Residents say a deal to hand over “95 per cent of their town” to an Indigenous body is a “treaty” by stealth as they launch a petition to oppose the move.
Open revolt has gripped the Queensland town of Toobeah, about four hours southwest of Brisbane, following the transfer of a 20-hectare reserve to the BigambulAboriginal Corporation (BAC) as title of indigenous property.
A Change.org petition launched this week by Toobeah publican Michael Offerdahl, opposed to the transfer, has already gathered 1,300 signatures even though the town’s population is officially only 300 inhabitants.
Local business owner Michael Offerdahl (third from right) has launched a petition to prevent the Toobeah Reserve from being handed over to an Indigenous organization.
The petition states that the Queensland Government’s “confidential discussions, without any community consultation”, resulted in 95 per cent of Toobeah being handed over to the BAC, including the commons, landfill, rodeo grounds and the city hall.
According to the petition, the agreement could limit “access to all recreational areas as well as future prospects for urban sanitation and drinking water supply.”
“This appears to be the QLD Labor Government’s first effort to pass conventional legislation which, prior to the Voice Referendum, was supported by both sides of QLD politics,” the petition states.
“It took 70% of QLD voting no to racial division for the QLD Liberal/National Party (LNP) to change its position and withdraw its support for the treaty.”
Following voters’ overwhelming rejection of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament advisory body in October’s referendum, the Queensland LNP announced it no longer supported the previously bipartisan Path to Treaty program.
However, the petition accused the LNP of remaining silent on the Toobeah land transfer, with the town’s mayor, Lawrence Springborg, being a former Conservative Party opposition leader.
“They (the LNP) may well still support the treaty process,” the petition says.
“We need QLD to help the LNP find its voice and stand up for our values and way of life.”
Mr. Offerdahl, whose business backs onto the reserve directly north of downtown, has previously said that under native title, any local resident or visitor would have to seek permission from the native corporation to s walk or swim there.
The 220 ha Toobeah Reserve is located directly north of the town and has been the main recreational center since its beginnings.
“We are the premier bastion of defense in this area. If we achieve this now, it will set an insane precedent,” Mr Offerdahl told the Courier Mail.
“At first I was just worried about the growth of our town – we need 20 more houses to support the cotton and dryland farmers and they could be built on that land – but now my biggest fear concerns other places in Queensland.”
Currently, only a few places in the northern tip of the state, around Cape York, are designated Native Freehold.
BAC Executive Director Justin Saunders attempted to allay concerns about the transfer at a town meeting in February.
He said that far from closing the reserve, the indigenous owners would like to transform it into a cultural and ecotourism destination and assured residents that they could use the reserve in the same way as before.
In February, a Queensland Department of Resources spokesperson told the Courier Mail that the Toobeah Reserve was “a site of great cultural significance to the Bigambul people”.
Although the official population is only 300, more than 1,300 people have signed a petition against the surrender of the Toobeah Reserve.
“They are publicly committed to ensuring the community continues to have access to the reserve,” the spokesperson said.
“As part of the standard process under the Aboriginal Land Act 1991, the department carries out numerous activities including on-site surveys, community engagement and formal consultations.
“A working group is being formed with the community, Bigambul residents and the council and further community consultations are expected to begin next month.”
This fight is attracting the attention of politicians in Canberra.
Queensland LNP senator Matthew Canavan wrote to Queensland Resources Minister Scott Stewart this week, calling for transparency over the land transfer, which he said was negotiated without community consultation.
“The lack of community consultation around the proposed transfer has understandably devastated this small community,” Senator Canavan wrote.
“I would appreciate an update on the negotiations, including the likely timetable for decisions as well as an indication of any intention to undertake community consultation with Toobeah residents.”
Local Aboriginal Elders conduct traditional smoking ceremony on Toobeah Reserve
One Nation Queensland senator Pauline Hanson has also written to the state government and Goondiwindi Regional Council demanding the transfer be halted until residents are properly consulted.
According to the council’s website, he is “trustee of several parcels of Queensland Government land in Toobeah, locally known as Toobeah Reserve; this includes local towns’ water supply infrastructure and storage road network.
As the “property only manager” of the reservex, the council has no land rights…it is the State Government that is responsible for any change of use or ownership.
“The Queensland Government has been evaluating options for transferring the Toobeah Reserve to the local traditional owner group for approximately four years.”
A post about the plan shared on the council’s Facebook page received backlash and removed comments due to the council being “unable to fund comment moderation”.