The Lord Howe Island Board is a NSW Statutory Authority established under the ''Lord Howe Island Act, 1953'', to administer

Lord Howe Island Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland P ...

, an

unincorporated Unincorporated may refer to: * Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality * Unincorporated entity, a type of organization * Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress ...

island territory within the jurisdiction of the State of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, in the

Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea (Māori: ''Te Tai-o-Rēhua'', ) is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abe ...

between Australia and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. It comprises seven members, of whom four are directly elected by the island population, and reports directly to the New South Wales Minister for Environment and Heritage, and is responsible for the care, control and management of the island.

Responsibilities

Its duties include the: * protection of

World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

values * control of development * administration of Crown Land, including the island’s protected area, the Permanent Park Preserve * provision of community services and infrastructure * delivery of sustainable tourism The ''Lord Howe Island Regulation 2014'' give effect to the LHI Act by establishing measures for administration including: Board elections, licensing of businesses, environment protection, sale and consumption of alcohol, and placed the board under the provisions of th
''Local Government Act 1993''

Composition

Since 2004 the Board has comprised seven members, four of whom are elected from the islander community, thus giving the approximately 350 permanent residents a high level of autonomy. The remaining three members (including the Chairperson) are appointed by the Minister of whom: *One appointee must represent the interests of business and tourism. *One appointee must represent the interests of conservation. *One appointee must be an employee of the Department of Planning and Environment. The full Board meets quarterly on the island while the day-to-day affairs of the island are managed by the Board’s administration which operates in a similar manner to a local government authority in New South Wales, with a permanent staff of 50 led by a Chief Executive Officer.

Legislative history

The Board dates back to 1913, when the Sydney-based Lord Howe Island Board of Control was formed to replace a single magistrate appointed by the NSW Government. The Lord Howe Island Board of Control comprised three members appointed by the

Chief Secretary of New South Wales The Chief Secretary of New South Wales, known from 1821 to 1959 as the Colonial Secretary was a key political office in the colonial and state administration in New South Wales, from 1901 a state in the Commonwealth of Australia. Its role change ...

, mostly to regulate the

palm seed The Arecaceae is a family of perennial flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are called palm trees ...

industry, but also administering the affairs of the island from Sydney until the present Lord Howe Island Board was set up in 1954. The Lord Howe Island Board commenced operations from 23 April 1954 and comprised five members appointed by the Chief Secretary. The members included the Under Secretary of the Chief Secretary's Department (as Chairman), the responsible Member of Parliament (the Member of the Legislative Assembly for

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

until 1973), a nominee of the Secretary for Lands (in practice the Under Secretary of the Department of Lands), and two appointed members from the Lord Howe Island Advisory Committee. In 1981, the Lord Howe Island Amendment Act gave islanders the administrative power of three elected members on a five-member board. Under the Lord Howe Island Amendment Act, 2004, the board now comprises seven members, four of whom are elected from the islander community.

Chairs

References

External links

Lord Howe Island BoardLord Howe Island Act, 1953
{{Authority control Lord Howe Island Government agencies of New South Wales 1954 establishments in Australia Organizations established in 1954