Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last Thursday evening I had the privilege of participating in SBS’s Insight program. They ran a forum detailing and exploring the different complexities involved with native title. These complexities were compounded recently following a decision made with respect to the Noongar people in Western Australia. My involvement in the program was precipitated by the fact that on the Gold Coast the Eastern Yugambeh people have put in a claim over 1,000 square kilometres of area from the Beenleigh River south to the Tweed border. On this basis and in accordance with previous comments I have made, I was asked to participate in the Insight program to share some of my concerns, which I know are held by a number of Gold Coast developers, as well as more broadly by the community, over the potential problems that could arise if this Eastern Yugambeh people’s claim over the Gold Coast is successful.

When you get to the core issue, you see that following the recent decision there is at this point in time—subject, of course, to appeal—an extension of the operation of native title, such that now a continuing connection with the land can be established over unallocated crown land, even though historically it may have been thought that the use of that land was inconsistent with the continuing existence of native title. For an area like the Gold Coast, I have a high degree of cynicism over the nature of the claim by Wesley Aird and the Eastern Yugambeh people, in particular when we are talking about some of the most prime real estate in Australia. Furthermore, for an area such as The Spit, which comes off Main Beach and is in the heart of my electorate, I am greatly concerned that what is in fact being sought is an opportunity to seek compensation for the Eastern Yugambeh people.

I highlight that the Aboriginal community on the Gold Coast is not unified in this claim. The Kombumerri clan in fact claim that the Eastern Yugambeh clan are not traditional owners of this area of land. That, of course, will be tested, but I would like to put on the record in parliament my cynicism over the exact reason for this claim. I would challenge Wesley Aird and others who are members of the Eastern Yugambeh community to highlight to the Gold Coast community what it is that they seek—whether it is recognition that they were the traditional owners and that is all; or perhaps my cynicism is well founded and, in fact, this is a claim built around seeking compensation to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. (Time expired)