Let's Keep It Wonderfully Natural

A protest poem.

​Let's Keep It Wonderfully Natural
 
By Joanne Verikios
 
I love the gentle rhythms
Of life along the Redlands Coast
Although some say the logo
Looks like chunks of mouldy toast!
 
But I can see the green "r"
And also the blue "c"
Which denote the Redlands Coast
At least initially.
 
They do evoke the land and sea
With dolphins, fish and shells
They speak of footsteps walking
Beside the waves and swells.
 
I love the mud and mangroves
Of Southern Moreton Bay
It's still a pretty natural spot
Where gulls and dugong play.
 
The shorebirds visit annually
To feed on our mudflats
We've got a Ramsar zone in place
For curlew welcome mats.
 
And the koalas are still hanging on
Despite cars and dogs and trains
But God help them if their food grows
Where blueprints call for drains.
 
I love the nightly pageant
Of the phases of the moon
And the tides that ebb and flow
To the universal tune.
 
I love the daily passage
Of the fireball overhead
Whether lighting up the raindrops
Or blazing golden red.
 
The Redland City Bulletin
Hits the driveway every week
I like to read the letters
To hear the people speak.
 
We have beautiful bay islands
Like jewels in our crown
But they are also under threat
And that does make me frown.
 
The ferries travel to and fro
The water taxis too
There's lots of water transport
For me and them and you.
 
Yes, they do a bit of damage
With propellers and with oil
And the faithful ferry terminals
Are no longer sand and soil.
 
But generally they coexist
They don't do too much harm
They're part of the adventure
With a certain frontier charm.
 
Yes, the ports could use a facelift
To make commuting cleaner
But most of us don't see the need
For apartments and marina.
 
You might have heard about the push
To develop Toondah's port
Including thousands of apartments
I pray it comes to nought.
 
Step right up and buy your flat
Packed in a 10-floor tower
Never mind the gridlock
There's a great view from the shower.
 
Never mind the neighbours
Most of whom you'll never meet
And never mind poor Cleveland
With its vehicle-clogged main street.
 
Ten thousand extra people
With their kids and dogs and cars
Living right above new restaurants
And shops and gyms and bars.
 
It could become an enclave
But not for you or me
And who will fund the court case
If it sinks into the sea?
 
The locals do not want it
But the Council claims they do
The Council haven't even asked us
When did they ask you?
 
The Mayor and the Ministers
Both State and Federal too
They need to respect Ramsar
It's the proper thing to do.
 
They need to respect democracy
But more so natural laws
We must protect and cherish
Those with wings and claws.
 
Those with fins and suckers
And scales and furry ears
Those who've flown ten thousand miles
For at least ten thousand years.
 
We have apartments in abundance
And marinas have been built
At Raby Bay and Manly
So why fill our bay with silt?
 
I think we have enough land
Without us stealing more
We should respect Ma Nature
And where she's put the shore.
 
We should leave the Ramsar mudflats
Just as they are today
We do not have the mandate
To force sea life away.
 
I'm not against development
I've done a deal or two myself
But I draw the line at towers
On the Continental Shelf!
 
We shouldn't dredge the seagrass beds
Just go out in a boat
And watch the turtles grazing
I wish wildlife had the vote.
 
Of course there'll be an EIS
Done by those with most to gain
One only hopes their spreadsheets
Will show financial pain.
 
Take Minjerribah for instance
With her headlands and her lakes
Her flora and her fauna
Including massive carpet snakes.
 
If the Toondah Harbour PDA
Gets the go ahead
Then Straddie as we know her
Will be forever dead.
 
For they'll begin to build on that side
To complement the port
Perhaps something for high rollers
Like a casino and resort.
 
And we'll have to change our logo
To concrete grey and black
As a monument to wildlife
That is never coming back.

---

Author's notes:

1. I have always been inspired by nature and am committed to the preservation of important natural environments.
   
2. The Toondah Harbour Priority Development Area (PDA) encroaches on wetlands protected by the Ramsar Convention.
   
3. The slogan of the local council is "Naturally Wonderful".
4. Minjerribah is the traditional name for North Stradbroke Island, aka "Straddie". Straddie has been a very special place to me and my family for many decades.