Blog Archives
Qld Labor Party gives 9.5 million acres of Cape York to Aboriginal groups then shoots more cattle
by staff writers
The Queensland Labor Party has allocated an extra $20 million for voluntary land purchase to be jointly managed by traditional owners as new national parks and Aboriginal freehold on Cape York, as part of a $38.5 million package.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the funding follows the recent purchase by the government of two of the state’s northernmost cattle properties – Bramwell Station and Richardson Station (adjoining leases) – to link existing national parks into a one-million-hectare protection zone (2,470,000 acres)
Local cattle producers say this vast tract of mostly inaccessible, overgrown land incorporating the former Shelburne Bay cattle station is completely unmanageable with regard to feral animals and fires and handing it over to aboriginal groups ultimately will destroy the natural environment.
The Queensland Parks Service caused a furor recently when thousands of cattle were shot on national parks and reserves.
The QPS has added more fuel to the fire by shooting many hundreds of cattle on Heathlands National Park over the past week.
The service now shoots so many stock which do not belong to them, they have employed a permanent shooter who charters helicopters for aerial shooting to kill branded and unbranded cattle.
Cairns News knows the identities of the pilots and shooters which will be published in an article, ‘Cape York Peninsula the new Aboriginal state’ in coming weeks.
Katters Australian Party Member for Hill, Shane Knuth has called out Minister Scanlon, a former Gold Coast solicitor, for killing cattle belonging to park neighbours.
Mr Knuth said the cattle were quite valuable on today’s market and were an untapped resource that could provide employment for Peninsula Aborigines by catching them on parks.
In 2021 wildfires consumed vast tracts of Heathlands national park causing permanent damage to many thousands of acres of natural herbage leaving much of the land sterile due to a lack of annual fires and detritus build-up generating intense heat.
According to local inhabitants, the fires were suspected to have been lit by Aborigines traveling through the park along the main road.
“By returning this land to traditional custodians, we can work together to conserve the significant natural and cultural treasures of Cape York,” the Premier said.
“It will also create jobs and opportunities for locals into the future.”
Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon said more than 3.85 million hectares (9,500,000 acres) of Cape York Peninsula land has been transferred to Traditional Owners by the Cape York Peninsula Tenure Resolution Program, with another 1.5 million acres yet to be handed over.
“This is about land justice,’’ Minister Scanlon said.
“We share an ugly and uncomfortable history in this country.
“And our First Nations communities have waited generations to have their land back.”
Such disinformation is like “water on a duck’s back” to northern Australians who have seen countless cattle properties handed over to Aboriginal organisations only to find nearly every one mismanaged, stripped bare, burnt out and become non-operational in a short time.
“It is a terrible injustice,” said a Cape York cattle producer who wished to remain unidentified because of government retaliation against those who speak the truth about the degeneration of Cape York.
“These misled groups have been given back land where they will never be allowed to run cattle or have a viable commercial business-like tourism,” the producer said.
“Just look what happened at Dixie Station (350 klms to the south west of Shelbourne Bay) after it was handed back.
“It used to run 5000 breeders and employ a few ringers, now nearly all the water points have been destroyed and all infrastructure, including fences and cattle yards except the house have been burnt to the ground.
“The national parks service hates water bores and dams and now they wonder where the wildlife has gone after the water disappears.
“The Olkola Corporation will never be able to run cattle there.
“Living off carbon credits is counter-productive to indigenous people.”
Minister Scanlon said an extra $38.5 million over the next four years had been allocated to continue the CYPTR Program and to manage certain Cape York lands.
Since the Goss-led Labor Party, successive governments had united more than one million hectares of protected areas and Aboriginal land, according to Minister Scanlon.
But there remains about 400,000 hectares of national park and reserves and more than 200,000 hectares of other State land yet to be transferred.
“Last month, I announced the largest land acquisition in the Cape in more than a decade when the famous tourist resort Bramwell Station was purchased for $11.5M,” she said.
“This new funding brings us ever closer to righting the wrongs of the past.’’
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Minister Craig Crawford said land tenure was the way forward for First Nations people on Cape York.
