Torres Strait Islands Regional Council
Encyclopedia
The Torres Strait Islands Region is a Local Government Area located in Far North Queensland
, Australia
, covering part of the Torres Strait Islands
. It was created in March 2008 out of 15 autonomous Island Councils during a period of statewide local government reform. It is administered from, but has no control over, Thursday Island.
In 1984, the Community Services (Torres Strait) Act was enacted by the Queensland Government, allowing community councils to be created to own and administer former reserves or missions under a Deed of Grant in Trust
(DOGIT). Each was responsible for local basic utilities and services such as electricity, housing and management of local CDEP programs. They also worked with the Queensland Police to provide for community police officers—hence extending well beyond the normal functions of local government. The Local Government (Community Government Areas) Act 2004 extended to community councils many of the provisions and benefits of the Local Government Act 1993 normally enjoyed by shire councils.
In 2006, the councils were involved in a consultation process which resulted in a Green Paper being produced. The State Government subsequently took over the process, and in April 2007, a White Paper entitled "Community Government in the Torres Strait: the way forward" was released, recommending both governance and structural changes to ensure the sustainability of governance in the region. The White Paper expressed concerns about workload and capacity to meet community needs, deficiencies in corporate governance and accountability and other challenges and issues. The Local Government Reform report in July 2007 recommended the creation of the Torres Strait Islands council as well as the Northern Peninsula Area council to attempt to address these issues. The Queensland Government responded by proposing the Local Government and Other Legislation (Indigenous Regional Councils) Amendemnt Bill 2007 to bring the two new councils into line with the recommendations of both reports.
Because of the unique structure of the DOGIT areas, where a community owned the land and the council represented the community owners, concerns were raised by the councils about ownership potentially transferring to the new entities and diluting their title over it. Some councils responded by creating a private company with all community members as shareholders, and transferring the ownership to the company. This was opposed by the State Government who threatened to take legal action against the communities.
Following the elections, the Department of Local Government provided $675,000 to the Regional Council to assist with expenses relating to the post-amalgamation transfer process.
, which administers the northern tip of Cape York Peninsula
and a number of islands including Thursday Island, Horn Island and Prince of Wales Island. During statewide local government reform in 2007-08, the Queensland Government considered merging the Shire with the other islands and communities, but felt that having one council subject to three different types of legislation would be inefficient.
At the 2006 ABS census, the area had a population of 4,298, an increase from 3,958 at the 2001 census and 3,499 at the 1996 census.
Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland, or FNQ, is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. The region, which contains a large section of the Tropical North Queensland area, stretches from the city of Cairns north to the Torres Strait...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, covering part of the Torres Strait Islands
Torres Strait Islands
The Torres Strait Islands are a group of at least 274 small islands which lie in Torres Strait, the waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea but Torres Strait Island known and Recognize as Nyumaria.The islands are mostly part of...
. It was created in March 2008 out of 15 autonomous Island Councils during a period of statewide local government reform. It is administered from, but has no control over, Thursday Island.
History
The Region was created on 15 March 2008 from 15 previous entities—the Island Councils of Badu, Boigu, Dauan, Erub, Hammond, Iama, Kubin, Mabuiag, Mer, Poruma, Saibai, St Pauls, Ugar, Warraber and Yorke. Its first election was held on the same day.In 1984, the Community Services (Torres Strait) Act was enacted by the Queensland Government, allowing community councils to be created to own and administer former reserves or missions under a Deed of Grant in Trust
Deed of Grant in Trust
A Deed of Grant in Trust is the name for a system of community-level land trust established in Queensland to administer former reserves and missions...
(DOGIT). Each was responsible for local basic utilities and services such as electricity, housing and management of local CDEP programs. They also worked with the Queensland Police to provide for community police officers—hence extending well beyond the normal functions of local government. The Local Government (Community Government Areas) Act 2004 extended to community councils many of the provisions and benefits of the Local Government Act 1993 normally enjoyed by shire councils.
In 2006, the councils were involved in a consultation process which resulted in a Green Paper being produced. The State Government subsequently took over the process, and in April 2007, a White Paper entitled "Community Government in the Torres Strait: the way forward" was released, recommending both governance and structural changes to ensure the sustainability of governance in the region. The White Paper expressed concerns about workload and capacity to meet community needs, deficiencies in corporate governance and accountability and other challenges and issues. The Local Government Reform report in July 2007 recommended the creation of the Torres Strait Islands council as well as the Northern Peninsula Area council to attempt to address these issues. The Queensland Government responded by proposing the Local Government and Other Legislation (Indigenous Regional Councils) Amendemnt Bill 2007 to bring the two new councils into line with the recommendations of both reports.
Because of the unique structure of the DOGIT areas, where a community owned the land and the council represented the community owners, concerns were raised by the councils about ownership potentially transferring to the new entities and diluting their title over it. Some councils responded by creating a private company with all community members as shareholders, and transferring the ownership to the company. This was opposed by the State Government who threatened to take legal action against the communities.
Following the elections, the Department of Local Government provided $675,000 to the Regional Council to assist with expenses relating to the post-amalgamation transfer process.
Structure
The council consists of 15 divisions, each of which represents one of the former entities and elects one councillor, with a mayor being elected by the entire region. At the 2008 election, the following councillors were elected:- Mayor—Fred Gela
- Division 1 (Boigu)—Donald Banu
- Division 2 (Dauan)—Raymond Soki
- Division 3 (Saibai)—Ron Enosa
- Division 4 (Mabuiag)—Keith Fell
- Division 5 (Badu)—Wayne Guivarra
- Division 6 (Kubin)—David Bosun
- Division 7 (St Pauls)—John Kris
- Division 8 (Hammond)—Nancy Pearson
- Division 9 (Iama)—Simeon Mackie
- Division 10 (Poruma)—Willie Lui
- Division 11 (Warraber)—Philemon Mosby
- Division 12 (Masig)—John Mosby
- Division 13 (Ugar)—Florianna Bero
- Division 14 (Erub)—Kenny Bedford
- Division 15 (Mer)—Ron Day
Geography and Demography
The Region is effectively colocated with the Shire of TorresShire of Torres
The Shire of Torres is a Local Government Area located in Far North Queensland, Australia, covering large sections of the Torres Strait Islands and the northern tip of Cape York Peninsula north of 11°S latitude...
, which administers the northern tip of Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
and a number of islands including Thursday Island, Horn Island and Prince of Wales Island. During statewide local government reform in 2007-08, the Queensland Government considered merging the Shire with the other islands and communities, but felt that having one council subject to three different types of legislation would be inefficient.
At the 2006 ABS census, the area had a population of 4,298, an increase from 3,958 at the 2001 census and 3,499 at the 1996 census.
- Badu Island - 824
- Mer Island - 458
- Saibai Island - 337
- Boigu Island - 321
- Dauan Island - 144
- Erub Island - 287
- Hammond Island - 212
- Iama Island - 294
- Kubin (Moa Island) - 187
- Mabuiag IslandMabuiag IslandMabuiag is an island in the Bellevue Islands, 100 km north of Thursday Island Queensland, Australia in the Napoleon Passage and Arnolds Passage of Torres Strait...
- 238 - Poruma Island - 165
- St Pauls (Moa Island) - 220
- Ugar IslandStephens Island (Torres Strait)Stephens Island is an Australian island situated in the eastern section of Torres Strait, near the Great Barrier Reef and North of Coconut/Poruma Island and North West of Murray Island, Torres Strait and West of Darnley Island....
- 90 - Warraber Island - 228
- Yorke Island - 293