Eight Quandamooka Elders have applied for an emergency declaration under section 18 of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act to halt the works currently underway above Frenchman’s beach. 

 

The Frenchman’s beach headland project by Redland City Council is nothing short of a disaster, with excessive vegetation removal which has caused topsoil and drainage issues that is causing damage to intangible cultural heritage areas that hold great significance to Quandamooka peoples. 

 

These same eight Quandamooka Elders made a section 10 application under the same Act in December 2021 to protect this headland from the development of a whale interpretive centre.  The Quandamooka Truth Embassy Elders are still waiting for an expert Reporter to be assigned to review their section 10 application and make recommendations to the Hon Tanya Plibersek, the Minister for the Environment and Water. 

 

The Frenchman’s beach headland project covers the same area for which protection is being sought under the original section 10 application. 

 

The new section 18 application calls for an urgent decision to halt the works currently underway in order to protect the site from further destruction until a decision on our section 10 application is made. 

 

We will continue to provide you with updates about this matter

 

Media contact: osprey.nsi@gmail.com 

 

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