“This is where we can draw a line in the sand and work jointly with the traditional custodians,’’ Mr Crawford said.
Balkanu Cape York Development Executive Director Gerhardt Pearson said the CYPTR program also recognises the importance of economic development to Traditional Owners.
“Revenue is generated through activities such gravel extraction, grazing, tourism, carbon offsets contracts, and ‘fee for service’ land management activities,’’ Mr Pearson said.
“There are social, cultural, health and wellbeing benefits that flow from Traditional Owners owning and managing their homelands.”
The extra funding includes:
- $31.9 million for the continuation of the Cape York Peninsula Tenure Resolution Program including acquisition funds
- $4 million for joint management of existing 32 National Parks (Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal Land), and
- $2.6 million for the management of Springvale Station Nature Refuge, being 56,000 hectares of the former grazing property, 40 km south-west of Cooktown, purchased by the Queensland Government in 2016, (which has been a disaster in the making).
Further information on the Cape York Peninsula Tenure Resolution Program is available at https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/management/programs/joint-management-cape-york.
Further information on Springvale Nature Refuge is available at www.qld.gov.au/environment/coasts-waterways/plans/catchment-management/springvale-station.
NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT WHITE PAPER SHREDDED BY CAPE YORK LAND COUNCIL
by Robert J Lee
LIBERAL GOVERNMENT LEFT WITH EGG ALL OVER ITS FACE
THE CAIRNS POST AND THE ABC HAVE HAD THIS STORY FOR 3 WEEKS BUT WILL NOT TOUCH IT
TROUBLE AHEAD FOR ALL RESIDENTS OF CAPE YORK PENINSULA WITH A NEW INDIGENOUS STATE TO BE CREATED
Cape York Land Council takes control of the Peninsula Development Road on Cape York Peninsula.
Cape York Land Council says the $210 million Mein Deviation road job near Weipa can start
The prospect of Northern Development hailed by the Federal Government as the panacea for northern Australia has been placed on the back foot after the State Government and the Cape York Land Council signed an agreement allowing the Land Council to control the Peninsula Development Road, the main arterial access to Cape York.
The Land Council claims it wants jobs for local community residents but some Cape Traditional Owners, businessmen and pastoralists believe it to be a “greedy land grab for the few at the top of the CYLC” that will not benefit most struggling communities.
There will be more of the traditional CYLC ‘jobs for their boys’ who in most cases are never local indigenous businesses. Richie AhMat, Gerhardt and Noel Pearson are in bed with the big boys and their predictions of jobs for Peninsula indigenous contractors like most of their other failed, expensive schemes will also fail local businesses, contractors and the long-suffering community resident.
Gerhart Pearson
Noel Peason
Ritchie AhMat
The state and federal governments have rolled over to the unrepresentative CYLC yet again. Next comes the new Aboriginal state of Cape York above the 16th Parallel with the TOLL gates set at Laura or Lakeland.
Every local authority in the nation should be terrified about the hijacking of this vital state government-owned road that is the only land access to important northern defence facilities and the major mining town of Weipa.
Meanwhile September is a few days away and the wet season a few months away. Starting such major roadworks near Weipa that should have begun in May will be a disaster for the unlucky contractor, soon to be announced.
And the annual $25 billion Aboriginal industry, taxpayer feeding frenzy continues for CYLC and Balkanu……..
Meetings to discuss Cape York issues to be held soon
A series of meetings about the Penisula Development Road will be held next week across Cape York Peninsula.
Contact: info@cyfs.com.au – (07) 40532856
Meeting Dates:
Cooktown Monday 3rd August 5.30pm – 7pm Sovereign Resort
Coen Hotel Wednesday 5th August 4.00pm – 5.30pm
Lakeland Hotel Monday 3rd August 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Laura Tuesday 4th August 10am – 11.30am Quinkan Hotel
Lockhart River Church Hall Tuesday 11th August 10am – 12.30pm
Loyalty beach camp ground and fishing lodge Friday 7th August 5.30pm – 7pm
Musgrave Roadhouse Tuesday 4th August 3.30pm – 5pm
Weipa Albatross Bay Resort Tuesday 6th August 5.30pm – 7pm
It would seem Federal Member for Leichhardt, Warren Entsch has been fence sitting over this issue and continues to ignore the voice of the people. He may have started his own political demise with voter anger reaching boiling point in North Queensland.
