Concrete not the answer
R. Palmer (RCB, Jan 9) wants to know why more and taller high rises cannot be built at Toondah Harbour.
It seems to have slipped past them that this proposal is not privately owned land for the Walker Corp and Redland City Council to do with as they please.
This is largely Ramsar-listed wetlands – public land which is considered important enough for a treaty to be signed to protect it for migrating shore birds.
These are birds that may have travelled from the arctic non stop, so they can land and recover their lost body weight.
We all profess to love the bay and our local environs but so many seem to think concrete to the shoreline and beyond can only improve it.
We have become so used to the built environment that to see it in its natural state is to think something is missing and needs to be added. No matter the cost to the wildlife that may depend on it.
Australia has a massive land mass that has been so poorly looked after that we have lost much diversity.
How long since you last saw a green tree frog, a goanna, frill necked lizard, large grasshopper, a koala or giant stick insect? These are all animals we saw regularly in years gone by.
Josh Frydenberg's departmental staff have said Toondah redevelopment should not go ahead. The court has said that more than 500 pages of information should be released.
We can hope only that sanity prevails. R. Palmer can have his high rise apartment, just not there. There are plenty going up elsewhere.
And just perhaps, this paper could refrain from using the glamorous picture of the swimming pool when discussing the redevelopment, as this is really not indicative of what the community will end up with should this travesty eventuate.
- B. Foster, Cleveland
Stirring the pot
R. Palmer is looking to stir the pot. While high rise living may suit you, it does not appeal to all and, while many high rise apartments are aesthetically pleasing and not monstrosities, your pro-Toondah opinion misses the point.
It’s not about if you like living in high rises, it’s about what you might destroy to achieve that.
The primary objection to the Toondah development is where this type of property is developed and the impact of that development.
You claim to be a user of public transport and a local shopper which is admirable. Given your apparent interest in minimising your impact on our planet I would have thought you would also be interested in protecting Toondah Harbour, an area of high conservation value. I’m ok with-well planned development, even if it is high rise, however the Toondah site is totally inappropriate and no more than an exercise in greed.
Other than the misguided R. Palmer I have not spoken to one Redland resident in favour of this development and I speak to a lot of people. Council is set to learn a valuable lesson at the next election if it continues to support this development.
- C. Hill, Victoria Point
Toondah is visionary
Like many Redlanders we took a train on New Year’s eve to Southbank to watch the fireworks.
The next day we had a barbecue at GJ Walter Park where a few unleashed dogs run the show.
My friends, family and I are not developers nor are we part of the miserable Redlands2030 complain-about-everything club.
We look forward to the Toondah Harbour development and watching our own New Year’s eve spectacular there soon and thank the visionaries behind the concept.
One has only to look at how the Strand transformed foreshore activity at Townsville to gauge community success and support of such developments.
- L. Groves, Cleveland
Long may RCB exist
I have held off replying to P. Hammond (Fairfax, bah humbug, Jan 2) hoping that someone else would put him right on the subject of our federal MP Andrew Laming.
I am known for my view that Mr Laming is not up to the task. It would take a whole page of this newspaper to list the reasons but I will try to enlighten Mr Hammond that criticism of Mr Laming also stems from his own LNP branch committee.
The last review for the seat of Bowman was held just before the sacking of then PM Malcolm Turnbull. An email was sent out by Bowman LNP branch leaders suggesting Mr Laming was unsuitable.
Mr Turnbull paid a visit to the Redlands and after he left three branch members were suspended, the call for change was quashed and Mr Laming pre-selected. Mr Turnbull needed Mr Laming’s vote. Now I ask Mr Hammond, is that democracy at work?
In a nutshell Mr Laming lacks empathy. His treatment of homeless is evidence of this. As to this newspaper’s treatment of Mr Laming, it also covers the times he pokes his nose above the parapet.
This paper is our only outlet to tell our federal MP what we think. He does not answer calls. His staff allow comments to his Facebook page only if they agree with the sentiments so this newspaper is our only lifeline. Long may it exist.
- D. Cotton, Alexandra Hills
Thank you
Thank you to the honest young man from Clinty’s Property Care who picked up my daughter-in-law’s phone out of the gutter and returned it in the following days. Danni was so overwhelmed she gave him a $100 thank you reward. We wish him good luck.
- L. Tabor, Redlands
Letters
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