Torres Strait Regional Authority facts for kids
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| Regional authority overview | |
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| Formed | 1 July 1994 |
| Jurisdiction | Torres Strait Islands |
| Annual budget | $39.14 million AUD (2018-19) |
| Minister responsible |
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| Regional authority executives |
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The Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) is a special group set up by the Australian Government. It started in 1994 to help the people living in the Torres Strait Islands. The TSRA has 20 people who are chosen by the island communities.
Their main job is to make life better for the people of the Torres Strait. They work on improving things like jobs, homes, and keeping their unique culture strong.
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Exploring the Torres Strait Islands
The Torres Strait Islands are located north of Tropical Queensland's Cape York Peninsula. There are 274 small islands in total, but only 17 of them have people living on them. These islands are in the Torres Strait, which is the water between Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Each island community gets to choose one person to represent them on the Torres Strait Regional Authority.
Thursday Island (also called Waiben) and Horn Island (Nurupai) are the most famous islands. Life on the islands often follows old traditions. Fishing is a very important way for people to earn money. If you want to visit the more remote islands, you usually need to ask for permission from the Torres Strait Island Regional Council.
The five main groups of islands in the Torres Strait are:
- Northern Division (like Boigu, Dauan, Saibai)
- Eastern Islands (like Darnley, Murray, Stephen)
- Western Division (like St. Pauls, Kubin, Badu, Mabuiag)
- Central Division (like Yorke, Coconut, Warraber, Yam)
- Southern Division (includes Thursday Island and nearby islands, plus parts of mainland Australia)
The History of the Torres Strait Regional Authority
The TSRA was created in 1994. It was set up to provide better services and programs for the Torres Strait Islander people. Before this, another group helped, but the TSRA was made just for the Islands.
The TSRA works with local groups to manage the community. For example, in 1999, they started a plan to watch over and protect dugong and turtle populations in the seas around the islands.
In 2001, a study looked at how well the TSRA was doing. It found that jobs and housing still needed a lot of improvement. But in other areas, like health and keeping their culture alive, the islanders were doing better.
The TSRA also created the Bamaga Accord in 2001. This was a plan for the islands to have more control over their own future. It showed that the people wanted more independence.
In 2006, the TSRA worked hard to get money from the Australian Government. They received $300,000 to study how climate change might affect the six largest Torres Strait Islands. This helped them prepare for future changes.
A big win for the TSRA happened in 2010. After a long legal fight, they successfully claimed ownership of 40,000 square kilometers of sea. This area is between Cape York Peninsula and Papua New Guinea. It was the largest "native title" claim in Australia's history. Native title means that Indigenous people have rights to their traditional lands and waters.
How the Torres Strait Regional Authority Works
The Torres Strait Regional Authority has 20 elected members. These members are chosen by the people in the different island communities. Their main goal is to help the people of the Torres Strait grow stronger. This includes their economy, their community, and their culture.
The TSRA board is led by a Chairperson and a Deputy Chairperson. The current Chairperson is Napau Pedro Stephen. The daily work of the TSRA is handled by an Administration Department. This department is led by a Chief Executive Officer, who is currently Vonda Malone.
Leaders of the Torres Strait Regional Authority
- 1 July 1994 – March 1997: Getano Lui (Jnr)
- March 1997 – 19 April 2000: John Abednego
- 19 April 2000 – May 2004: Terry Waia
- May 2004 – November 2012: John Toshie Kris
- November 2012 – September 2016: Joseph Elu
- September 2016 – Present: Napau Pedro Stephen
See also
- Torres Strait Island Region (a local government area in Queensland)
- List of Australian government entities