FACEBOOK PUBLICATION
Gerhardt Pearson Facebook Source: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009743923034
Landmark agreement paves way for Peninsula Development Road
Published on Facebook – 29 July 2015
THE Cape York Land Council today signed an important agreement which paves the way for the start of construction on the Mein Deviation and other sections of the Peninsula Development Road, known as the PDR.
Under this agreement, the Queensland Government and Native Title Holders will now begin negotiations to settle an Indigenous Land Use Agreement for the whole of the PDR by the end of 2015. These negotiations follow the lodgment and registration of one of Australia’s largest native title claims earlier in the year, over Cape York.
Chairman of the Cape York Land Council, Mr Richie Ah Mat, said the Department of Transport and Main Roads could now finalise contract arrangements for construction to commence next week.
“There has been a mammoth effort by the Queensland Government and the Cape York Land Council to settle these outstanding matters over the last two months and our meetings over the last two days have endorsed our approach,” he said.
The agreement addresses Indigenous employment, training and business opportunities, cultural heritage clearance processes and environmental considerations.
“On Cape York, where the Indigenous community is battling very high unemployment, high incarceration rates and alcohol and drug abuse, projects such as the PDR are critical in providing opportunity to our mob,” said Mr Ahmat.
“This is a great example of the State Government recognising the Native Title and cultural interests of Traditional Owners to maintain respectful ongoing relationships to carry the PDR to completion.”
Under the agreement, a Traditional Owner steering committee has been established that will guide the settlement of the Indigenous Land Use Agreement with the Queensland Government.
Mr Ahmat said that it was very important for Traditional Owner groups to work together on major linear projects such as the PDR. “An important principle of the Native Title claim has been that Traditional Owners speak for their country,” he said.
“Prior to the settlement of the Indigenous Land Use Agreement, there will need to be further discussions with Traditional Owners from along the road route”.
Southern Kandju and Negotiating committee member, Dion Creek, praised the agreement.
“For the first time, the State Labor Government, Cape York Land Council, and Traditional Owners have respectfully negotiated a single agreement covering the PDR,” he said.
“There can be no longer be any excuse for our people to remain on the sidelines, when it comes to capitalising on investments for the PDR and other road networks throughout Cape York.
Mr Creek said that PDR investments specified in the agreement would be used to increase the capacity of Indigenous people, through the provision of training and employment, enterprise facilitation and the commitment to support local business.
“We have a jobs crisis in Cape York,” he said. “It is a priority we must address
Cape York Land Council may soon charge entry into Cape York Peninsula
by Robert J Lee
Pen Dev Road and Native Title CYLC Mtg 15-16July15-0001
Four wheel drive enthusiasts, pastoralists, transport companies and tourists may soon have to pay a toll to drive on the Peninsula Development Road after the Cape York Land Council this week indicated it would pursue an Indigenous Land Use Agreement over the entire Peninsula Development Road and the Telegraph Track.
Not only has the land council laid down the gauntlet to all Australians, but its move has jeopardised the construction of a $220 million bitumen road upgrade near Weipa.
The Main Roads Department has been struggling for five weeks to deal with an intransigent land council and its representatives, who have demanded extravagant royalties for gravel and prohibited the taking of any water from permanent rivers, dams or springs.
The legality of the road network grab, according to land council sources comes via an ambit land claim (see illustration) placed over the entire Peninsula in December, covering 146,390 square kilometres.
It is the largest single land claim ever lodged in Australian history
When coupled with the 53,990 square kms already determined on the Cape, all land and inland waters of Cape York will be either determined as native title, or under claim.
Cairns News in 2003 was given a copy of a map of the Peninsula that shows a proposed Aboriginal state taking in all land north of the 16th Parallel.
