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Logan locals slam ‘City of Choice’ summit By Callum Clayton-Dixon Nganyaywana Woodridge local and Bundjalung woman Karina Hogan said she was sceptical about how the summit on Logan’s social issues was conducted. The summit was called following recent tensions between Aboriginal and Pacific Island residents in the south-east Queensland community. Many of those involved in the January clashes at Woodridge’s Douglas St were excluded from the summit, with some reportedly being turned away at the door. Ms Hogan, who attended Woodridge born hip-hop artist Ronald Cora says cultural awareness programs the invite-only conference as a for non-First Nations people would achieve far more than government representative of the fledgling Logan summits where “the real locals aren’t being heard”. IMAGE: Brendon Qu First Nations Youth Assembly, told Brisbane’s 98.9fm she thought it just chucking money at us. They’re people to “stop expecting that the was a “staged” political stunt by city not focusing on the real sh#t that’s politicians are going to fix things”. happening at a grassroots level.” Mayor Pam Parker. Ms Tyson, who grew up in the “I felt as though the whole summit had a very Pam Parker campaigntype feel. It was almost like a Pam Parker convention you could call it. Once again she’s perpetuating negative stereotypes that have been put out there about Woodridge.”
Ms Hogan slammed the summit, saying it failed to address the true issues at hand and that there was a lack of genuine community involvement. “Within the Woodridge community, there’s a lot more that’s going on there that needs to be brought to the table and involve the entire community,” she said. Woodridge born hip-hop artist Ronald Cora, 23, backed Ms Hogan’s claims. “It’s [the summit] just a decoy to blindsight us from the truth,” said the Ugarapul man.
Mr Cora said the government was Logan City suburb of Browns Plains, only reacting to the situation because recently founded the ‘No More Lives “they’re obligated to”. Lost’ campaign aimed at shining the “I’ve lived there [in Woodridge] spotlight on positive examples within for the past 20 years, and only now Logan’s Indigenous community.
that it’s been all over the news, the The campaign was a reaction government want to get involved.” to the deaths of several Aboriginal According to Mr Cora, very people in the area including 17-yearfew immigrants have any cultural old Jackson Doolan who was killed awareness at all when it comes to by a train at Loganlea station last living alongside First Nations people. December following an altercation with three men. “A lot of those coming from “How much longer are we going overseas are still calling us ‘Abos’, to have to wait?” said Ms Tyson, also and that’s all they know,” he said. an emerging hip-hop artist. “As soon as immigrants become “We need to take control within our Australian citizens, they should be going through First Nations cultural own community. People need to be awareness programs. Non-First committed to making things better. We Nations community members need need to make a decision about the kind to go through this process, all their of community we want to live in.” elders and their younger generations.” The ‘Logan City of Choice’ summit
“The real locals aren’t being Meerooni woman Kaylah Tyson, was held on February 15, 19 and 20 at heard. They’re [the government] 25, has called on other First Nations the Logan Entertainment Centre.