← The Redlands Insider

July 2026 · Issue #1

Toondah Harbour: Walker walks. What now for Cleveland’s waterfront?

After 12 years of plans, protests, revisions and headlines, Walker Corporation has withdrawn as development partner for Toondah Harbour. Council formally acknowledged the exit in April. Even the scaled-back final pitch — a revamped ferry port, boardwalks, retail and apartments — won’t be built. At least, not by Walker.

So what happens to the 67 hectares?

The Priority Development Area designation over the site — 17.5ha of land and 49.5ha over the water, a kilometre from the Cleveland CBD — hasn’t gone anywhere. Council is now assessing next steps, and community group Redlands2030 has already put forward its own professionally-drawn vision focused on public space and a working harbour rather than apartments. Whether the next chapter is a new commercial partner, a community-led precinct, or years more debate, nobody can honestly tell you yet.

The property angle

Here’s my read as someone who sells in this postcode every week. Uncertainty at Toondah has hung over the eastern end of Cleveland for a decade — some buyers priced in a construction period, others priced in a shiny new waterfront. Both camps just had the board wiped clean. What remains true: Cleveland keeps a ferry gateway to North Stradbroke, a genuine bayside village feel, and a median house price that’s climbed about 17% in a year regardless of the harbour saga. Whatever gets built eventually, it will be built into a suburb that’s already re-rating.

If you own near the harbour precinct and you’re weighing up whether to hold or sell into spring, the honest answer depends on your street, your block and your timeline — not the headlines.

Greg Leigh — local Redlands specialist, Queensland Sotheby’s International Realty. 300+ homes sold across Brisbane in 9 years.
Sources: Redland City Council (April 2026); Economic Development Qld — Toondah Harbour PDA; InDaily Qld; Redlands2030.