Walker Corporation’s consultants have arrived on Ralphs Bay, with a barge mounted hammer corer taking sediment samples over the next three to four weeks. An ‘all terrain supercorer’ vehicle will also be put to use, accessing the fragile sandflats across foreshore vegetation from South Arm Road.

If you want to help save Ralphs Bay from Walker Corporation, if you believe there is no place for canal estates in Tasmania, consider joining the Ralphies on Friday morning to line the Bay during Walker’s drilling program.

We meet at the Lauderdale Hall at 7.30 a.m. (27th June 08) to display our Save Ralphs Bay message to local commuters, and Walker’s consultants.

Consultants for Walker Corporation are expected to begin their contamination assessment of the Ralphs Bay sediments on Friday 20 June.  The proponent of Tasmania’s first canal housing estate is required to undertake this work under the RPDC Final Scope Guidelines as it prepares its Draft Integrated Impact Statement for assessment.

The community group Save Ralphs Bay Inc. believes the announcement by Sydney-based canal estate proponent, Walker Corporation, that it would this week begin drilling works in Ralphs Bay, demonstrates the developer’s continuing and apparently willful lack of understanding of the area’s fragile environment and the River Derwent’s slow recovery.

Save Ralphs Bay Inc. welcomes Premier David Bartlett’s assurance this morning that the assessment of the proposed Walker Corporation canal estate in Ralphs Bay rests with the Resource Planning and Development Commission, and the RPDC’s decision on the matter will be respected by the State Government.