I've only been back in the Redlands for a few weeks, but one issue that keeps popping up in conversations is the redevelopment of Toondah Harbour. Everyone I speak with has an opinion on whether it should be redeveloped or left alone.
Create a free account to read this article
or signup to continue reading
The Redlands Coast Chamber of Commerce has done quantitative research they say proves the benefits of redeveloping the Harbour. They have all the facts and figures and a fairly convincing argument that the benefits far outweigh the negatives. I met with the leaders of the Chamber and they are switched on, serious and believe the redevelopment would be the best thing for the Redlands.
On the other hand, the Redlands 2030 Group has a fair amount of research and a petition with a whopping amount of signatures on it. They say 80 per cent of Redlands residents don't want the Harbour to be redeveloped, at least not in the form suggested most recently.
Then you have the politics.
The Labor Party don't want to be wedged and give the Liberals something to fight with at the next election. Federally at least, the Liberals have successfully convinced the broader public that Labor is anti-business, anti-aspiration and therefore anti-jobs. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth, but perception is everything in politics. So when the Liberal politicians and the Business Chamber all say jobs, jobs, jobs and more jobs, the Labor politicians won't want to oppose the redevelopment because their mantra has always been jobs, jobs, jobs, and more jobs. They also don't want to appear to be siding with the Greens because that is another scare campaign the Liberals have successfully, albeit falsely prosecuted. There are undoubtedly compelling environmental arguments for not redeveloping the Harbour. I don't have the space to go into them here, but they are easily found with a quick google search.
Of course, like many things, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Should Toondah Harbour be left as it is? Probably not. Should it be redeveloped in the massive way recently put forward? Probably not. If you believe the 2030 group, 80 per cent of Redlanders don't want that. So the alternative probably should be to redevelop the Harbour but on a less grandiose scale. That would still provide jobs and a tourism outlet but not on the grand scale the current plans outlay. I'm interested to know your views. Please email me at craig.thomson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Craig Thomson
I am a media and communications professional with experience across print, digital, social and radio broadcasts. I am currently the Editor of Australian Community Media's Launceston Examiner.
I am a media and communications professional with experience across print, digital, social and radio broadcasts. I am currently the Editor of Australian Community Media's Launceston Examiner.
