THE timing for redeveloping the Toondah Harbour ferry terminal was left up in the air after a behind-closed-doors meeting last week.
Redland City Council discussed the Walker Group application in a confidential session of council on Wednesday.
After the meeting, it was revealed there would be an assessment from the federal Environment Department and three rounds of public consultation before any approval.
The council was unable to state how long the assessments and consultation would take.
"Walker Corporation is responsible for submitting the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation application and the timing for when it will be submitted is a matter for them as the applicant," the council said in a statement.
No Toondah development is possible without federal approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Projects perceived to affect the environment must be referred to the federal Environment Department and open to public scrutiny for 10 days before the department determines whether an assessment is needed.
The preferred tenderer, Walker Group, was due to submit an application to the federal Environment Department for assessment by April.
Assessments for Toondah Harbour would have to include the perceived impacts of the development on the channel, wetlands, seagrass, and 50,000 migratory shorebirds, which visit the site from October to April.
Last week, the council said it commissioned two independent expert reviews of the Walker Group's proposal but the findings would remain secret until the plans were approved.
Consultant Aurecon assessed the engineering to see it was achievable and BDO Australia looked at the proposal's finances.
Mayor Karen Williams said the reviews were part of the council's due diligence process and said ratepayers could be confident the proposal was analysed by independent experts, the council and the state.
