The Tiwi Islands Region is a local government area (LGA) of the Northern Territory, Australia. The LGA covers an area of 7,483 square kilometres (2,889 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 2,753 in June 2018, and is governed by the Tiwi Islands Regional Council, formerly Tiwi Islands Shire Council.
| Tiwi Islands Regional Council Northern Territory | |||||||||||||||
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| Population | 2,753 (2018)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 0.36790/km2 (0.95286/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 2014 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 7,483 km2 (2,889.2 sq mi)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Mayor | Pirrawayingi Puruntatameri[2] | ||||||||||||||
| Council seat | Milikapiti | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Tiwi Islands | ||||||||||||||
| Territory electorate(s) | Arafura | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Lingiari | ||||||||||||||
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| Website | Tiwi Islands Regional Council | ||||||||||||||
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History
editIn October 2006 the Northern Territory Government announced the reform of local government areas. The intention of the reform was to improve and expand the delivery of services to towns and communities across the Northern Territory by establishing eleven new shires. The Tiwi Islands Shire Council was created on 1 July 2008 as were the remaining ten shires.[citation needed]
The Tiwi Islands Shire Council became the Tiwi Islands Regional Council under legislation passed by the Northern Territory Government in January 2014.[3]
Description and governance
editThe local government area covers an area of 7,483 square kilometres (2,889 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 2,753 in June 2018.[1]
The most recent council elections (which also elected the Mayor) were held on 10 September 2021.[4] The current mayor is Pirrawayingi Puruntatameri (an independent) and the current Deputy Mayor is Leslie Tungatalum (a member of the Country Liberal Party).[2]
Wards
editThe Tiwi Islands Regional Council is divided into three wards: Bathurst, Milikapiti and Pirlangimpi. The council is governed by 12 councillors, six from Bathurst Ward and three each from the Milikapiti and Pirlangimpi Wards:[5]
| Bathurst (6) | Milikapiti (3) | Pirlangimpi (3) |
|---|---|---|
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|
|
Localities and communities
editLand within the Tiwi Islands Region was divided during 2007 into bounded areas for the purpose of creating an address for a property. The bounded areas are called "localities" with those localities associated with existing Aboriginal communities being called "communities".[6][7]
Localities
editCommunities
edit| Community | Population | Map |
|---|---|---|
| Milikapiti | 414 (SAL 2021)[8][9] | |
| Pirlangimpi (Garden Point) | 317 (SAL 2021)[10][11] | |
| Wurrumiyanga (Nguiu) | 1,421 (SAL 2021)[12][13] |
Demographics
editThe demographics of the region are shown in the tables below.[14]
Ancestry
edit| Ancestry | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Aboriginal | 2,023 | 82.3% |
| Australian | 174 | 7.1% |
| English | 89 | 3.6% |
| Irish | 31 | 1.3% |
| Scottish | 22 | 0.9% |
| Fijian | 20 | 0.8% |
| Filipino | 12 | 0.5% |
| Torres Strait Islander | 11 | 0.4% |
| New Zealander | 8 | 0.3% |
| Greek | 6 | 0.2% |
| Estonian | 6 | 0.2% |
| Japanese | 6 | 0.2% |
| Chinese | 5 | 0.2% |
| Samoan | 4 | 0.2% |
| Tongan | 4 | 0.2% |
| Vietnamese | 4 | 0.2% |
| Dutch | 4 | 0.2% |
| German | 3 | 0.1% |
| South Sea Islander | 3 | 0.1% |
| Afghan | 3 | 0.1% |
| Italian | 3 | 0.1% |
| Indonesian | 3 | 0.1% |
Birthplace
editBefore 2016, all Tiwi Islanders who stated their country of birth were born in Australia. Between 2011 and 2016, however, over ten arrivals each from the Philippines, the United Kingdom and Fiji arrived in the islands.
| Country | Number | Percentage | Change since 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 2,319 | 94.5% | -233 |
| Philippines | 15 | 0.6% | +15 |
| United Kingdom | 13 | 0.5% | +13 |
| Fiji | 12 | 0.5% | +12 |
Language
editLanguage spoken at home
edit| Language | Number | Percentage | Change since 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Aboriginal languages (primarily Tiwi) | 2,022 | 82.4% | -3 |
| English | 272 | 11.1% | -204 |
| Fijian | 15[a] | 0.6% | +15 |
| Only English | 272 | 11.1% | -204 |
| Language other than English | 2,063 | 84.1% | +19 |
Proficiency in English
edit| Proficiency | Number | Percentage | Change since 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speaks another language and English well or very well | 1,856 | 75.7% | -22 |
| Speaks only English | 272 | 11.1% | -205 |
| Speaks another language, but speaks English not well or not at all | 102 | 4.2% | -62 |
Religion
edit| Religion | Number | Percentage | Change since 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roman Catholicism | 2,080 | 84.4% | -117 |
| No religion | 136 | 5.6% | -22 |
| Christianity (not further defined) | 24 | 1.0% | -3 |
| Uniting Church | 15 | 0.6% | -14 |
| Christianity | 2,156 | 88.1% | -156 |
| No religion | 136 | 5.6% | -22 |
| Not stated[b] | 143 | 5.9% | +61 |
Notes
edit- ^ 12 of these were born in Fiji.
- ^ In the 2016 Census, the religion question was optional and many Australians did not answer it.
References
edit- ^ a b c "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2017-18: Population Estimates by Local Government Area (ASGS 2018), 2017 to 2018". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018.
- ^ a b "Council Members | Tiwi Islands Regional Council".
- ^ Tollner, David William (18 December 2013). "Local Government Act: Changes to local government areas and councils" (PDF). Northern Territory Government Gazette. Northern Territory Government. p. 3. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
with effect from 1 January 2014:
- ^ "2021 Local Government Elections". Archived from the original on 1 May 2023.
- ^ "Unknown".[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Northern Territory localities and suburbs". Place Names Committee. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ^ "Tiwi Islands Shire (sic)". Place Names Committee. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Milikapiti (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Milikapiti (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Pirlangimpi (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Pirlangimpi (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Wurrumiyanga (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Wurrumiyanga (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021.
- ^ "About the profile areas - Tiwi Islands Regional Council LGA". profile.id. 11 April 2017. Retrieved 16 March 2022.