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The federal government has knocked back a community appeal to force a full environmental assessment of the planned Redland Whitewater Centre, ensuring smoother waters ahead for Olympic planners.
The Redlands-based Community Alliance for Responsible Planning appealed to federal Environment Minister Murray Watt in June, with what alliance president Lavinia Wood said was expert evidence the project could be devastating to the local koala habitat.
A shallow water table beneath the site, CARP argued, was vital to the trees that nourished the protected marsupials.
As such, CARP appealed to the federal government to declare the Olympic venue a “controlled action” which would trigger a full environmental impact statement.
“It would ensure a rigorous assessment of the risks posed by constructing an industrial-scale Whitewater Centre within a groundwater-dependent conservation zone,” Wood said at the time.
But, in a decision made on September 17 and published on Monday, acting National Environmental Protection Agency’s Queensland branch head Mark Hall confirmed the Australian government’s original view the project was “not a controlled action”.
That meant the planned Redland Whitewater Centre will not require a full environmental assessment, provided strict conditions were met.
On Monday, Wood said she was “exceedingly disappointed” with the decision.
“We thought the scientific evidence would convince the minister to declare a controlled action and require an environmental impact statement to properly study the land,” she said.
“The Olympic legacy for the people of the Redlands will now be the ongoing financial burden of a whitewater centre we did not want, on precious conservation lands where it should never have been.”
Acting Redlands Mayor Julie Talty said the decision provided certainty for the project, and backed up her own council’s environmental assessments.
“Residents can be assured through this decision, as it confirms all environmental protections remain in place,” she said.
Talty said the Birkdale Community Precinct, which would include the whitewater centre along with a planned swimming lagoon, would have significant benefits for the region.
“The first stage of works will focus on critical infrastructure, including roads, carparks, utilities, bulk earthworks and other enabling works required to support safe and staged access across the site,” she said.
“These works are expected to be delivered between 2027 and 2029, with the procurement process to include a multi-stage market approach, including an expression of interest and request for tender process.”
Comment has been sought from federal Environment Minister Murray Watt and the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority.
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