Torres Strait Island Region
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The Torres Strait Island 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 ...
in
Far North Queensland Far North Queensland (FNQ) is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. Its largest city is Cairns and it is dominated geographically by Cape York Peninsula, which stretches north to the Torres Strait, and west to the Gulf C ...
, Australia, covering part of the
Torres Strait Islands The Torres Strait Islands are a group of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait, a waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea. They span an area of , but their total land ...
. It was created in March 2008 out of 15 autonomous Island Councils during a period of statewide local government reform. It has offices in each of its 15 communities, and satellite services in
Thursday Island Thursday Island, colloquially known as TI, or in the Kawrareg dialect, Waiben or Waibene, is an island of the Torres Strait Islands, an archipelago of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait. TI is located approximately north of Cape ...
and in
Cairns Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...
(which are outside of the region).


History

The local government jurisdiction was created on 15 March 2008 from 15 previous entities—the Island Councils of Badu (Mulgrave Is.), Boigu (Talbot Is.), Dauan (Mt. Cornwallis Is.),
Erub Darnley Island or ''Erub'' in the native Papuan language, Meriam Mir, is an island formed by volcanic action and situated in the eastern section of the Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia. It is one of the Torres Strait Islands and is locat ...
(Darnley Is.), Kirirri (Hammond Is.), Iama (Yam Is.), Arkai (Kubin Community at Mua Is.), Mabuiag (Jervis Is.), Masig (Yorke Is.), Mer (Murray Is.),
Poruma Coconut Island, Poruma Island, or Puruma in the local language, is an island in the Great North East Channel near Cumberland Passage, Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia. One of the Torres Strait Islands, Coconut Island is northeast of Thursda ...
(Coconut Is.), Saibai, Wug (St. Pauls Community at Mua Is.),
Ugar Ugar may refer to: * Ugar Khurd, town in the state of Karnataka, India * Ugar Budruk, village in the state of Karnataka, India * Ugar (river), Bosnia and Herzegovina * Ugar Island, census locality in the Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia **Step ...
(Stephen Is.), and Warraber (Sue Is.). 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 A Deed of Grant in Trust (DOGIT) is the name for a system of community-level land trust established in Queensland to administer former Aboriginal reserves and missions. They came about through the enactment by the Queensland Government of the '' ...
(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 Island 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) Amendment 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 — Cr. Phillemone Mosby * Division 1 (Boigu) — Cr. Dimas Toby * Division 2 (Dauan)— Cr. Torenzo Elisala * Division 3 (Saibai) — Cr. Conwell Tabuai * Division 4 (Mabuiag) — Cr. Keith Fell * Division 5 (Badu) — Cr. Laurie Nona * Division 6 (Kubin) — Cr. Lama Trinkoon * Division 7 (St Pauls) — Cr. John Levi * Division 8 (Hammond) — Cr. Seriako Dorante * Division 9 (Iama) — Cr.
Getano Lui (Jnr) Getano Belford Lui Jnr , is an indigenous Australian community leader. Career Lui is Councillor on the Torres Strait Islands Regional Council (TSIRC) (State) and Deputy Chair and Member for Iama ( Yam Island), and also on the Board of the To ...
AM (Deputy Mayor) * Division 10 (Poruma) — Cr. Francis Pearson * Division 11 (Warraber) — Cr. Kabay Tamu * Division 12 (Masig) — Cr. Hilda Mosby * Division 13 (Ugar) — Cr. Rocky Stephen * Division 14 (Erub) — Cr. Jimmy Gela * Division 15 (Mer) — Cr. Aven S. Noah


Mayors

* 2008–2012: Frederick (Fred) Solomon Gela * 2012–2016: Frederick (Fred) Solomon Gela (elected unopposed) * 2016–2020: Frederick (Fred) Solomon Gela * 2020–present: Phillemon Sereako Mosby


Services

The Torres Strait Island Regional Council operate a public library at
Poruma Coconut Island, Poruma Island, or Puruma in the local language, is an island in the Great North East Channel near Cumberland Passage, Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia. One of the Torres Strait Islands, Coconut Island is northeast of Thursda ...
and Indigenous Knowledge Centres at
Badu Island Badu or Badu Island (; mwp, Badhu, ; also Mulgrave Island), is an island in the Torres Strait north of Thursday Island, Queensland, Australia. Badu Island is also a locality in the Torres Strait Island Region, and Wakaid is the only town, lo ...
,
Boigu Island Boigu Island (also known as Malu Kiyay or Malu Kiwai) is the most northerly inhabited island of Queensland and of Australia. It is part of the Top Western group of the Torres Strait Islands, which lie in the Torres Strait separating Cape York Pe ...
,
Dauan Island Dauan Island is an island in the Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia; it is also known as Cornwallis Island. Dauan Island is also a town and locality in the Torres Strait Island Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Dauan Islan ...
,
Erub Island Darnley Island or ''Erub'' in the native Papuan language, Meriam Mir, is an island formed by volcanic action and situated in the eastern section of the Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia. It is one of the Torres Strait Islands and is locat ...
, Hammond Island, Iama Island, Kubin, Mabuiag, and Warraber.


