Plans for 3,600 apartments on Ramsar wetlands next to the Toondah Harbour ferry terminal in Cleveland threaten migratory shorebirds and other wildlife including koalas. This proposal has a long history.

Shorebirds and other birdlife

Several migratory shorebird species feed on mudflats and seagrass beds in the Moreton Bay Ramsar site including Grey-tailed tattlers, Terek sandpipers, Bar-tailed godwits and the critically endangered Eastern curlew. This area is also home to Pied oystercatchers, that live in this area all the time.

Shorebirds and other birdlife at Toondah Harbour – Chris Walker.

Toondah Koalas

A colony of Endangered koalas and other wildlife that live in the coastal foreshore area near Toondah Harbour would be severely impacted by increased vehicle traffic, if this unnecessary project were approved.

Here are some of the Toondah koalas – in G.J. Walter Park which is next to the proposed site for 3,600 apartments and at Nandeebie Park located a few hundred metres south of the Toondah Harbour ferry terminal.

Koalas in the area around Toondah Harbour – Chris Walker.

Cleveland under pressure

In less than 50 years Cleveland has been transformed from a bayside farming area to a dormitory suburb of Brisbane.

In the 1980s the Raby Bay canal estate was built on wetlands which previously were feeding grounds for migratory shorebirds and other birdlife.

The transformation of this area is illustrated in two images:

Cleveland in 1973 is an image prepared by stitching together several aerial photos that were taken at a height of 1,219 metres (4,000 feet). These images were sourced from the Queensland Government’s QIMagery website.

Cleveland in 2017 is an image prepared by stitching together various Google Earth satellite images.

Saving Toondah

More than 49,000 people have signed this petition:

Updated 25 April 2022