Aboriginal group makes native title claim across six local government areas as residents lash out at secret land grab after learning about it in the newspaper

An Indigenous group have upset locals in a Queensland community over two native title claims totalling almost 8,000sq kilometres of land.   

The Bigambul people have submitted claims for 7,737sq km of land, which covers six local government areas surrounding Goondiwindi, a rural town on the border of Queensland and NSW.

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

This follows the controversial transfer of the town reserve in Toobeah to the Bigambul Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (BNTAC) by the former state Labor government as freehold land last year.

Residents have shared their concerns about the local claim including a group of Millmerran locals and former Toowoomba mayor Paul Antonio.

They say they’re concerned about the impact the claims could have on the community and worry it could be divisive. 

Other concerns include the Turallin claim concerning a property already owned by the BNTAC. 

Millmerran resident Harvey Caldicott said locals felt they were being kept in the dark over the claims. 

The Bigambul people have submitted claims for 7,737sq km of land in Queensland

The claim covers six local government areas surrounding Goondiwindi (pictured), a rural town on the border of Queensland and NSW

‘What happened in Toobeah upset a lot of people and there are a few concerned people around here too,’ he told The Courier Mail.

‘There’s no neighbourly contact with the Bigambul – we get nothing. You find out all this stuff in newspapers and hidden in documentation. 

‘There’s no engagement whatsoever.’

Gail Rielly, who is also a Millmerran resident, expressed her worry the native title claims would cause division among the local community.  

Mr Antonio said he doesn’t believe Millmerran residents have any issue with the Indigenous community.

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

Newspaper ads displaying a July deadline for responding to the claims has added to local residents’ concerns. 

A BNTAC spokeswoman said the Indigenous group ‘welcomed open engagement’ and was happy to discuss the claim with any concerned residents.

A BNTAC spokeswoman said the Indigenous group ‘welcomed open engagement’ with any concerned local residents

Toobeah (pictured) was transferred to the Bigambul Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (BNTAC) by the former state Labor government as freehold land last year

Bigambul have an office in Goondiwindi and members of the community have been invited to reach out.

The spokesperson said native title was not allowed over freehold land unless that land was owned or held in trust for Indigenous people, which is the case for the Turallin claim.

‘There are several sites on the property which are significant to all Bigambul People, and since 2013 we have been using the property to pass on traditional knowledge to our young people,’ she said.  

The Turallin property has been determined to be outside the area of the Bigambul native title.

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

She said the larger 7,737sq km claim did not apply to freehold or leasehold land.

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

The 210ha Toobeah reserve was transferred to the BNTAC last year under the Aboriginal Land Act.

This act allows unallocated state land to be given to Indigenous groups as ‘inalienable freehold’, but it cannot be sold or mortgaged.

Toobeah publican Michael Offerdahl fronted a campaign against the transfer and claimed it would result in 95 per cent of the town being given away.

The Bigambul people said this was untrue and the reserve represented less than 1 per cent of the Toobeah district.