Larissa Waters (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Queensland is home to internationally significant wetlands, including Toondah Harbour, part of Moreton Bay. Toondah Harbour is the gateway to Minjerribah, or Stradbroke Island, and it's home to critically endangered migratory shorebirds and other threatened species, including koalas.

Toondah Harbour is currently under threat from a $1.3 billion over-development proposal by Walker Corporation. The proposal would pave paradise to put up penthouses. Dredging Ramsar listed wetlands for a canal estate, with luxury high-rise residences no-one can afford, makes no sense except for the private profits of mega-property developers. This is a place of cultural significance to the Quandamooka First Nations people, who were not afforded proper consultation and who certainly have not given free, prior and informed consent.

The federal environment department advised the former environment minister to reject this destructive proposal outright, saying it was clearly unacceptable. Despite this advice—and perhaps the sweetener of a $233,000 donation to the Liberal Party by Walker Corporation—then Minister Frydenberg allowed it to progress. The current minister for the environment has been silent on this project. I wonder if that has anything to do with Walker Corporation's donation of over $100,000 to the Labor Party.

This project will have severe environmental impacts, and the Greens have strongly opposed it since day one. We will not let up. Right now the environment minister has yet to officially receive the environmental impact statement for the project, but it's expected any day now. Once she receives it, she'll have 40 business days to either approve or reject this damaging project. The Greens stand with the community in calling on the environment minister to reject this damaging proposal once and for all.