This ambit claim was lodged in December, with nine token claimants, Mike Ross, Silva Blanco, Wayne Butcher (Mayor of Lockhart River), James Creek, Clarry Flinders, Jonathan Korkaktain, Philip Port, Hogan Shortjoe and Reginald Williams.
And when added to the vast areas transferred to Aboriginal ownership under the Aboriginal Land Act 1991 (QLD), all significant activity on the Cape will require the consent of the Traditional Owners.
This includes mining and other major projects.
“This means the Traditional Owners of the Cape will be the real masters of development and use of their lands,” said Riche Ah Mat, Chairman of the Cape York Land Council.
Richie Ahmat, Chairman of the Cape York Land Council and unofficial mouthpiece for Noel Pearson
“Traditional Owners can now reconnect with country, and also ensure we can use our lands so our futures are bright with economic opportunity, not blighted by continued welfare dependence.”
Meanwhile northern pastoralists, development associations, tourist bodies and other affected groups are sharpening their swords to engage the CYLC head on.
This story will be regularly updated – editor
Greens party not interested in stopping coal seam gas, the morons are only after vote money
Labor benefits from Green and PUP preferences
by Robert J Lee
Coal seam gas and open cut coal mining on the way to Cape York
Clive Palmer and the Greens share first place for screwing up the chances of Independents and the Katter party winning seats at Saturday’s election. The hopeless nitwits of the Greens, usually off in weed-induced fairyland actually believe their fruit-loop Senators or other parliamentary members will do something about halting the coal seam gas scourge that is ruining water supplies and some of the best farm land and in Australia.
Christine Milne, Tasmania – Janet Rice, Victoria – Rachel Siewert, WA
Scott Ludlum WA – Penny Wright, SA – Lee Rhiannon, NSW
Richard di Natale, Victoria – Larissa Waters, Queensland
Pictures: Some of the Malthusian Green Party Senators clambering for Queensland taxpayer’s funds
But the Queensland Greens Party is primarily after the lucrative $2.90 per vote handed out by the Queensland Electoral Commission, compliments of the taxpayer. The Greens how to vote card gave closet CSG supporters, the Labor Party number two. Conversely the ALP card did the same. Most of the arm draggers of the Greens are too stupid to know their megalomaniacal idol and one-time Premier, now American citizen Peter Beattie actually started CSG in Queensland when he handed out hundreds of exploration permits to foreign CSG companies ten years ago. Beattie, of course was handsomely rewarded for his efforts and has a share portfolio that would be the envy of Macquarie Bank.
At an anti-CSG meeting Bob Katter told Cairns News 12 months ago he had presented a Bill in Federal Parliament to place a moratorium on CSG exploration and drilling until its environmental effects could be properly assessed by competent authorities. This Bill has been widely publicised. Where are the Greens? What has Queensland Green senator Larissa Waters ever done to stop CSG. Nothing!
It is now overwhelmingly apparent the pagan Greens have no interest in halting the CSG industry. The party’s claims of helping the environment fly in the face of reality.
The ETU, CYLC, Balkanu and Bill Gordon
Billy Gordon
The Electrical Trades Union claims it dispatched 6000 of its drones from Melbourne, Tasmania and New South Wales to converge on polling booths and towns across the state. In the electorate of Cook that stretches from the PNG border to Mareeba(60klm west of Cairns), ETU minions adorned with their red Billy Gordon(ALP) T shirts clutching ‘no sale of assets’ green signs assisted indigenous candidate and now Member for Cook Bill Gordon with his election campaign. The ETU assailed the inhabitants of Thursday Island, Bamaga and Aurukun with their presence and dominance at pre-polling centres in communities across the top of Cape York Peninsula and Torres Strait. What policy deals have been done between the ETU, Bill Gordon, the Greens and the dodgy Cape York Land Council and its business arm, Balkanu, are not yet evident.
What is evident however, in true ALP style, is that a bus load of indigenous rent-a-vote people was seen arriving at the Mareeba pre-polling centre to vote, evidently for Bill Gordon. How this crowd was able to bypass the new identification requirement of the Electoral Commission is not yet known.
