Aboriginal Group makes indigenous title claims in six local government areas while residents play at Secret Land Grab after learning in the newspaper

A native group has the locals in one Queensland Community on two indigenous title claims of a total of almost 8,000 square kilometers of land.

The Bigambul people have filed claims for 7,737 m² of land, which six local government areas around Goondiwindi, a rural city on the border of Queensland and NSW.

A claim has also been submitted for a 58ha package in Turallin, near Millmerran on the Darling Downs.

This follows the controversial transfer of the city reserve in Tobeah to the Bigambul Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (BNTAC) by the former state worker government as Freehold Land last year.

Residents have shared their concern about the local claim, including a group of Millmerran -Local population and former mayor of Toowoomba Paul Antonio.

They say that they are concerned about the impact that the claims could have on the community and worry that it can be divided.

Other concerns are the Turallin claim with regard to a property that is already owned by the BNTAC.

Millmerran resident Harvey Caldicott said the locals had the feeling that they were being kept in the dark about the claims.

The Bigambul people have filed claims for 7,737 m² land in Queensland

The claim covers six local government areas around Goondiwindi (photo), a rural city on the border of Queensland and NSW

“What happened in Tobeah, many people took it up and there are also a few worried people here,” he said The courier post.

‘There is no neighbor contact with the Bigambul – we get nothing. You discover all these things in newspapers and hidden in documentation.

“There is no engagement.”

Gail Rielly, who is also a resident of Mill Merran, expressed her worries that the indigenous title claims would cause a distribution among the local community.

Mr. Antonio said he does not believe that residents of Millmerran have some problem with the indigenous community.

He claimed that native title claims can be ‘very difficult’ for the local community and hoped that this would not be the case here.

Newspaper advertisements that display a July deadline for responding to the claims have contributed to the concerns of local residents.

A BNTAC spokeswoman said that the indigenous group welcomed ‘open engagement’ and was happy to discuss the claim with all the residents involved.

A BNTAC spokeswoman said that the indigenous group welcomed ‘open engagement’ with involved locals

Tobeah (photo) was transferred to the Bigambul Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (BNTAC) by the former state worker government as Freehold Land last year

Bigambul has invited an office in Gohondiwindi and members of the community to contact us.

The spokesperson said that the indigenous title was not allowed on Freehold -land, unless that country was owned by or in confidence for indigenous population, which is the case for Turallin’s claim.

“There are various sites on the site that are important for all Bigambul people, and since 2013 we have been using the building to pass on traditional knowledge to our young people,” she said.

The Turallin property is determined to be outside the area of ​​the indigenous title of Bigambul.

However, the spokesperson argued that the anthropology of the property can be used as evidence to support that it is part of the traditional land of Bigambul.

She said that the larger claim of 7,737 m² did not apply to Freehold or leasehold.

This claim would cover the remaining parts of the drainage basins of Mcintyre and Moonie River that were not included in the original determination of the native title.

The 210ha Tobeah Reserve was transferred to the BNTAC under the Aboriginal Land Act last year.

With this law, not -ing state land can be given to indigenous groups as ‘inalienable Freehold’, but cannot be sold or mortgaged.

Tobeah Publican Michael Oddahl brought a campaign against the transfer and claimed that this would lead to 95 percent of the city being given away.

The Bigambul people said that this was not true and the reserve represented less than 1 percent of the Tobeah district.