Norfolk Island loses its parliament as Canberra takes control

Norfolk Island, Australia’s only self-governing offshore territory, will be stripped of its parliament and wide-ranging powers handed to Canberra.

The historic change, which passed the lower house with Labor’s support on Tuesday, means the 1,800 islanders will be required to pay Australian taxes from July next year.

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In return they will be entitled to social security payments, Medicare and the pharmaceutical benefits scheme.

“These changes deliver equity to Norfolk Island and ensure residents have access to essential services that all Australians deserve,” the federal territories minister, Jamie Briggs, told parliament.

“It also delivers much-needed governance reform.”

He said a review was already under way into upgrading the island’s rundown infrastructure, which has not been developed since the 1970s.

The tiny, tax-free island is 1,400km off Brisbane. It will now be run by a local government-type council, following 39 years of semi-self governance.

But not everyone was happy about the result. The island’s chief minister Lisle Snell led a four-party delegation to Canberra on Monday in a last-ditch effort to convince ministers to reject the bill.

Snell said he was disappointed by the result, but not surprised. “There was very little interest taken in the passage of the bill by other members ... I don’t think they have a clear understanding of the issues relating to Norfolk Island.”

Like one third of the island’s population, Snell is a descendant of Tahitians and the HMS Bounty mutineers who originally settled on the Pitcairn Islands before migrating to Norfolk Island in 1856. “Norfolk Islanders have a strong feeling for their island,” Snell said.

“It’s our home. We have nowhere else to go and we have looked after the island since 1856. It’s part of our tradition to be caretakers of that land, to look after it and pass it onto the next generation.”

Snell said Pitcairn Island descendants have their own language, traditional food and style of dress that is distinct from mainland Australia.

A referendum on the island on Friday found overwhelming support for self-determination and community consultation on the future model of governance.

Better consultation and negotiation between Australian administrators and the island’s government representatives was needed, he said.