Deebing Creek cultural centre to be built after Indigenous protests

Developers of a large housing estate near the site of an alleged Aboriginal burial site, have teamed up with the land’s Traditional Owners to build a cultural centre that will educate the public.

The developers of a 2300-home estate near Ipswich, which was subject to strong protests against its construction by Indigenous representatives, have come together with the land’s Traditional Owners to build a cultural centre celebrating First Nation culture.

A ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ (MOU) has been signed between Stockland and the Yuggera Ugarapul People Registered Native Title Claimant to begin planning a cultural centre to be built on the Deebing Creek Heritage Site, near Stockland’s masterplanned Botanica community.

Plans for the centre include an area to hold functions, community meetings and school education programs.

Stockland and two other neighbouring landowners (AV Jennings and Moremac) have committed to supporting the building of a new cultural centre.

Plans for the cultural centre come after a group of First Nations people and supporters conducted a cultural ceremony, in a bid to stop bulldozing at the site of Botanica and a proposed childcare centre in October last year.

The protesters claimed the land was a former Aboriginal massacre site and contained many unmarked graves, after a 2016 report by the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships found what appeared to be 13 unmarked burial sites in the cemetery.

An MOU has been signed between developers Stockland and the Yuggera Ugarapul People Registered Native Title Claimant. Picture: Contributed

A more recent QPS report confirmed the bones were of non-human origin.

Ipswich City Council has not yet made a decision on the application, and has referred the matter back to the State Government for further advice

At the time of the protests, Stockland had started work on the 252 hectare Botanica site which will comprise around 2300 homes over a 10-15-year period.

Last year Stockland confirmed the protesters were not part of the native title claimant group, which inspected the site and gave the green light for earthworks to begin.

Spokesperson for the Yuggera Ugarapul People Registered Native Title Claimant, Samantha Carr, a Yuggera woman, said it was important to build this cultural centre for their peoples’ stories live on.

Indigenous protesters and their supporters opposed housing construction around the Deebing Heights Mission site. Picture: File

“Through truth telling we can educate the broader community on the mission history and the significance of the whole area to our people,” Ms Carr said.

The Yuggera Ugarapul People will play a leading role in the design of Deebing Creek Heritage Site cultural centre, including the materials used, establishing of bush trails, bush food plots and selection of native vegetation.

“The centre will be a safe ‘keeping place’ for a range of artefacts we have, and any we may find in the future,” Ms Carr said.

“It is important that future generations of First Nations people and wider community understands our history and what our people have overcome.

“The former Deebing Creek Mission is an area of much heartache.

“We have developed a strong, respectful working relationship over a number of years with Stockland and this landmark agreement means we can look forward to building on that trust in the delivery of the Deebing Creek Heritage Site and the new centre.”

The Botanica Stockland cultural centre will be built in partnership with the Yuggera Ugarapul People Registered Native Title Claimant. Picture: File

Botanica will include a public school, landscaped nature reserve, parks, sporting fields and other community facilities including a public school.

In addition, as part of the development, Stockland will be dedicating a further 106 hectares in conservation land external to the site.

The Deebing Creek Mission Site is not part of the Stockland Botanica site.

Stockland General Manager for Queensland Development, David Laner said had also signed a legally binding Cultural Heritage Management Plan (CHMP) and Relationship Agreement with the Yuggera Ugarapul People Registered Native Title Claimant in 2019.

The MOU also includes engaging the Yuggera Ugarapul People to design one of Botanica’s key public spaces, District Park, which will include native flora and bush trails.