Letters to the editor

The federal government should allow the bushland to remain. It must not be bulldozed for housing, as previously suggested by Bowman MP Andrew Laming before surprising us with this Alma Park idea.

Because of the heavy development in the Redlands, we need to keep the Commonwealth land as open space, a safe place for propagating food trees for koalas, growing native plants, building a koala hospital and restoring heritage listed WWII places of interest and Willard Homestead.

Visitors want to see animals in the wild, not in cages.

- A. Glade, Capalaba

If you have a vision of the Redlands as a place to live where you can enjoy bayside living and where you'll see koalas and enjoy prolific bird life ..... forget it.

Why? It takes six individuals to destroy that vision. How? There are 10 divisions in Redland City Council and it takes a majority to vote against maintaining habitat, supporting widespread development, increasing already congested roads and placing unsustainable pressure on infrastructure.

It only takes one more than five to contribute to the increasing drop in property prices due to over-development. That extra vote belongs to mayor Karen Williams.

One of the latest locations facing intensive development is Cowley Street, Ormiston, which is a green belt adjoining Raby Bay Esplanade Park where koala sightings and breeding have been reported.

Many will remember the destruction of habitat at Wellington Street, Ormiston. What do we have to do to save what little is left?

I encourage any residents who share a vision for a sustainable Redlands to contact your councillor and ask them if they supported the Town Plan of October 2018 which removed much of the Koala Habitat Overlay over some of the remaining green space.

I am not a greenie, just a concerned resident who has seen the destruction of much of the Redlands which the council constantly touts as having a unique liveability.

If you are interested in using your voice to save the Redlands from being just another suburb please contact your councillor and write to this newspaper.

- B. Hein, Ormiston

Does Redlands really want to be the laughing stock of the south-east?

The ridiculous name change to Redlands Coast, which apparently the people want, is more a figment of the imagination of Cr Williams who seems hell bent and preoccupied with making Redlands more attractive than the Gold Coast.

Wake up, Redlands has been a lovely village type place which has attracted many people for the more peaceful lifestyle and environment away from the madding crowd.

While Redlands does not want the reputation of being only for old folk (and druggies as I have heard reference to recently) let's face it when the tide is in its beautiful but when the tide goes out it is pretty dam ugly and muddy, and it's misleading to tourists when the title "coast" conjures up visions of sandy beaches and clear blue water.

I grew up close to a small village at the mouth of the Thames River in England. When the tide was in it was beautiful but there was miles of muddy coastline twice a day on the outgoing tide.

What those people did was fought hard and long to maintain that village atmosphere - no high rise blocks, no theme parks but intimate cafes and pubs.

Every weekend and public holiday that village was teeming with people. Surely that is worth fighting for? Forget all this nonsense about competing with the Gold Coast.

Let's start by keeping the name Redlands or as suggested "Redlands bayside". Then sit back and watch the economy grow as visitors enjoy something lost by other towns.

- J. Howell, Cleveland

I see that Redland Coast is in the news again (RCB Mar 29).

Apart from council propaganda and the use of the term on Channel 7 weather reports, I cannot recall having seen Redland Coast in serious use.

It's about 10 months since the name was first proposed, but it has not caught on. That was a good use of ratepayers' almost-quarter-of-a-million dollars, wasn't it?

- L. Watson, Redland Bay

Last Sunday wave after wave of migratory birds flew by Cleveland Point heading north.

At the Lighthouse Cafe friends gathered. Large birds, possibly eastern curlews, flew close to the water, then two amazing v-shaped formations of smaller birds, possibly sandpipers, flew high above. How memorable to think these birds were heading to Siberia and Alaska.

As they spend half of their year here in the southern hemisphere in many respects they are our birds and our coastlines are their feeding places. They fly north to breed and return in September and October. What compels them we have no idea. And incredibly, their young fly eight days south without parental guidance.

This wonder is a powerful reason for Moreton Bay to be respected and not cluttered up by multi-storey buildings in the Toondah development proposal. Cleveland Point is a vital staging area for these birds.

- G. Claus, Ormiston

If the Toondah Harbour proposal goes ahead, the new owners of the Grand View Hotel will have to change the name to the Brick Wall View Hotel.

- J. Hilton, Alexandra Hills