Aboriginal Shire of Palm Island

After the Land Act (Aboriginal and Islander Land Grants) Amendment Act 1982{{cite web | title=View - Queensland Government | website=Queensland Legislation | date=23 April 1982 | url=https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/asmade/act-1982-017/lh | access-date=28 February 2020 | archive-date=28 February 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228101152/https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/asmade/act-1982-017/lh | url-status=live }} had established a system for granting a Deed of Grant in Trust (DOGIT) rather than land title to Indigenous councils, the Community Services (Aborigines) Act 1984 (Qld) was effected in order to transfer land currently under the administration of the Queensland Government to locally elected Aboriginal councils, giving Aboriginal councils powers and responsibilities similar to other local governments in Queensland.

On 30 March 1985, the Palm Island Aboriginal Council, with five councillors elected by the community, was established. Under the Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders (Land Holding) Act 1985,{{cite web | title=View - Queensland Government | website=Queensland Legislation | date=April 1985 | url=https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/repealed/current/act-1985-041 | access-date=28 February 2020 | archive-date=28 February 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200228101153/https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/repealed/current/act-1985-041 | url-status=live }} Palm Island was among the first DOGITs received. It meant that the new autonomous Council would hold a perpetual lease over the former Aboriginal reserve lands on Great Palm Island and the ten surrounding islands of the group.{{cite book|title=Palm Island: Through a Long Lens| first=Joanne|last=Watson| edition=illustrated| publisher=Aboriginal Studies Press| date=2010|isbn=9780855757038|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7TXPpmQVlj4C| pages=136–137|access-date=28 February 2020}}

The council area was transferred on 27 October 1986 to the trusteeship of the council under a DOGIT.{{cite web | title=Palm Island | website=Queensland Government | date=26 November 2014 | url=https://www.qld.gov.au/atsi/cultural-awareness-heritage-arts/community-histories/community-histories-n-p/community-histories-palm-island | access-date=24 February 2020 | archive-date=23 February 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223100824/https://www.qld.gov.au/atsi/cultural-awareness-heritage-arts/community-histories/community-histories-n-p/community-histories-palm-island | url-status=live }}

Self-appointed "president" of Palm Island, Jeremy Geia, symbolically declared independence from Australia in 2001. The "Peoples Democratic Republic of Palm Island" was an expression of grievances against the Australian and Queensland Governments for neglect of Palm Islanders.{{cite news|title=Aboriginal community announces independence |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200111/s417112.htm |publisher=ABC Online |date=15 November 2001 |access-date=31 January 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070206032054/http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200111/s417112.htm |archive-date=6 February 2007 }}

The Palm Island Council received qualified audits for the financial years 1999–2000, 2002–03 and 2003–04, and unqualified audits for 2000–01 and 2001–02. In October 2003 the council was dissolved and an administrator was appointed until the March 2004 election. This occurred due to a range of governance and financial management issues, including: insolvency, financial mismanagement, poor records and decision-making processes, and a failure to deliver major infrastructure projects.{{cite book|last=Palm Island Select Committee |title=Report – August 2005 |url=http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/PISC/view/committees/documents/PISC/reports/report.pdf |date=August 2005 |pages=15–16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070925233302/http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/PISC/view/committees/documents/PISC/reports/report.pdf |archive-date=25 September 2007 }} In addition, according to the Palm Island Select Committee, the local government elections of 1997, 2000, and 2004 demonstrated a lack of continuity in office-bearers, a relatively small number of voters combined with a large number of candidates, and a trend in some families for a number of relatives to stand for election.

Lex Wotton, who would later go on to lead the 2004 Palm Island riots, had resigned in June 2003 after becoming dissatisfied with the council's practices.{{cite news|last=Lineham|first=Sheree|date=19 July 2003|work=Townsville Bulletin|title=Palm council 'failure'|at=News: 7}}

At the conclusion of the administrator's term, a handover report was presented to the newly elected Council, which included: allocation of specific portfolios for Councillors and the establishment of committee structures to ensure functional decision-making, appointment of a financial controller for 12 months and the engagement of a Human Resource Management consultant.

