Indigenous land use agreement signed in Toowoomba

An indigenous land use agreement over the Battle of One Tree Hill site, 6.5 km south-east of Toowoomba, will be signed today to ensure the protection of significant Aboriginal places and broader community use of the area.

The site, also known as Tabletop Bushland Reserve, in the Toowoomba City Council region is part of the Jagera, Yuggera and Ugarapul people's native title claim in south-east Queensland. The Battle of One Tree Hill was one of the last major battles fought there between traditional owners and European settlers in 1843.

Under the ILUA the Toowoomba City Council has recognised the Jagera, Yuggera and Ugarapul people as the traditional owners of the area.

The agreement follows a memorandum of understanding signed between the parties in September 2007 which set out how they would negotiate an ILUA.

Tribunal Member Neville MacPherson, who mediated between the groups, said they had succeeded in reaching agreement about how their native title, local government and community interests in the land could exist alongside one another.

‘This agreement will benefit the whole community as the Jagera, Yuggera and Ugarapul people work together cooperatively to manage and protect the reserve,’ he said. ‘It establishes how the Council can help to resolve the native title claim.’

‘The ILUA is a positive step for the Jagera, Yuggera and Ugarapul people as they seek legal recognition of their native title rights in the Federal Court. They have now signed ILUAs with city councils in the eastern and western reaches of their native title claim area, as this agreement follows an ILUA signed last month with the Ipswich City Council.’

Mr MacPherson said the Toowoomba City Council was one of many local governments around Australia that had worked through land management issues with the traditional owners in their area to reach an agreed outcome.

The Tribunal has registered 314 ILUAs around Australia and of these approximately 30 have involved a local government authority as an applicant or a party. The majority of these agreements have been reached in Queensland.

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