23-724: The Shire of Christmas Island is a local government area encompassing the Australian external territory of Christmas Island . Under the Christmas Island Act, Western Australian laws apply to the island, including the Local Government Act 1995 . It covers an area of 136.7 km in the Indian Ocean about 2,360 km north-west of Perth and 500 km south of Java in Indonesia. It has
46-698: A population of 1,692 (LGA 2021). The island was previously a British territory administered through Singapore but was transferred to Australia in 1945. After 1958, it was managed by the Christmas Island Assembly and Christmas Island Services Corporation. The Australian Government provides Commonwealth-level government services through the Christmas Island Administration and the Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government . As per
69-443: A significant reduction in the number of decisions requiring ministerial approval which allowed for streamlined decision-making and greater local government autonomy. Although successive state governments have periodically promoted municipal amalgamation, only a small number of local governments have merged over the course of Western Australia's history. Historically most local governments have strongly resisted forced amalgamations and
92-1197: A state government elsewhere in Australia are provided by departments of the Western Australian Government, and by contractors, with the costs met by the federal government. An ordinance subsequently created the Shire of Christmas Island out of a merger of the two previous entities. A nine-member Shire Council was established to provide local services. Councillors serve four-year terms, with four or five being chosen every second year. The first elections were held in May 1993. The Shire's offices are located at George Fam Centre, Murray Road, Christmas Island . The shire has around 1,200 residents consisting mostly of Malaysian Chinese , Malays , people of Anglo Australian descent and smaller communities of Malaysian Indians and Eurasians. The main languages spoken are English, Malay , and Mandarin Chinese . Some residents speak other Chinese dialects . About 60% of
115-536: A tax on private allotments to fund the construction and maintenance of "roads, paths and plantations". As the Colony began to develop, the first form of local government was established in some areas under the Towns Improvement Act of 1838. These trusts were empowered to elect ratepayers as Trustees and assess and collect a property tax for the construction of roads. Many of these town trusts, including
138-782: The Indian Ocean Territories Administration of Laws Act , which allows the Western Australian Local Government Act to apply "on-island" as though it were a Commonwealth act. Nonetheless, Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are not parts of Western Australia. The most recent local government elections were held in 2023 . Land was originally granted in the Swan River Colony under regulations which allowed for land commissioners to assess
161-619: The Greater Perth Movement around this time led to the amalgamation of inner city local governments to create a greatly expanded City of Perth until 1993, when the City was broken up once again. The first local government department was established by the state in 1949 to guide local government authorities. Following the war local governments increasingly expanded their services from property, health and local infrastructure (roads, drainage) to community and social services. This
184-513: The Perth Town Trust , experienced severe administrative and financial difficulties, and in some cases barely functioned at all. The Guildford Town Trust lasted only a couple of years before ceasing to function until it was reconstituted in 1863. The District Roads Act and Municipal Institutions Act , both of 1871 improved matters by allowing for the establishment of Roads Boards and Municipal Corporations. Municipal Corporations had
207-475: The Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands are also included for comparison purposes. Federal external territory. Currently, Western Australia has ten regional councils. Each regional council comprises two or more local government areas (LGAs). Shire of Christmas Island The Shire of Christmas Island is a local government area encompassing the Australian external territory of Christmas Island . Under
230-441: The Christmas Island Act, Western Australian laws apply to the island, including the Local Government Act 1995 . It covers an area of 136.7 km in the Indian Ocean about 2,360 km north-west of Perth and 500 km south of Java in Indonesia. It has a population of 1,692 (LGA 2021). The island was previously a British territory administered through Singapore but was transferred to Australia in 1945. After 1958, it
253-610: The Federal Government's Territories Law Reform Act 1992 , which came into force on 1 July 1992, Western Australian laws are applied to Christmas Island "so far as they are capable of applying in the Territory."; non-application or partial application of such laws is at the discretion of the federal government. The Act also gives Western Australian courts judicial power over Christmas Island. Christmas Island remains constitutionally distinct from Western Australia, however;
SECTION 10
#1732765593398276-429: The Territory."; non-application or partial application of such laws is at the discretion of the federal government. The Act also gives Western Australian courts judicial power over Christmas Island. Christmas Island remains constitutionally distinct from Western Australia, however; the power of the state to legislate for the territory is power delegated by the federal government. The kind of services typically provided by
