Ralphs Bay

Ralphs Bay is a body of water in south east Tasmania, Australia. It is surrounded by the Tranmere and South Arm peninsulas. Sea access to the bay is from the Derwent River.

Ralph’s Bay is a shallow, windy bay, situated on the south east of the Derwent Estuary, about 12 kilometers from the south east of Hobart in Tasmania, Australia. The bay is sheltered by the low, grassy hills of Droughty Point to the northwest and the “spit” of South Arm and Opossum Bay to the southwest.

Since 2004, Ralphs Bay has been the focus of a local development debate. Walker Corporation had planned a major development in the bay near Lauderdale. The proposal included a canal development and a marina. It was heavily protested by the local community who were concerned that the development would destroy the habitat of native wildlife in the area and would reduce public access to the foreshore.

The Red-necked Stint migrates from Siberia every year and most of the birds, which do that, find themselves in Ralph’s Bay. It is also an important area for the Spotted Handfish. They are critically endangered and, because of the pollution in the Derwent River, live in majority at Ralph’s Bay and its surrounding waters.

External links

* [http://www.ralphsbay.com Ralphsbay.com]
* [http://www.saveralphsbay.org/ Save Ralphs Bay - Community site against proposed development]
* [http://www.walkercorp.com.au/news/ralphsbay_consult.asp Walker Corporation - statement about proposed development]
*Geolinks-cityscale|-42.963709|147.42382

References

* [http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2004/s1144157.htm ABC 7:30 Report transcript, June 30 2004]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200607/s1681073.htm ABC 7:30 Report transcript, July 7 2006]