at self-government

Australia

Torres Strait looks at self-government

Australia’s Torres Strait Islanders are confident of forming a self-governing territory by the year 2001, according to an island leader. Gaetano Lui, chairman of the Torres Strait Coordinat ing Council, says the islanders have been encouraged in their search for self-government by the High Court decision in the landmaik Mabo case.

Lui says the formation of a Torres Strait Authority separating islanders from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission would be the forerunner to self government. Lui added he is optimistic islanders would replace elected members of the Island Coordinating Council with reprsentatives on a Torres Strait Island Authority as early as March 1994 when ICC elections are due.

The Torres Strait comprises about 7000 islanders and 2000 non-islanders on about 14 occupied islands between Australia and Papua New Guinea. Agreeing that the islands could not be economically independent, Lui says the self-governing territory would forge a bilateral aid agreement with Australia,similar to that with PNG. He says Torres Strait Islanders have looked for models of self-government in the Pacific, where lifestyle and culture are more compatible with Torres Strait islanders than was Australian society.