FNBGGGTB Statement regarding Gidarjil Development Corporation 23 January 2026

Statement regarding Gidarjil Development Corporation, 23 January 2026.

The First Nations Bailai, Gurang, Gooreng Gooreng, Taribelang Bunda Registered Native Title Body Corporate (RNTBC) has been contacted by a number of community members concerned about the meeting that has been called by Gidarjil Development Corporation (Gidarjil) for 24 January 2026 in Miriam Vale and seeking clarification as to its purpose.   The RNTBC wishes to make it clear that this meeting does not have any connection to the RNTBC nor does it have an endorsement from the RNTBC.  We understand that this meeting has been called by Gidarjil to consult with its constituent membership from a limited number of Gurang and Gooreng Gooreng People and the members of the community of the two Traditional Owner groups that it represents.   While we are not aware of the purpose of this consultation process, we respect the right of Gidarjil to meet with the Traditional Owners it represents. 

Gidarjil has a long-standing history of work as a Traditional Owner organisation of the Gurang and Gooreng Gooreng People that pre-dates the establishment of the RNTBC.  Since the Native Title Determination was handed down in 2017 the RNTBC has worked consistently to represent all four Traditional Owner groups of Bailai, Gurang, Gooreng Gooreng and Taribelang Bunda within the Gladstone and Bundaberg Regions as covered by the Native Title Determination. This has included working with Gidarjil to the extent that during its establishment phase it consented to Gidarjil running programs on behalf of the four Traditional Owner groups while the RNTBC built its capacity to deliver such programs.

As discussed at the recent Annual General Meeting of the RNTBC held on 29 November 2025 we will continue to engage with the community from all four of the Traditional Owner groups we represent and discuss and plan programs relating to the lands and sea making up their Traditional country in the Gladstone and Bundaberg Regions.   This includes working to have the Traditional Use of Marine Resources (TUMRA) Program and Indigenous Protected Areas (IPA) Program currently managed by Gidarjil transferred to the RNTBC.  It is the view of the RNTBC that, as these programs cover the whole of the Gladstone and Bundaberg Regions, the Traditional lands of all four of the Bailai, Gurang, Gooreng Gooreng and Taribelang Bunda Traditional Owner groups, they should properly reside with the RNTBC as the trustee of the native title rights and interests of the four groups.  Now that the RNTBC has the capacity to deliver these programs it is committed to ensuring they are managed and delivered to protect the rights and interests, and to benefit, all the Traditional Owners of the Gladstone and Bundaberg Regions.  To this end, the RNTBC has made numerous attempts to reach out and meet with the Board and Management of Gidarjil for this purpose but has not received a response to date.  Notwithstanding this the RNTBC remains committed to working cooperatively with Gidarjil to ensure the smooth transition of these programs to the RNTBC and to continue to work with it into the future in the best interests of all the Traditional Owners of the Gladstone and Bundaberg Regions.

Yours sincerely,

Matthew Cooke

Group Chief Executive Officer

Statement regarding Gidarjil Development Corporation