{"id":359632,"date":"2025-04-16T17:05:36","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T07:05:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=359632"},"modified":"2025-04-17T15:59:23","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T05:59:23","slug":"mens-shed-delayed-by-native-title","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2025\/04\/16\/mens-shed-delayed-by-native-title\/","title":{"rendered":"Men’s Shed ‘Delayed by Native Title’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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FLASHBACK: Member for Flynn Colin Boyce and South Burnett Mayor Kathy Duff with Cr Ros Heit and Wondai Men’s Shed members at Sundstrup Park in Wondai in March (Photo: Flynn Electorate Office)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

April 16, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

South Burnett councillor Ros Heit has expressed frustration that Native Title has delayed plans by the Wondai Men’s Shed to build a workshop in Sundstrup Park.<\/p>\n

The Division 6 councillor told Wednesday’s Council meeting that Non-Exclusive Use Native Title existed over the land.<\/p>\n

Cr Heit said the Men’s Shed members were a fantastic group which had catered for council’s community catch-up meeting in Wondai on Tuesday night and were keen to do lots of things for the community.<\/p>\n

“But they just need a shed,” Cr Heit said.<\/p>\n

“I want to highlight the fact that the issue is that there is Native Title over that land but it’s not exclusive, so it’s non-exclusive.<\/p>\n

“It would be fantastic – and I guess this is just a general plea to the State Government – can we speed these things up and reduce the cost?<\/p>\n

“It is not economic for Council to pay a huge amount of money to extinguish or modify … Native Title.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“It is actually really hampering our community and, in particular, this group.<\/p>\n

“We’ve got a perfectly good block of land which has got water, it’s got power. It would be ideal for them to put (up) a shed.<\/p>\n

“They’re keen to apply for grants to get the shed but they can’t do that until they’ve got tenure.<\/p>\n

“We’ve got the block of land. It belongs to Council. We want to give it to them but it’s all being held up because of Native Title.<\/p>\n

“I’m just airing a frustration.<\/p>\n

“We’ve got volunteer groups that want to achieve stuff in our community, and make the community better.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“We all know Men’s Sheds are very good for men’s mental health and keeping them engaged.<\/p>\n

“It ticks all the boxes and it’s been held up by one thing. It’s an issue and I don’t know what the answer is.”<\/p>\n

Mayor Kathy Duff said this was one of the items that Council would be advocating to change as part of the “red tape busting” agenda by the State Government.<\/p>\n