On 1 January 2005, under the Local Government (Community Government Areas) Act 2004 (Qld) (the "CGA"), the Palm Island Aboriginal Council became the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council, on a par with other local councils in Queensland. This reconstitution into a Shire Council formed part of the Meeting Challenges, Making Choices strategy developed in response to the Cape York Justice Study undertaken by Justice Fitzgerald QC in November 2001.{{cite book | last=McDougall | first=Scott | title=Palm Island: Future Directions – Resource Officer Report | place=Brisbane, Queensland | publisher=Queensland Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy |date=January 2006| url=http://www.datsip.qld.gov.au/resources/publications/documents/future-directions-palm-island-resource-officer-report.pdf|pages=27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070707062313/http://www.datsip.qld.gov.au/resources/publications/documents/future-directions-palm-island-resource-officer-report.pdf|archive-date=7 July 2007 }}

Delena Foster became Mayor on 16 December 2006, taking over from Erykah Kyle. She had previously been chairwoman of the Community Council from 2001 to 2003,{{cite news|title=Palm Island elects new mayor |url=http://abc.net.au/news/australia/qld/townsville/200612/s1813312.htm |publisher=ABC Online |date=17 December 2006 |access-date=31 January 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080617015945/http://www.abc.net.au/news/australia/qld/townsville/200612/s1813312.htm |archive-date=17 June 2008 }} and had stood as an Independent candidate for the electoral district of Townsville in the 2004 election.{{cite news|title= Reynolds returned|url= http://www.magnetictimes.com/index.php?p=1&ID=1061|publisher= Magnetic Times|date= 8 February 2004|access-date= 20 November 2007|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031109/http://www.magnetictimes.com/index.php?p=1&ID=1061|archive-date= 4 March 2016|url-status= dead}}

The structure of the Aboriginal Shire Council (or Community Council as it was previously) was criticised in the 2000 Dillon Report for the following reasons:{{cite book |last= Dillon|first= Colin|title= Final Report – Review of the Indigenous Communities of Doomadgee and Palm Island|date=April 2000|publisher= Phillip, A.C.T. : ATSIC. Review commissioned by the then Australian Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Senator John Herron March 1998|chapter= 3.1 Review Findings – Governance|pages= 18–27}}

• Comparatively broad responsibility: it holds responsibility for policy portfolios which go far beyond what is expected of other Local Government Authorities, such as being the trustee of the DOGIT land, the provision of housing infrastructure, previously the running of the canteen and currently the running of the general store, law and justice, health, maintenance of culture and language, etc. The council is designed under the model of a mainstream Local Government Authority which structurally does not provide the latitude to address those functions which are not normally expected of mainstream Councils.
• Culturally inappropriate decision making: The Organisation is not designed to deal with cultural issues or complex social problems; the normal Indigenous decision-making processes and protocols such as consultation and input from family groupings are not structurally accommodated.
• Unrealistic local expectations: It is of concern that even greater expectations are put on the Community Council by their own constituents. The council is seen to have responsibility for all the community's needs and issues, ignoring the legislative limitations of the council, the complexity of issues impacting on the community, the impact of past and present governments' policies and the skill level of respective Councillors. This leads to Palm Island Councillors having far higher expectations put on them than mainstream Councillors and deflects responsibility away from Government Agencies, which could lead to Councillors considering that their role was a do 'what-ever' was required to meet the diverse needs of residents.
• Red tape: The council is overburdened with accountability and reporting requirements which detract from the role of consulting with constituents over their needs and aspirations and strategies to address them.

The Shire's core business is the provision of housing. It conducted an audit of its houses and the people living in them in 2007, finding found that 120 new homes were needed. However, the Council primarily relies on income from rent and Government subsidies and can only afford to build one or two new houses a year.

Before the March 2020 Council elections, two former council finance staff had charges of fraud laid against them by the Crime and Corruption Commission, and the state government brought in financial and governance advisers. In July 2020 it was found that the council had an operational deficit of about {{AUD|7 million}} out of a total budget of {{AUD|24.5 million}}. It was feared that plans for a new shopping precinct, due to deliver much-needed business and job opportunities, would be affected.{{cite web | title=Palm Island Council has no cash reserves and can't complete projects, CEO says | first=Sofie | last=Wainwright | website=ABC News | publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation | date=31 July 2020 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-01/palm-island-council-struggling-with-budget-deficit/12513298 | access-date=6 August 2020 | archive-date=9 August 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809201405/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-01/palm-island-council-struggling-with-budget-deficit/12513298 | url-status=live }}

In the {{CensusAU|2016}}, the Aboriginal Shire of Palm Island had a population of 2,446 people of whom 2,298 (94.1%) self-identified as an Indigenous person.{{Census 2016 AUS|id=LGA35790|name=Palm Island (LGA)|access-date=26 January 2024|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, the Aboriginal Shire of Palm Island had a population of 2,098 people of whom 1,918 (94.1%) self-identified as an Indigenous person.{{Census 2021 AUS|id=LGA35790|name=Palm Island (LGA)|access-date=26 January 2024|quick=on}}

