LOCAL Aboriginal man Nathan Deaves believes the cultural assessment report on the Shaolin development undermines the historical, traditional and cultural significance of the area.
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The 26-year-old spoke against the development at Wednesday’s PAC meeting, representing a number of Aboriginal families who called the Falls Creek area, or
Too-too-ah (pronounced Dudawa), home.
Mr Deaves spoke passionately about the connections local families have with the area, including land at Comberton Grange.
“Many families lived and worked around the area – they used the land to hunt and gather,” he said.
“The area doesn’t just have physical, heritage and cultural significance, it has spiritual significance as well.
“Through my eyes the proposed development embraces another culture at the expense of our own Aboriginal culture.
“We need more jobs in the area, but this is not the way to do it. It is another dispossession of land for Aboriginal people and with that we are spiritually weakened.”