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A protester has been arrested near the former Deebing Creek Aboriginal massacre site in southeast Queensland during a dawn police operation to clear the area for development.
A core group of protesters calling themselves the protectors have been living at the site near Ipswich in an effort to stop the desecration of sacred land.
Queensland police moved in on Tuesday at the request of developers.
"Local police have engaged and liaised with all interested parties, including traditional owners of the land who are also on-site," police said in a statement.
"One person has been arrested in relation to an unrelated matter."
The controversial development site is south of central Ipswich at the Deebing Creek Mission, which operated between 1887 and 1915 before relocating to nearby Purga.
It is believed to be where a group of schoolchildren and a teacher were massacred in the late 1890s.
Several developments are proposed for the land, but the protectors say their cultural duty is to safeguard songlines, birthing trees, artefacts and other culturally significant items.
A development application for a proposed childcare centre at Grampian Drive was met with widespread community backlash over the history of the nearby former Aboriginal mission and burial grounds.
Ipswich City Council has referred the development application back to the state government.
Mayor Teresa Harding said the move reflected sensitivities around this development in some community sections.
"There are two Indigenous groups who both have different accounts of the cultural history of this site, making it extremely difficult for council to navigate this complex issue," Ms Harding said.
"Councillors have engaged with both groups to hear all views on this application and to better understand the cultural heritage matters that exist in and around the development site."
Construction company Stockland has also proposed a housing estate at Deebing Heights after reaching an agreement in March with the Yuggera Ugarapul people, who are separate from the protector group.
