Boodjamulla returns to Traditional Owners in state-first arrangement
More than 160,000 further hectares of national park with “breathtaking sandstone gorges, jewel-toned green waters” has been handed back to the Traditional Owners, the Waanyi People.
The Waanyi Native Title Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC have agreed to lease a 167,400 hectare site at Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park back to the Queensland Government.
In an announcement this week, it was revealed this was the state’s first successful lease-back arrangement for national park land, with the ongoing partnership between the Queensland Government and the Waanyi People expected to ensure the preservation of the landscape.
The latest move is the second phase of returning the entirety of Boodjamulla land to the Traditional Owners, with more than 247,000 hectares now handed back.
Waanyi representatives of the RNTBC formally signed the national park lease accepted the title deed in Cairns on November 19.
Following the transfer of the Aboriginal land title deed, the park will be rededicated as Boodjamulla National Park (Aboriginal Land).
Executive director partnerships Karrell Ross said the hand back was a significant occasion in recognising the cultural and historical importance of the land to its Traditional Owners.
“This partnership demonstrates how we can work together to protect our natural and cultural heritage while ensuring ongoing public access to this remarkable part of Queensland,” Ross said.
Stay informed, daily
Ross said the park, which attracts thousands of visitors annually, was on the bucket list of national and international tourists seeking natural and cultural experiences.
“With harsh, breathtaking sandstone gorges, jewel-toned green waters of the Lawn Hill Gorge and stunning walking tracks, Boodjamulla National Park is one of Queensland’s most popular locations,” Ross said.
The Queensland Government and the Waanyi RNTBC entered into an Indigenous Land Use Agreement in 2023, which acknowledges the rights of the Waanyi People and requires for native title consent for future acts on the granted land.
The Waanyi People’s occupation of the Boodjamulla area has been carbon dated to be more than 30,000 years and counting.
