Toobeah community launches petition to fight land transfer to Aboriginal freehold
The local publican of a small country Queensland town is taking up the fight to stop a “secret” push to transfer a huge parcel of land to Aboriginal freehold.
QLD News
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A fight to save parts of a small Queensland country town from being transferred to a local Indigenous corporation under a controversial freehold agreement has gathered momentum.
Residents in Toobeah, a town of just 300 people located four hours southwest of Brisbane, spoke out in February over Goondiwindi Regional Council’s failure to alert them to a state government move to gift the town’s 220ha reserve to the Bigambul Aboriginal Corporation (BAC).
Currently, only a few places in the state’s northern tip around Cape York are designated indigenous freehold.
Toobeah publican Michael Offerdahl this week launched a Change.org petition that calls on support to “Help stop 95% of Toobeah QLD being transferred to Aboriginal freehold”.
The petition has already received more than 1000 signatures as of Wednesday morning.
Mr Offerdahl told The Courier-Mail last month that the community was furious over the lack of consultation.
“These discussions have resulted in 95% of Toobeah being given to the BAC as Aboriginal freehold – this includes the Toobeah common, Toobeah dump, Toobeah rodeo ground, Toobeah Hall reserve and access to all recreational areas as well as future prospects of town sewerage, portable water supply etc,” the petition states.
“These discussions have all been confidential and have not included any community consultation.
“Please support our petition and efforts to ask for community consultation and help save QLD in the process. Toobeah today, your town tomorrow!”
Senator Matthew Canavan on Tuesday wrote to Queensland Minister for Resources Scott Stewart calling for transparency.
“I write on behalf of the residents of the small regional town of Toobeah who have raised concerns with my office about the lack of community consultation around current negotiations between the Bigambul Aboriginal Corporation Registered Native Title Prescribed Body Corporate (RNPBC) and the Goondiwindi Regional Council,” he wrote.
“The lack of community consultation around the proposed transference has understandably devastated this small community.
“I would appreciate an update on the negotiations, including the likely time frame for decisions as well as an indication of any intention to undertake community consultation with Toobeah residents.”
In February, a spokesperson for the Department of Resource said Toobeah Reserve was “a highly culturally significant site for the Bigambul People and they have publicly committed to ensuring the community continues to have access to the reserve”.
“As part of the standard process under the Aboriginal Land Act 1991, the department conducts many activities including on-site surveys, community engagement and formal consultation.
“A working group is being formed with the community, Bigambul People and Council with more community consultation to get underway next month.”
Sign the Change.org petition here.
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