot be trusted to manage the environmental impacts of this project. 

The Proposed Action would completely destroy the iconic picture-perfect views of the bay and islands and the tranquil enjoyment of relaxing in this peaceful and beautiful place. 

Instead, this area will become a noisy, congested urban space with traffic snarls and large areas of concrete with views of the backs of high-rise buildings that looks like anywhere else. Many areas will be blocked off for the exclusive use of the privileged few and what is now parkland will be a road.  It will create more light and other pollution. 

With 18-20 years of intensely disruptive construction the community will suffer considerable, noise (including 24/ water pumping), dust, construction vehicle traffic (120 truck trips and 520 construction vehicle trips per day), smell from the digging up of acid sulphate soils in Moreton Bay Marine Park, fumes etc.

Large greenspace areas will be fenced off for construction too. The dog park will also be closed. 

Worse still, people will no longer be able to enjoy seeing some of Australia’s rarest bird and marine life and our internationally loved koalas.  

Toondah’s internationally significant Ramsar wetland, the Moreton Bay Marine Park and foreshore parkland and the threatened species this habitat is home to are far too precious to lose to a greedy and unprecedented 3,600 unit, 200-berth marina private development.  

This development should be rejected so future generations and shorebirds can still flock to the bay to enjoy the view and marvel at nature’s wonders. Please look at other feasible alternatives and save the bay and its irreplaceable assets. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.

Yours sincerely 

XX (insert your name)