The East Arnhem Region is a

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...

of the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

, Australia, governed by the East Arnhem Regional Council. Situated in the far north-eastern corner of the Northern Territory, the region covers an area of and had a population of approximately 10,345 in June 2018. East Arnhem Region was created under the ''Local Government Act (NT) 2008'' to provide core local government services. The area comprises nine major remote communities, many homelands and outstations, commercial enterprises such as tourism, two mining leases, and pastoral properties scattered throughout the council area. Five of the nine communities are located on islands. Six of the communities are recognised Remote Service Delivery Sites by the Commonwealth and another is recognised as a NT Government Territory Growth Town.

History

In October 2006 the

Northern Territory Government The Government of the Northern Territory of Australia, also referred to as the Northern Territory Government, is the Australian territorial democratic administrative authority of the Northern Territory. The Government of Northern Territory wa ...

announced the reform of local government areas. The intention of the reform was to improve and expand the delivery of services to towns and communities across the Northern Territory by establishing eight new shires. The East Arnhem Shire was created on 1 July 2008. Elections of shire councillors were held on 25 October 2008. Banambi Wunungmurra was elected unopposed as the inaugural EASC president, with Councillor Keith Hansen of Anindilyakwa Ward serving from 2008 to 2010 as his deputy, then rotating the deputy position to Councillor Kaye Thurlow of Gumurr Marthakal from 2010 to 2012. Wunungmurra was re-elected unopposed in 2012, with Councillor Mavis Danganbarr of Gumurr Marthakal Ward currently serving as his deputy for a two-year term. On 1 January 2014, the shire became a region. Most of the land in the region was previously unincorporated, but the following communities were amalgamated into it: * Angurugu Community * Marngarr Community

Wards and representation

The East Arnhem Regional Council is divided into 6 wards, which is governed by 14 councillors: * Anindilyakwa Ward (2) -

Groote Eylandt Groote Eylandt ( Anindilyakwa: ''Ayangkidarrba'' meaning "island" ) is the largest island in the Gulf of Carpentaria and the fourth largest island in Australia. It was named by the explorer Abel Tasman in 1644 and is Dutch for "Large Island" in ...

including Angurugu,

Umbakumba Umbakumba is a community located on Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Northern Territory, Australia. The main spoken languages are Anindilyakwa, an Australian Aboriginal language, and English. There are also several Yolŋu Matha spea ...

and Milyakburra (Bickerton Island), and neighboring islands * Birr Rawarrang Ward (2) -

Ramingining Ramingining is an Aboriginal Australian community of mainly Yolngu people in the Northern Territory, Australia, east of Darwin. It is on the edge of the Arafura Swamp in Arnhem Land. Wulkabimirri is a tiny outstation (homeland) nearby, and Mur ...

and surrounding areas * Gumurr Gatjirrk Ward (2) -

Milingimbi Milingimbi Island, also Yurruwi, is the largest island of the Crocodile Islands group off the coast of Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. Location Milingimbi lies approximately east of Darwin, Northern Territory, Darwin and west of N ...

and surrounding areas * Gumurr Marthakal Ward (3) -

Elcho Island Elcho Island, known to its traditional owners as Galiwin'ku (Galiwinku) is an island off the coast of Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located at the southern end of the Wessel Islands group located in the East Arnhe ...

including

Galiwinku Elcho Island, known to its traditional owners as Galiwin'ku (Galiwinku) is an island off the coast of Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located at the southern end of the Wessel Islands group located in the East Arnhe ...

and surrounding areas * Gumurr Miwatj Ward (3) -

Yirrkala Yirrkala is a small community in East Arnhem Region, Northern Territory, Australia, southeast of the large mining town of Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory, Nhulunbuy, on the Gove Peninsula in Arnhem Land. Its population comprises predominantly ...

and

Gunyangara The Gove Peninsula is at the northeastern corner of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. The peninsula became strategically important during World War II when a Royal Australian Air Force base was constructed at what is now Go ...

(also known as Marngarr or Ski Beach) and surrounding areas * Gumurr Miyarrka Ward (3) -

Gapuwiyak Gapuwiyak, also known as Lake Evella, is an Aboriginal Australian community located in north-eastern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, south of the head of Buckingham Bay and about the same distance south-west of Arnhem Bay. The settlement had ...

(Lake Evella) and surrounding areas

Presidents

President * Banambi Wunungmurra, 12 November 2008 - current Deputy president * Mavis Danganbarr, 11 April 2012 – current * Kaye Thurlow, 10 November 2010 – 11 April 2012 * Keith Hansen, 2 November 2008 – 10 November 2010

Council members

Anindilyakwa Ward * Jabani Lalara, 2 April 2012 - current * Constantine Mamarika, 2 April 2012 - current * Keith Hansen, 31 October 2008 -1 April 2012 * Keith Mamarika , 31 October 2008 - 1 April 2012 * Lionel Jaragba, 31 October 2008 - 17 November 2011 Birr Rawarrang Ward * Peter Djumbu, 2 April 2012 - current * Rose Wurrguwurrgu, 2 April 2012 - current Gumurr Gattjirrk Ward * Lily Roy, 24 April 2012 -current * John Ryan, 24 April 2012 - current * Alvin Marrpindiwuy Gaykamangu, 16 November 2011 - 1 April 2012 * Ronnie Garrawurra, 27 July 2011 - 1 April 2012 * Galirrimun Dhurrkay*, 7 March 2010 - 28 February 2012 * Burrbam*, 31 October 2008 - 11 August 2011 * Wuduwal*, 31 October 2008 - 25 May 2011 * David Daymirringu Warraya, 31 October 2008 - 7 November 2011 Gumurr Marthakal Ward * Alfred Gondarra, 2 April 2012 - current * Kaye Thurlow, 31 October 2008 - current * Mavis Danganbarr Garrawurra, 31 October 2008 - current * Don Wininba Ganambarr, 31 October 2008 - 1 April 2012 Gumurr Miwatj Ward * Barayuwa Mununggurr, 31 October 2008 - current * Yananymul Mununggurr, 31 October 2008 - current * Banambi Wunungmurra, 31 October 2008 - current Gumurr Miyarrka Ward * Gawura Wanambi, 2 April 2012 - current * Wesley Bandi Wunungmurra, 2 April 2012 - current * Indicates funeral name

Localities and communities

Land within the East Arnhem Region was divided during 2007 into bounded areas for the purpose of creating an

address An address is a collection of information, presented in a mostly fixed format, used to give the location of a building, apartment, or other structure or a plot of land, generally using political boundaries and street names as references, along w ...

for a property. The bounded areas are called "localities" with those localities associated with existing aboriginal communities being called "communities".

Localities

* Anindilyakwa * East Arnhem

Communities

* Angurugu *

* Milyakburra *

References

External links

Map of LGAsPolicy detailsmap of wards
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