STOP WORK: No bulldozing ancestral remains

On Tuesday 2nd May, massive mashines came and completely levelled the Deebing Creek Protection sites. They smashed down the homes of First Nations' Protectors, along with all of their possessions before the continued bulldozing of Country that holds the bones of the Many Nations forced through the former Deebing Creek Aboriginal Mission.

The police came in force, before dawn and in the cover of darkness at 4:15am to evict the Protectors while they slept. They forced them from their homes that they have been peacefully occupying and protecting the bones, Country and culture that surround the former Mission site ...

On Tuesday 2nd May, massive mashines came and completely levelled the Deebing Creek Protection sites. They smashed down the homes of First Nations' Protectors, along with all of their possessions before the continued bulldozing of Country that holds the bones of the Many Nations forced through the former Deebing Creek Aboriginal Mission.

The police came in force, before dawn and in the cover of darkness at 4:15am to evict the Protectors while they slept. They forced them from their homes that they have been peacefully occupying and protecting the bones, Country and culture that surround the former Mission site, for nearly four years.

The bulldozers of AV Jennings continue to dig up the land - land that holds the bones of the Many Nations. They continue to desecrate trees including the sacred and endangered Melaleuca Irbyana and core koala habitat.

The Qld Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has promised to look into this injustice. Send her an urgent message - to stop all development work around the former Mission - to allow space for the appropriate surveying, research and DNA testing of the bones. To allow space for repatriation.

The First Nations' Protectors have a great responsibility to defend the resting place of the many bloodline clans and tribes that were displaced to the mission.

They want to "bring them home", with dignity and respect for the oldest living culture in the world, and for the descendants of these proud Peoples.

In the year of 'the voice', these are First Nations' voices that need to be heard - the bones of the many Nations must be protected and repatriated.

Send your message to the Premier today.

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STOP Work - Repatriate the bones

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Demand the Qld Premier STOP WORK immediately - to protect First Nations' bones.

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Dear Premier,

I am writing to you today to urge you to intervene with the ongoing destruction of County, culture and the resting places of the bones of the Many Nations forced to the former Deebing Creek Aboriginal Mission.

Yuggera Traditional Owners and other First Nations’ Protectors who are descendants of those forcibly removed from their homes and families and taken to the Mission, have long argued the country has Aboriginal human remains.

Cultural due diligence has NOT been performed on the Mission's adjacent sites being developed by AV Jennings, Moremac and Stocklands (land tenures: Lot 218 SP 283121; Lot 600 SP 300901; Lot 802 SP 300901; Lot 801 SP 300901; Lot 207 CH 31135). Appropriate consultation with the First Nations' Protectors acting upon their cultural responsibility has not occurred. The Cultural Heritage Management Plan is being refused to them.

You can take the easy option - turn a blind eye and hide behind your department having engaged with the Native Title applicants OR you can take the harder and more just road - to be a leader in truth telling, reconciliation and hearing the voice of all First Nations' peoples impacted by these developments.

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) report that continues to be referenced as having conclusively found that there are no human remains throughout the country does not make this conclusion at all. The investigation was not thorough and was not conclusive. The photographs of bones observed (no bones were physically examined) were that of Professor David Lambert, one of the nation’s leading experts in ancient DNA, who asserts that the only way to conclude whether or not bones are of human origin is to sequence their genomic DNA.

On Tuesday 2nd May, the police came in at 4:15am, in the cover of darkness and forced the Protectors from their homes - a violation of their Human Right to protect and practise their culture, as protected by the Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld).

AV Jennings then proceeded to destroy their homes and all of their possessions. The bulldozers of AV Jennings continue to dig up the land - land that holds the bones of the Many Nations. They continue to desecrate trees including the sacred and endangered Melaleuca Irbyana and core koala habitat.

I strongly urge you to intervene on this incredibly important issue, as to not do so is inconsistent with your Government's Path to Treaty and the Statement of Commitment, where you have committed to reframe the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, including respecting their cultures, providing for self-determination, locally led decision-making, empowerment and free, prior and informed consent.

I urge you to issue a Stop Work order immediately, and allow the space for the appropriate consultations with the First Nations' Protectors, to allow space for the appropriate and thorough surveying, research and DNA testing of bones and to allow space for repatriation.

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