Magnetic Island Waste Transfer Station

Important information and survey

Dear MINCA members 

On Saturday 30 July Townsville City Council held a community consultation meeting to discuss the new Island Waste Transfer Station. 

From now until 31 August, residents are being asked to contribute to this very important consultation process. 

There are three sites being considered: Cockle Bay, the current Picnic Bay site and Nelly Bay (Kelly St). Two independent reports commisionned by TCC have recommended that the Station be located at Picnic Bay.

However, Townsville City Council is under pressure from some residents to locate the Waste Transfer Station and the green waste dump on a bush block beside the freshwater lagoon and next to the Cockle Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant. 


MINCA has a number of concerns about this, namely:

• It will involve the destruction of vegetation and considerable concreting 
at Cockle Bay, an area that is home to rare and endangered species, 
including the Single-striped delma (Delma labialis) (vulnerable); 
and the Rusty monitor (Varanus semiremex) (rare).

• The area at Cockle Bay was classified as ‘high value conservation area’ 
(in the Development Control Plan for the Island, DCP6); this was before 
the previous council declared it an industrial area. 

• Impinge heavily on the adjacent semi-permanent lagoon – an important 
breeding site for birds, and a fish nursery for the (also adjacent) Cockle Bay reef flat.

• Destroy more of the now limited area of undeveloped coastal eucalypt 
woodland– and its unique habitats – left on the island

• Cost about $500,000 more than the cheapest of the three options (Picnic Bay) – using funds that could be better used elsewhere

• Involve more truck and community traffic passing through Picnic Bay 
(rather than turning off at the current tip road, Birt Street). There will be 16 large truck movements to or from the transfer station to the barge terminal each week – this is on top of the truck movements that occur now on regular rubbish days.  

• Involve more energy being used and more carbon pollution being generated in order to transport rubbish further around the Island and back.

• With road infrastructure upgraded for the project, further industrialisation in Cockle Bay is very likely.  This will also affect wildlife access to the Nobby Head bushland.

• Involve delays due to the need for Federal and State approval.

The environmental sensitivity of Cockle Bay is of great concern to MINCA. 
When responding to the survey, please try to take into account how each of the three potential sites will affect the environmental values of the Island (including the number of truck movements, carbon pollution etc) 


For further information

Magnetic Island Waste Transfer Station -  Community Briefing July 2001. 
This document summarizes the pros and cons of all three sites under consideration by Council and can be accessed at:
http://www.qccn.com.au/MIWTS/TCC%20Magnetic%20Island%20Transfer
%20Station%20-%20public%20presentation.pdf

For a report on the meeting that occurred on Saturday 30 July, including a number of links and background information, go to:
www.magnetictimes.com.au 

http://www.magnetictimes.com.au/index.php?p=1&ID=3839

http://www.magnetictimes.com.au/index.php?p=5&ID=3633



Magnetic Island Waste Transfer Station Survey 

The survey can be done on line at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H3S5FJ6


yours sincerely 

MINCA Executive

Cockle Bay Lagoon (Photo: Pen Sheridan)

(Photos: Pen Sheridan)