Tiwi Islands Local Government |
| Category: | Organisation | |
| Date: | 12 July 2001 | |
| Sub Category: | Aboriginal Community Council |
| Place: | Tiwi Islands |
| State/Country: | Northern Territory, Australia |
| The Tiwi Islands (Bathurst Island and Melville Island) are located approximately 60 kms north of Darwin. |
| Summary Information: | |
| The Tiwi Islands Local Government was formed in July 2001. However, it was absorbed by the Tiwi Islands Shire Council in July 2008.
The Tiwi Islands Local Government was formed by the joining together of the three community government councils for the main Aboriginal communities on the Tiwi Islands, Nguiu (Bathurst Island), Pirlangimpi and Milikapiti (Melville Island), and the Wurankuwu Aboriginal Corporation.
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| Detailed Information: | |
| The intention of the Tiwi people is to establish a strong local government with the capacity to protect and promote the cultural heritage of the Tiwi people, coordinate and deliver services on the Tiwi Islands, develop strategies for sustainable economic development, and negotiate arrangements on behalf and in the interests of the Tiwi people across the Tiwi Islands. The objective of the Tiwi Islands Local Government is to maintain the unity and strength of the Tiwi Islanders as a people, and preserve and strengthen Tiwi values, cultures, traditions and spirituality:
'Pursuant to this vision, we seek to maintain observance and respect for those values and to join the responsibilities and structures of traditional authority with modern local government to achieve a high quality of life and a wide range of oportunities and choices'.
The Local Government has 17 members with responsibility for local government functions over almost 8000kms of land. Membership is shared amongst the respective comunities and traditional Aboriginal owners as follows:
- 8 members are members of the Tiwi Aboriginal Land Trust;
- 4 members are selected by the Nguiu Community Management board;
- 2 members are selected by the Pirlangimpi Community Management board;
- 2 members are selected by the Milikapiti Community Management Board; and
- 1 member is selected by the Wurankuwu Aboriginal Corporation. | |
