Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council (DLALC) has responded to community concerns that an access point to the Lyre Trig lookout in Brisbane Water National Park has been closed to the public.
Coast Environmental Alliance (CEA) founder, Jake Cassar, said signs had recently been erected in what many people thought was national park at Kariong prohibiting access and there were fears people would try to gain entry by “bush bashing”.
“People are likely to do this to avoid security cameras and will end up treading all over the extremely sensitive ground cover plants,” Cassar said.
“There are also the threatened frogs that inhabit the leaf litter around the edge of the tracks including the red crowned toadlet and the Giant Burrowing frog.”
The access point is part of a large parcel of land earmarked by DLALC for a major development, which has met sustained opposition from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members.
Local resident, Kirt Mallie, said the community has been accessing the lookout for many generations.
“The Lyre Trig lookout is an iconic place where bushwalkers, trail runners, tourists and members of our Indigenous community regularly visit to take in the beautiful ambience of the surrounding untouched bushland,” he said.
“Being of Torres strait Islander descent, I was shocked and confused to find out that an Indigenous organisation has plans to bulldoze the area for a housing development … locals were under the impression that the entire area is national park.
“This development would be only a short walk to the famous Kariong Hieroglyphs and the Grandmother tree which is visited by thousands of tourists each year.”
CEA Threatened Species spokesperson, Jessie Fancett, said the area has been officially listed as an Area of Regional Koala Significance (ARKS) by the State and Federal Government and is home to other rare and threatened species.
“CEA accepts that DLALC should have the same rights as any other developer, but we should equally have the right to stand against unsustainable development that will contribute to the extinction of threatened species and endangered wetlands,” she said.
A National Parks and Wildlife (NPWS) spokesperson confirmed that while most of the Lyre Trig trail is in Brisbane Water National Park the very start of the trail, at the intersection of Woy Woy Rd, is not within the reserve.
“This area is well known locally to have some scenic views of the surrounding area (but) NPWS doesn’t provide facilities or promote the area at the end of Lyre Trig trail,” the spokesperson said.
DLALC CEO, Brendan Moyle, said while the Land Council understands that there are some concerns over the signs, it owns land on behalf of the Aboriginal community as represented by its membership, and has the same rights and responsibilities as any other land-owner.
“Darkinjung cannot be held to blame because people did not realise land that they were accessing was our freehold land rather than the national park.”
DLALC CEO, brendan moyle
“I can’t see many situations where people would be offended where any other private landowner would restrict access to their property, regardless (of) who people incorrectly thought owned it.
“It is a tragedy for reconciliation that in today’s age where we are talking across Australia about recognising Aboriginal people in the constitution, yet we are still being treated differently to non-Indigenous people when it comes to the rights on our own land.
“Darkinjung has put these signs up on a number of our land holdings, including the Kariong site, as we have had people destroying our land.
“This includes illegally dumping garbage, people camping and having ‘events’ on our land, and in the case of Kariong even clearing part of the land without our consent or agreement.
“I have seen social media comments where some non-Indigenous people have made statements that it is an attempt to cover up what we are allegedly doing in regards to the proposed development there.
“These comments are unfounded and extremely disappointing, and I encourage anyone who genuinely wants to know what Darkinjung is planning to come and meet with us respectfully to discuss and get a truthful and accurate picture rather than the ‘fake news’.”
Moyle reiterated that there were several other access points to Brisbane Water National Park.
Terry Collins
Do Darkingjung actually own the lands. Should it not be owned by the kurangai (gurangai people)