‘Cash grab’: Traditional owners charging surf club $500 for beach events

A move by the Yaegl Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation to charge the Yamba surf lifesaving club a $500 fee for beach events is generating a lot of ill will, Rory Gibson writes.

Yamba Main Beach, Yamba. Picture: Destination NSW

Here’s a lesson on how to obliterate community goodwill.

The native title rights holders in my neck of the woods are trying to charge the Yamba surf lifesaving club a $500 fee for each event held on the beach, including nipper carnivals.

The surf club in Yamba was formed in 1908 and is one of the oldest in the world. Iterations of its quaint old clubhouse have stood on the same spot at Main Beach since 1913.

At a time when many surf lifesaving clubs in regional areas are struggling to survive, Yamba keeps its head above water because of a throng of committed volunteers and the generosity of a community that recognises the club is integral to the town’s culture.

The surf club is also deeply respectful of the local Indigenous community, the Yaegl people, who in 2017 were granted native title rights over the waters between the high-tide mark and 200m out to sea from Woody Head to Wooli.

Yamba Surf Lifesaving Club nippers run into the surf during training.

That ruling was in recognition of the long history of Yaegl occupation of the area … rightly so. However it does not mean they can start charging people to use the beach.

But that’s what will happen if the Yaegl Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation gets its way.

As a courtesy to the traditional owners, the surf club notified them that four events were planned for this summer - a surf boat carnival, a nippers carnival, a masters carnival and the annual ocean swim races.

The Aboriginal corporation wrote back and said thanks for letting us know, and that’ll be 500 bucks for each event for a welcome-to-country ritual and to “support all visitors and participants to these fund-raising events retain an understanding of the importance of respecting Yaegl people’s native title rights and interests on land and sea and waterways when competing or visiting of (sic ) our beautiful Yaegl county (sic)”.

Columnist Rory Gibson.

For a start, only the ocean swim is a fund-raiser. It provides the bulk of the money raised to keep the club going throughout the year. Having to hand over $2000 to the Aboriginal corporation would cripple the club financially.

I don’t know what the Yaegl Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation does, but this cash-grab bid has done more to generate ill feeling than $2000 will ever compensate for.

When the surf club found out I was writing this they asked for it to be pulled because they don’t want to upset anyone. I get that. It’s a small town. But I’m happy to take the blame for any ructions shining the light on this issue may cause.

Here’s a better idea for the elders present and emerging to consider - set up a tour employing Indigenous guides to showcase the Yaegl culture to visitors. There’s a hunger among non-Indigenous people for that knowledge to be shared

Then perhaps the corporation can become sponsors of the surf club, because it needs all the financial help it can get.