Final push to save Toondah

A safe Toondah Harbour is finally within reach – but the fight isn’t over just yet

Three ways you can help ensure the Minister follows through on her proposal to save Toondah Harbour.

Earlier this week, the Minister for the Environment Tanya Plibersek announced her plans to reject a controversial proposal to destroy precious habitat for threatened birds, like Critically Endangered Eastern Curlews, at Queensland’s Toondah Harbour. Walker Corporation, Australia’s largest private developer, applied to build 3,600 apartments and a marina complex at Toondah Harbour, part of the internationally important Moreton Bay Ramsar Wetland. If finalised, the Minister’s proposed decision will conclude a decade-long campaign to save these wetlands, which are supposed to be protected under one of the world’s most important international conservation treaties, the Ramsar Convention.

After years of campaigning to save the mudflats, mangroves, and threatened wildlife, a safe Toondah Harbour is finally within reach – but it’s not over just yet.

While we celebrate the Minister’s announcement, her proposed decision is still not yet final and the 10-day consultation process is ongoing. The Minister will assess public feedback on the proposed decision before making a final decision.

This is our final push to save Toondah Harbour, forever. We need your help to keep the pressure on the Minister so that she follows through on her proposal to reject Walker Corporation’s destructive plans for the iconic wetlands at Toondah Harbour.

Together, we can show Minister Plibersek why saving Toondah Harbour matters.

Here are 3 ways you can help ensure Toondah Harbour is saved once and for all.

1. Show the Minister your support via email

Minister Plibersek wants to hear from the tens of thousands of people who support her decision to reject Walker Corporation’s destructive plans for Toondah Harbour, and what that decision means to us, for threatened birds, and for respecting Ramsar. This is your last chance to let her and your Federal representatives know that saving Toondah Harbour matters to you.

We’ve made it easy to show the Minister and our Federal representatives that we support this proposed decision. Simply:

1. Click here to visit our Save Toondah webpage and add your details to our handy form to find your local electorate
2. (Optionally) Add why saving Toondah Harbour matters to you
3. Press ‘Send my email’ to email Minister Plibersek, and your Federal representatives
4. Share our action with your friends and family.

2. Comment via the EPBC Public Portal

The Minister has announced a short 10 business day public comment period to give Australians an opportunity to respond to her proposed decision. After using our email tool, make a public comment via the EPBC Portal to show your support for the proposed decision and show the Department that Australians want Toondah Harbour protected.

Need inspiration? We’ve compiled some helpful resources, key facts and suggested comments to help inform your submission here.

3. Leave a comment on social media

Finally, you can help keep the pressure on the Minister and make sure she hears us loud and clear by leaving a comment on social media.

If you’re on Instagram, tag the Minister in the comments of our recent post to encourage her to hold firm on her decision.

You can also comment on Minister Plibersek’s social media accounts backing her proposed decision at:

• Instagram: @tanyaplibersek
• Facebook: @tanya.plibersek
• X (formerly Twitter): @tanya_plibersek

Strong nature laws now

While we’re celebrating this week’s announcement, Walker’s proposal to trash part of the internationally important Moreton Bay wetlands should never have reached this point. That we need to save Toondah Harbour is emblematic of just how broken our current nature laws are; if our laws were actually strong enough to protect our most threatened birds and their habitats, Walker’s proposal would have been rejected long ago.

Join our campaign calling for the Federal Government to deliver strong nature laws and save our threatened birds from extinction today.

Thank you!

Our campaign to save Toondah Harbour would never have made it this far without the support of people like you. To our volunteers and supporters who’ve contributed tens of thousands of hours to this campaign, and to the tens of thousands of people who have taken direct action – thank you!