Walker Corporation has withdrawn its proposal for an apartment and retail development on an internationally important wetland at Queensland’s Moreton Bay.
The environment and water minister Tanya Plibersek said the company’s decision was “great news for the animals that call this place home”.
Walker Corporation withdrew its application after Plibersek proposed rejecting the development because of the unacceptable impact it would have on the Ramsar-listed wetland and threatened species such as the critically endangered eastern curlew.
The project was opposed by an almost decade-long community campaign backed by scientists and conservationists because of the impact it would have on irreplaceable habitat.
“The decision to withdraw the application will allow Walker and the project partners an opportunity to review the federal government’s proposed decision and consider if there are alternative options that would still allow vital infrastructure and housing to be delivered,” a company spokesperson said.
The company said it had been on a “long journey to deliver a world class vision for a revitalised Toondah Harbour” but it respected the minister’s opinion that the project in its current form did not provide the necessary protections for the environment.
“We need the appropriate amount of time to understand and address those concerns, to satisfy the government’s reasonable, high environmental standards,” the spokesperson said.
“We have been overwhelmed by calls and messages of support over the past week from the Redlands community as well as local, state and federal political and community leaders, who understand how critical this project is to the region’s future.”
Plibersek released the draft decision last week and gave Walker Corporation and the public 10 business days to provide feedback before a final decision was reached.