The Palm Island Shire Council operate the Bwgcolman Indigenous Knowledge Centre at 1 Main Street, Palm Island.{{Cite web|url=http://plconnect.slq.qld.gov.au/networking/directory-of-public-libraries/branches/palm_island/bwgcolman_indigenous_knowledge_centre|title=Palm Island (Bwgcolman Indigenous Knowledge Center)|date=6 January 2017|website=Public Libraries Connect|publisher=State Library of Queensland|access-date=2 February 2018|archive-date=3 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203005706/http://plconnect.slq.qld.gov.au/networking/directory-of-public-libraries/branches/palm_island/bwgcolman_indigenous_knowledge_centre|url-status=live}}

{{Infobox legislature

| name = Palm Island Shire Council

| house_type = Unicameral

| leader1_type = Mayor

| leader1 = Mislam Sam

| party1 = Independent

| leader2_type = Deputy Mayor

| leader2 = Andrea Kyle-Sailor

| party2 = Independent

| seats = 5 elected representatives, including a Mayor and 4 councillors

| political_groups1 = {{plainlist|

• Majority:
• {{nowrap|{{colour box|{{Australian politics/party colours|Independent}}|border=silver}} Independent (5)}}

}}

| last_election1 = 28 March 2020

| next_election1 = 16 March 2024

}}

The Palm Island Shire Council is a fully non-partisan council, with no elected councillors declaring membership of any political parties.

Below is the current council, elected in 2020:{{Cite web |url=https://palmcouncil.qld.gov.au/elected-council |title=Archived copy |access-date=14 December 2023 |archive-date=14 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231214220334/https://www.palmcouncil.qld.gov.au/elected-council |url-status=live }}

• 2005 – December 2006: Erykah Kyle
• December 2006 – 2008: Delena Foster
• 2008 - April 2020: Alfred Lacey Snr{{Cite web|url=http://results.ecq.qld.gov.au/elections/local/LG2008/PalmIslandAboriginalShireCouncil/results/mayoral/summary.html|title=2008 Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council - Mayoral Election - Election Summary|website=results.ecq.qld.gov.au|access-date=2017-12-04|archive-date=7 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407053007/http://results.ecq.qld.gov.au/elections/local/lg2008/PalmIslandAboriginalShireCouncil/results/mayoral/summary.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://results.ecq.qld.gov.au/elections/local/LG2012/PalmIslandAboriginalShireCouncil/results/mayoral/summary.html|title=2012 Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council - Mayoral Election - Election Summary|website=results.ecq.qld.gov.au|access-date=2017-12-04|archive-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180405044014/http://results.ecq.qld.gov.au/elections/local/LG2012/PalmIslandAboriginalShireCouncil/results/mayoral/summary.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=http://results.ecq.qld.gov.au/elections/local/LG2016/PalmIslandAboriginalShireCouncil/results/mayoral/summary.html|title=2016 Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council - Mayoral Election - Election Summary|website=results.ecq.qld.gov.au|access-date=2017-12-04|archive-date=27 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180327054843/http://results.ecq.qld.gov.au/elections/local/LG2016/PalmIslandAboriginalShireCouncil/results/mayoral/summary.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web | last=Council | website =Palm Island Aboriginal Shire | title =Elected Council | url=http://www.palmcouncil.qld.gov.au/elected-council | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200309170630/http://www.palmcouncil.qld.gov.au/elected-council|archive-date=9 March 2020}}
• April 2020 – present: Mislam Zacchias Sam{{cite web | last=Council | website=Palm Island Aboriginal Shire | title=Elected Council | url=http://www.palmcouncil.qld.gov.au/elected-council | access-date=23 February 2020 | archive-date=9 March 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200309170630/http://www.palmcouncil.qld.gov.au/elected-council | url-status=live }}{{Cite web|date=2020|title=2020 Local Government Elections: Saturday, 28 March 2020|url=https://prodresults.elections.qld.gov.au/lga2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201223051226/https://prodresults.elections.qld.gov.au/lga2020|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 December 2020|access-date=16 June 2020|publisher=Electoral Commission of Queensland}}

{{reflist}}

• {{official |http://www.palmcouncil.qld.gov.au/}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070831053447/http://www.lgworks.net.au/council/Palm_Island LGWORKS: Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council]

{{Local Government Areas of Queensland}}

{{North Queensland}}

{{coord|18|44|12|S|146|34|53|E|type:adm2nd_region:AU-QLD|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palm Island Shire}}

Category:North Queensland

Category:Local government areas of Queensland

Category:1986 establishments in Australia