299-627: The capacity to levy property taxes, pass municipal by-laws and undertake various local regulatory services previously carried out by colonial officials and other central bodies. Corporations could also establish civic institutions and facilities with the governors' consent, including libraries and botanical gardens. Road Boards where strictly limited to the construction of roads, could not levy property taxes and depended on colonial government grants for any expenditures. Women were permitted to be elected to Road Boards from 1911 and to Municipal Corporations from 1919. The influence of town clerk W.E. Bold and
322-606: The extent permitted by the Local Government Act 1995 . The Local Government Act 1995 also makes provision for regional local governments (referred to as "regional councils", established by two or more local governments for a particular purpose. There are three classifications of local government in Western Australia: The Shire of Christmas Island and the Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands are federal external territories and covered by
345-851: The new school leaving age (Year 11 and Year 12) studied in Perth , Western Australia. Year 11 enrollment began in 2002, and by 2005 Years 11 and 12 had been established at the school. Christmas Island students have the option to remain on the island or study in Perth. The shire includes a public library for residents. The library has regular book exchanges with the State Library of Western Australia . Local government areas of Western Australia There are 137 local government areas (LGAs) in Western Australia , which comprise 27 cities, 102 shires, and 8 towns that manage their own affairs to
368-459: The population speaks Chinese at home, 20% speak Malay at home, and 20% speak English or another European language at home. The office was known as the "President of Christmas Island Shire Council" prior to 2004. The shire has nine councillors and no wards. Christmas Island District High School is the school on Christmas Island. Until the end of 2002 the school was a K-Year 10 school; previously all post-compulsory levels and now compulsory with
391-457: The population speaks Chinese at home, 20% speak Malay at home, and 20% speak English or another European language at home. The office was known as the "President of Christmas Island Shire Council" prior to 2004. The shire has nine councillors and no wards. Christmas Island District High School is the school on Christmas Island. Until the end of 2002 the school was a K-Year 10 school; previously all post-compulsory levels and now compulsory with
414-401: The power of the state to legislate for the territory is power delegated by the federal government. The kind of services typically provided by a state government elsewhere in Australia are provided by departments of the Western Australian Government, and by contractors, with the costs met by the federal government. An ordinance subsequently created the Shire of Christmas Island out of a merger of
437-455: The present day. In the 1970s, the scope of local government services expanded to encompass the provision of nursing homes and other forms of aged care. During the late 1980s, and early 1990s a bi-partisan reform process led to the Local Government Act 1995 , which amongst other changes, established for the first time a clear separation of responsibility between elected councillors and local government administration. Other key changes included
460-783: The total number of authorities has declined only marginally over the last century. The most recent state government led effort to encourage the voluntary amalgamation of 30 metropolitan local governments into 16 was abandoned by the Barnett government in 2014. In 2017, the McGowan government initiated a review process to reform the Local Government Act 1995. The 30 metropolitan local government areas (LGAs) comprise 20 cities, 3 shires, and 7 towns. The 107 non-metropolitan local government areas (LGAs) comprise 7 cities, 99 shires, and 1 town . The Shire of Christmas Island and
483-636: The two previous entities. A nine-member Shire Council was established to provide local services. Councillors serve four-year terms, with four or five being chosen every second year. The first elections were held in May 1993. The Shire's offices are located at George Fam Centre, Murray Road, Christmas Island . The shire has around 1,200 residents consisting mostly of Malaysian Chinese , Malays , people of Anglo Australian descent and smaller communities of Malaysian Indians and Eurasians. The main languages spoken are English, Malay , and Mandarin Chinese . Some residents speak other Chinese dialects . About 60% of
SECTION 20
#1732765593398506-502: Was managed by the Christmas Island Assembly and Christmas Island Services Corporation. The Australian Government provides Commonwealth-level government services through the Christmas Island Administration and the Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government . As per the Federal Government's Territories Law Reform Act 1992 , which came into force on 1 July 1992, Western Australian laws are applied to Christmas Island "so far as they are capable of applying in
529-414: Was termed the “New Order” at the time, and encompassed the development of community centres, infant health clinics and sporting facilities. Only a few cities – Fremantle , Nedlands , Perth , South Perth , and Subiaco – existed prior to 1961. On 1 July 1961, all road districts became shires, and all municipalities became towns or cities. This structure has continued till
#397602