Regional authority for Torres Strait

Following recent council elections, Torres Strait islands' elected chairpersons, who currently make up the Island Coordinating Council (ICC), will automatically become councillors on the Torres Strait Regional Authority, which comes into existence on July 1. The Regional Authority will operate within the framework of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC).

At a public meeting last October 7, Getano Lui, chairperson of the ICC, maintained that the regional authority was the first step to self-government. He claimed the decision was already made.

Apparently the ICC and the existing Regional Council had made the decision but the proposal was not presented to the people or community organisations. Ellie Gaffney, coordinator of Murah Kosker Sorority (Women's Centre), stated that the decision had no mandate from the people.

Twenty persons from the Torres Strait region will make up the ATSIC Regional Authority. In addition to the 18 from the outer islands (who make up the ICC) it will include one from Thursday Island (Waiben) and one from the two neighbouring islands, Horn (Narupai) and Prince of Wales (Muralag).

At government conducted consultations on Thursday Island, concern was raised at the disproportionate number of representatives per head of population. The combined population of the outer islands is about 3000, and they will have 18 representatives. Thursday Island has 4500 people and only one representative.

Both the Torres Shire Council and a local meeting suggested that Torres Strait be divided into wards of island groupings; two or three islands in close vicinity would constitute one ward according to population.

They recommended that the Regional Authority be a separate entity from the ICC and that it be elected on a separate occasion to avoid any confusion to the public. The chairperson or commissioner should also be elected by the people on a different ballot.

In addition, the Torres Shire Council submission states, “The island chairpersons are elected to govern the day to day affairs of their individual islands. Their additional roles as ICC members and ATSIC Regional Authority Councillors can militate against the efficient operation of the local governments.”

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