Geography and Demography

The Region is effectively colocated with the
Shire 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. It holds two distinctions—it ...
, which administers the northern tip of
Cape York Peninsula Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupación ...
and a number of islands including
Thursday Island Thursday Island, colloquially known as TI, or in the Kawrareg dialect, Waiben or Waibene, is an island of the Torres Strait Islands, an archipelago of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait. TI is located approximately north of Cape ...
, 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 2016 ABS census, the area had a population of 4,402; *
Badu Island Badu or Badu Island (; mwp, Badhu, ; also Mulgrave Island), is an island in the Torres Strait north of Thursday Island, Queensland, Australia. Badu Island is also a locality in the Torres Strait Island Region, and Wakaid is the only town, lo ...
– 813 *
Mer Island Mer Island is an island locality in the Torres Strait Island Region, Queensland, Australia. The locality consists of a single island, Murray Island. In the , Mer Island had a population of 450. The town of Murray Island is on the island's north ...
– 450 *
Saibai Island Saibai Island, often shortened to just Saibai ( mwp, Saybay), is an island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago, located in the Torres Strait of Queensland, Australia. The island is situated north of the Australian mainland and south o ...
– 465 *
Boigu Island Boigu Island (also known as Malu Kiyay or Malu Kiwai) is the most northerly inhabited island of Queensland and of Australia. It is part of the Top Western group of the Torres Strait Islands, which lie in the Torres Strait separating Cape York Pe ...
– 271 *
Dauan Island Dauan Island is an island in the Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia; it is also known as Cornwallis Island. Dauan Island is also a town and locality in the Torres Strait Island Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Dauan Islan ...
– 191 *
Erub Island Darnley Island or ''Erub'' in the native Papuan language, Meriam Mir, is an island formed by volcanic action and situated in the eastern section of the Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia. It is one of the Torres Strait Islands and is locat ...
(Darnley Island) – 310 * Hammond Island – 243 * Iama Island – 296 * Kubin (
Moa Island Moa Island, also called Banks Island, is an island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago that is located north of Thursday Island, Queensland, Thursday Island in the Banks Channel of Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia. It is also a Subur ...
) – 187 *
Mabuiag Island Mabuiag, also known as "Mabuyag" and natively "Mabuyaagi", formerly "Jervis Island") is one of the Torres Strait Islands in Queensland, Australia. Mabuiag is also a town and locality in the Torres Strait Island Region local government area. I ...
– 210 *
Masig Island Masig Island is an island (also known as Yorke Island) and locality in the Torres Strait Island Region, Queensland, Australia. In the Masig Island had a population of 270 people. The name Masig is from the Kalau Lagau Ya language for this co ...
- 270 *
Poruma Island Coconut Island, Poruma Island, or Puruma in the local language, is an island in the Great North East Channel near Cumberland Passage, Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia. One of the Torres Strait Islands, Coconut Island is northeast of Thursda ...
– 155 *
St Pauls St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
(
Moa Island Moa Island, also called Banks Island, is an island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago that is located north of Thursday Island, Queensland, Thursday Island in the Banks Channel of Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia. It is also a Subur ...
) – 237 *
Ugar Island Ugar Island is an island locality in the Torres Strait Island Region, Queensland, Australia. It consists of a single island, Stephens Island in the Torres Strait The Torres Strait (), also known as Zenadh Kes, is a strait between Australi ...
(Stephens Island) – 72 * Warraber Island – 232


See also

*
Torres Strait Regional Authority The Torres Strait Regional Authority is an Australian Government body established in 1994 to administer the Torres Strait Islands. It consists of 20 elected representatives. The primary function of the authority is to strengthen the economic, s ...


References


External links


FACSIA Occasional Paper
{{coord, 9, 52, S, 142, 35, E, region:AU-QLD_type:adm2nd_source:dewiki, display=title Local government areas of Queensland Far North Queensland 2008 establishments in Australia