The sad part of the Cape York Peninsula result is that rank-and-file Aborigines, duped by the CYLC and Balkanu believe that their plight might change with the election of CLYC puppet, Bill Gordon. Nothing could be further from the truth. When in government the ALP shut down the Peninsula with Wild Rivers and other Green ideology. The ALP and then the LNP allowed the CYLC and Balkanu to manipulate communities and their leaders, depriving them of funds intended to lift the living standards of its languishing people.
The federal government handed self-appointed indigenous leader Noel Pearson $22 million for his pet school curriculum, that none of the communities seem to want. If that was not enough the Liberals dished out a further $8 million to another of Pearson’s private companies for a training program.
The Greens have demonised coal mining, the backbone of the Queensland economy, claiming runoff from coal mining, hundreds of kilometres inland, somehow finds its way to the Great Barrier Reef, more than 50 kilometres off the coastline. The Environmental Protection Act disallows run off from any mine site and according to independent geologists, seldom occurs.
The brain-dead Greens know little about the importance of thousands of years of soil run-off during the wet season. This important natural occurrence provides the sediment for upper estuaries, nurturing mangroves and fish breeding grounds. The Greens omit to mention that Gladstone Harbour, like other coastal ecosystems has a permanent oil slick. Shale-oil runoff from Kerosene Creek and shale-oil beds along the upper reaches of the Calliope River seep into the waterways that feed Gladstone harbour. This has been occurring for several thousand years, ever since the shale oil beds formed.
What will these knuckleheads do about this natural phenomena?
Sarah Hanson Young, SA – Adam Bandt, Vic MHR – Peter Whish Wilson, Tasmania
Pictures: Some of the arm-dragging Green Neanderthals
Palmer gets wrecker of the year award
Clive Palmer
Clive Palmer should get the wrecker of the year award for standing candidates in 50 seats, neutering the KAP and independent candidates. PUP’s best result was eight percent, predicted by most observers who said PUP would not gain one seat. Palmer has turned out to be the secret weapon of the Labor Party. He did not care if he trashed KAP or independents, he just wanted the LNP and Campbell Newman’s scalps. But he took votes from those independents with similar policies to PUP, caring less about the economic fate of business or households.
Should Palmer’s antagonism towards the Liberals not dissipate over the next three years, and if he has the financial resources, can we expect a similar fiasco next time around?
Truancy officers a waste of money
OVERFED AND UNDERNOURISHED KIDS WILL NOT RESPOND TO TRUANCY PLAN
Plans by the Federal Government to fund 400 truancy officers covering 40 schools in indigenous communities across four states and the Northern Territory have been labelled as a “waste of time and money.”
The Government intends to spend $28 million to entice kids to go back to school in Queensland, NSW, South Australia and Western Australia.
The Queensland Government strongly supports the intervention which it believes could normalise many communities.
One of the country’s foremost authorities on indigenous health, Geoff Guest OAM, said the government has put the “cart before the horse.”
In one of the most successful drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs seen in Australia, since 1982 Mr Guest has accepted more than 4000 indigenous and white youths and adults into his program with an acknowledged success rate of 70 per cent.
On the western doorstep to the Atherton Tablelands, Mr Guest and wife Norma have run Petford Farm which was regarded by courts and police as the last step before incarceration for troubled youth.
A large majority of participants in Mr Guest’s acclaimed program, based on horsemanship, station work and home schooling went on to become responsible parents holding a job and becoming responsible citizens.
The planned attempt by the government to encourage kids to go to school was “doomed before it starts,” stressed the 85 year old bushman turned natural healer.
“These kids who wag school have no interest in schoolwork, and don’t bother attending because they have no reason to go,” said Mr Guest.
“The money comes in regardless of going to school so most kids see no point.
“There are few role models because most kids in communities have an atrocious diet of soft drinks, sports drinks, and refined foods which goes hand-in-hand with substance abuse.
“Bad diets and refined, sugary wheat-based cereals for breakfast results in low blood sugar levels preventing kids from concentrating at school, and eventually becoming dependent on marijuana or harder drugs to feel good,” he said.
“A lot of these kids are overfed and undernourished.
“Government authorities do not recognise this essential and basic human requirement of nutritious food and we now have three generations of kids and adults unable to reach their full potential.
