An Aboriginal land council has lodged a claim for prime parkland in an affluent Sydney suburb

Locals of an affluent suburbs have been left stunned by a landmark Aboriginal land claim to take control of an area of a popular Sydney park.

An Aboroginal land council has lodged a claim for a substantial portion of prime parkland in an affluent Sydney suburb.

The land in question is approximately 150,000 sqm of Boronia Park in the Sydney suburb of Hunters Hill, which currently hosts a variety of recreational facilities, including football and cricket fields, basketball and netball courts, and bike and walking tracks surrounded by bushland.

This revelation by The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday comes in the wake of a particularly successful year for Aboriginal land claims across New South Wales, with a record number of 545 claims granted in the past financial year alone, marking an unprecedented surge in the ongoing efforts to reclaim ancestral lands.

The Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council has lodged a claim for 150,000 square meters of Boronia Park in the Sydney suburb of Hunters Hill. Picture: Daily Telegraph / Flavio Brancaleone

The claim, which was initially lodged by the Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council in 2009, has only recently been brought to public attention following a communication from the Department of Crown Lands to the Hunters Hill Council.

The claim was initially lodged in 2009 and has only recently been brought to public attention.

An assessment of this claim is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

Concerns have arisen within the community about the potential ramifications of this claim, particularly regarding the fate of the expansive green space. Some fear that the land, classified as a bush care management zone, could be repurposed for housing or other commercial uses.

The land council has dismissed such concerns as mere “fearmongering.”

Hunters Hill Mayor Zac Miles emphasised to the newspaper that if the claim is approved, the land would be reclassified as freehold, allowing for potential development subject to a thorough assessment process by either the council or state government.

Nathan Moran, the Chief Executive of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, vehemently denied any suggestion of housing development on the site.

Instead, he highlighted the potential for the claim to bring about cultural and economic benefits for the Aboriginal community.

“Making claims for Crown Land (is) to give us something back for all the other land we’ve lost in the state of NSW since colonisation,” he stated, expressing frustration at perceived historical injustices faced by the Aboriginal community.

He further emphasised the need for a fair assessment process, stating: “We have to fight tooth and nail for every claim we lodge, but unfortunately, it’s not unusual for claims to take more than a decade to assess.”

The assessment of the claim is expected to be completed by the end of 2024, causing concerns within the community about the potential ramifications of the claim.

“All we want is for the assessment to be completed so we can have certainty,” he said,

While the future of Boronia Park remains unclear, pending the outcome of the assessment, residents, such as Matt Baily, who frequently visits the park with his young sons, express concerns about losing the cherished space.

Mr Baily told The Daily Telegraph: “It would definitely be a shame to lose the space; my wife is always coming down this way.”

This move by the Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council follows a trend of successful claims, including the acquisition of the former Waverton Bowling Club site last year.

Notably, Mr Moran also ruled out housing on that site, citing existing planning controls that restrict its reuse to facilities like bowling clubs, cafes, preschools, and events.

Nathan Moran, CEO of Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council. The Council has dismissed concerns about repurposing the land for housing or other commercial uses and highlighted the potential for the claim to bring about cultural and economic benefits for the Aboriginal community. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

In September 2023, Mr Moran revealed that approximately 40,000 similar claims for “recompense” are awaiting determination across the state.

Mr Moran made that revelation following a unanimous Mosman Council to opposed a native title land claim over the Lawry Plunkett Reserve in Balmoral Beach, valued at least $100 million.

The claim, initially lodged 14 years ago, entered the assessment phase recently, prompting criticism from local authorities.

Former Mosman deputy mayor Roy Bendall expressed surprise, emphasising the reserve’s active use and maintenance.

The broader context reveals a surge in land claims, with the Biraban Local Aboriginal Land Council assessing the use of over 34 hectares of Crown land at Lake Macquarie in the central NSW Hunter Region.

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council’s attempt to develop 450 dwellings and a cultural centre in bushland on Sydney’s Northern Beaches has faced opposition from local councils and communities.

Originally published as An Aboriginal land council has lodged a claim for prime parkland in an affluent Sydney suburb