Dundowran Beach Residential Development

QM Properties are developing a residential community including 1,600 new dwelling sites at Dundowran Beach, north of Hervey Bay. Converge provided technical services and advice to the Butchulla People to appropriately manage a highly significant site complex located across the project area which encompasses a diversity of site types and other cultural values.

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A wholistic investigatory approach included a geological and geomorphological analysis of the landscape, surveys, and excavation programs. In tandem with this work, Converge helped negotiate and carry out a palynological and charcoal study to analyse long-term environmental change at the site. Several scientific dating studies including radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) were also conducted to construct a site-wide chronology. These investigations provided a meaningful understanding of the site and its associated values, which not only enabled more effective management, but also enriched the Butchulla People’s understanding of an important part of their Country and contributed towards their broader cultural ambitions.

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Management outcomes included the negotiation of exclusion zones and the Butchulla People’s ongoing involvement in the design of the development. The depth of understanding developed as a result of the extensive investigations enabled management to be specifically tailored to preserve the cultural values of the site.

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