“Indigenous community representatives then start to play the ‘blame game’ demanding more and more money be spent on dozens of new programs which fix nothing and further entrench the drip feed from social welfare,” Mr Guest said.
Rebecca Bell, Treasurer of Mr Guest’s support group, the Petford Wellness Association said Mr Guest’s program has been developed by members and researchers as a curricula subject and will be ready to be taught in communities across the country next year.
“Until parents in communities are taught how to prepare proper and nutritious meals and have ready access to fresh fruit and vegetables, consume less refined foods and have a reduction in sugar and alcohol intake, no amount of government programs will change anything for the struggling people of Cape York,” Ms Bell said.
“The association is registered as a not-for-profit charity so any donations are fully tax deductible.”
For more information contact Geoff Guest 40935365 or Rebecca Bell 0467967662
Another rewarded Pearson company riles indigenous leaders
A shelf company formed in July this year, Cape York Employment Pty Ltd, with Richie Ahmat, Noel Pearson and South African Duncan Murray as directors, has been awarded training contracts by the federal government under the new Remote Jobs and Communities Program for Cape York Peninsula.
Prior to the federal election Opposition Leader Tony Abbott announced a $5m grant to further develop a plan, ‘Empowered Communities’ devised by Cairns indigenous leader Noel Pearson.
This program is causing widespread derision amongst Cape York Peninsula communities. Five community Mayors issued a joint statement, condemning Pearson soon after media reports of Abbott’s promise to appoint Pearson as his private indigenous affairs advisor.
Numerous communities have told Pearson not to interfere with their affairs and not to impose his culture upon them.
It will be interesting to gauge Abbott’s reaction to the adversity towards his long-time friend Noel Pearson. Abbott, to his credit makes an annual visit to Cape York communities to assist in teaching at schools so he should have a good grasp on the worsening situation enabling him to propose a solution.
Cairns News has been contacted by several indigenous leaders who remain steadfastly opposed to any dealings with the Pearsons’ or Richie Ahmat.
The training contracts awarded to Pearson and Ahmat, the Chairman of Cape York Land Council, might well be the straw that breaks the dugong’s back in this last outpost. from Robert J Lee in Cairns
Cape York Indigenous groups in revolt over Pearson appointment as LNP advisor
Eight mayors in far north Queensland’s Cape York region have launched a scathing attack on Indigenous leader Noel Pearson, saying they want him less involved in their affairs.
In a joint statement, eight mayors including those from Aurukun, Mapoon, Lockhart River, Kowanyama, Aurukun, Napranum and the Northern Peninsula area, say they did not want Mr Pearson to have any more control over funding, policy or service delivery on Cape York.
The criticisms targeted Mr Pearson’s schooling methodology, the alleged lack of transparency in awarding a job provider contract to his Cape York Institute, as well as his newly launched ‘Empowered Communities’ blueprint, which is aimed at improving the way money is spent in Indigenous communities.
The blueprint, was first mentioned in the media 10 days ago and launched by Mr Pearson and Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott four days later in Sydney.
The mayors have written to Mr Abbott saying they were dismayed to receive what they describe as a “policy directive” via the media.
Napranum Mayor Philemon Mene says Mr Pearson never consulted local government leaders about the plan.
“Work with us, rather than trying to be the Mayor of Cape York,” he said.
He says governments should directly fund councils to run community programs, rather than going through Mr Pearson’s organisations.
Lockhart River Mayor Wayne Butcher says he wants his position to be respected.
“You’d think the best people to make any decision over addressing social issues in our community is the community themselves,” he said.
Mr Wayne Butcher and five other mayors have written to Mr Abbott describing their dismay at learning of the plan via the media.
“There needs to be some understanding there is leadership now on the ground,” he said.
“The thing is we have to wake up every morning to the social issues in our community.
“You’d think the best people to make any decision over addressing social issues in our community is the community themselves.
“But that hasn’t been the case for such a long time.”
The ABC has sought a response from Mr Abbott’s office.
Mr Pearson declined to comment.-from ABC
Cairns News 