Council defends golf course plan

BRISBANE City Council has defended claims a Minnippi Parklands golf course development would contradict council's environmental promise to maintain wetlands.

Environmentalist and Rivermouth Action Group chairman Barry Wilson said a proposed golf course would also contradict the 1991 Bulimba Creek Flood study, with development set for high conservation wetlands.

He said council had failed to provide adequate public consultation about the area's future.

Council community policy, committee chairman David Hinchliffe said development applications were still being lodged.

"It hasn't been determined what is going on the site," he said. "Mr Wilson is boxing at shadows."

Mr Hinchliffe said a full flood, soil and environmental study would precede any development.

"The whole of that site is not a wetlands site and if he thinks it is, he is obviously laboring under a misapprehension," he said. "We have just gone out to tender to see what interest there is."

In response to claims about lack of consultation, Mr Hinchliffe said a management plan for the site which included details of a possible golf course had been available for about five years.

Mr Wilson said Mr Hinchliffe was flogging a dead horse hitched to a cart with no wheels.

"A substantial amount of the low land area is wetlands, as highlighted in council's own documents on wetlands," he said.

"How can they have a Management Plan, then at the time they had no knowledge of acid sulphate soils, no knowledge of squirrel glider colonies or habitat."

South-East Advertiser Wednesday March 31, 1999 Page 14

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