Toondah Harbour is within the internationally recognised wetlands area. It hosts several endangered migratory seabirds, identified by project consultants Saunders Havill.

“Mudflats within the (project area) were identified as providing feeding habitat for migratory shorebirds at low tide including known feeding habitat for the critically endangered eastern curlew, the critically endangered great knot and the vulnerable bar-tailed godwit,” Saunders Havill found.

This latest model incorporates feedback from environmental groups, a wetland expert, the federal government and the public, Walker Group said on Tuesday.

It still planned for 3600 units, which is more than the project’s opponents said was necessary.

The units and housing are placed back from the water’s edge behind foreshore parklands in the latest plan.

Walker Group general manager Peter Saba said the latest proposal for Toondah Harbour took in the views of a wetland expert to improve the ecological links.

Mr Saba said the plan includes bird hides and the 3.5-hectare conservation area.

“This provides more access to waterways and the creation of a 3.5-hectare foreshore conservation area with a proposed wetland education and cultural centre, bird hides and low-impact walking trails,” Mr Saba said.

There is a 250-metre-wide buffer zone, “the length of Suncorp Stadium,” Mr Saba said, between the development and the high-tide wading bird roost sites on nearby Cassim Island and Nandeebie Claypan.

Birdlife Australia’s southern Queensland convenor, Judith Hoyle, said improvements had been made to protect roosting areas, but not to all-important feeding areas.

“Yes, they have certainly put buffers in for Cassim Island,” she said.

“But they can improve the harbour, they can improve the amenity of the area without encroaching on the feeding grounds of the eastern curlew.”

Ms Hoyle said there was no change to site location itself.

“Our main objection is that the development is encroaching on the RAMSAR site and that hasn’t changed,” she said.

A 1.5-kilometre walking and cycling trail will link Toondah Harbour with the existing GJ Walter Park.

The redesign of the project means 12 hectares less land is reclaimed from the low-lying harbour than the original plan.

The koala habitat corridor will be kept, along with the Norfolk Island pines and the avenue of tuckeroo trees.

The company has removed plans to have buildings higher than 10 storeys in the plan.

Chris Walker, secretary of residents' group Redlands2030, agreed the plan still impacted on the feeding grounds of the migratory shorebirds.

“The area of the wetlands between the foreshore and Cassim Island is a feeding area for migratory shorebirds as well,” he said.

“The second point is they are still talking about developing up to 3600 units in an area which is not appropriate for that.”

Other changes include:

• a new integrated ticket office, visitor information, bus interchange;
• extra public car parking spaces, up from from 667 existing spaces to 1010 dedicated space;
• a new multi-deck cark park able to take 500 cars is planned to be build, “when needed”; and
• a new 3.5-hectare South Bank-style foreshore parkland, which will include a lagoon pool and water play area.

The community has 10 days to make its comments on the latest proposal.

Members of the public can made submissions about the project through the federal environment department.

After considering the public comments, the federal government will make a decision on the project.

It will then outline any conditions on the environmental impact statement for the proposed development.