Lagoon Plans Released Amid Audit Concerns

Plans have been released for a 2000-square-metre lagoon at the Birkdale Community Precinct, located southeast of Brisbane. This precinct will host the Redlands Whitewater Centre, funded by the Queensland and federal governments, alongside a lagoon and other community facilities developed by Redland City Council. The project has faced significant opposition, but the council has proceeded with releasing designs for the lagoon, zip line, and walking trails. Acting Mayor Julie Talty stated the lagoon, connected to the whitewater centre, will be a family-friendly attraction operated by the council post-Olympics.

An audit conducted in March highlighted risks of the project exceeding its budget and missing key milestones if the scope was not better defined. Recommendations included formalizing the project's scope and updating essential plans. However, the council has been guarded about whether these updates have been implemented, citing commercial confidentiality for its contracting plan while asserting progress on audit recommendations. The masterplan available online is dated 2023, raising questions about recent updates.

Concerns have also been voiced by local environmentalists regarding potential impacts on koala populations and groundwater. A decision by the federal Environment Minister on whether to review the project's environmental assessment is currently pending. The audit also identified a lack of holistic risk management and structured resource planning within the project management team.