Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an Australian external territory comprising the island of the same name. It is located in the Indian Ocean, around 350 kilometres south of Java and Sumatra and around 1,550 km (840 nmi) northwest of the closest point on the Australian mainland. It lies 2,600 km (1,400 nmi) northwest of Perth and 1,327 km (717 nmi) south of Singapore. It has an area of 135 square kilometres (52 sq mi).
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands, officially the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, are an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean, comprising a small archipelago approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka and relatively close to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The territory's dual name reflects that the islands have historically been known as either the Cocos Islands or the Keeling Islands.
There are 137 local government areas of Western Australia (LGAs), which are areas, towns and districts in Western Australia that manage their own affairs to the extent permitted by the Local Government Act 1995. The Local Government Act 1995 also makes provision for regional local governments (referred to as "regional councils", established by two or more local governments for a particular purpose.
Barry Wayne Haase is a former Australian politician who served as a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from October 1998 to August 2013. He initially represented the Western Australian Division of Kalgoorlie, the largest parliamentary constituency by area in the world. In 2010, Kalgoorlie was abolished, and Haase transferred to the newly created Division of Durack, essentially the northern half of his old electorate.
The states and territories are administrative divisions in Australia, ruled by regional governments that constitute the level of governance between the federal government and local governments. States are self-governing polities with incomplete sovereignty and their own constitutions, legislatures, departments, and certain civil authorities that administer and deliver most public policies and programs. Territories can be autonomous and administer local policies and programs much like the states in practice, but are still constitutionally and financially subordinate to the federal government and thus have no true sovereignty.
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Cities was an Australian Public Service department of the Government of Australia that existed between December 2017 and May 2019, charged with the responsibility for infrastructure and major projects, transport, local government, external territories administration, rural and regional development, population policy, and cities.
Christmas Island International Airport is an airport located on Christmas Island, a territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. The island is located 2,600 km (1,600 mi) northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, 500 km (310 mi) south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and 975 km (606 mi) east-northeast of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Airport is an airport serving the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, a territory of Australia located in the Indian Ocean. The airport is on West Island, one of the South Keeling Islands and capital of the territory.
The Shire of Christmas Island is a local government area of the Australian external territory of Christmas Island. Under the Christmas Island Act, Western Australian laws apply to the island, including the Local Government Act 1995.
The Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands is a local government area which manages local affairs on the Australian external territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The island is grouped with Western Australia but is administered by the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities and an Administrator.
The Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government in the Government of Australia is a position currently held by Catherine King following the swearing in of the full Albanese ministry on 1 June 2022.
Natasha Louise Griggs is an Australian former politician and the administrator of the Australian Indian Ocean Territories from 2017 to 2022.
Seri Wati Iku is a politician from the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Australia, who was President of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands Shire Council from 2017 to 2019.
The Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development was an Australian Government department that existed between September 2013 and December 2017. Matters dealt with by the department included: infrastructure planning and coordination; transport safety; land transport; civil aviation and airports; maritime transport including shipping; administration of Australian territories; constitutional development of the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory; regional programs; regional development; local government matters; and regional policy.
South Island is the southernmost and easternmost island of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands belonging to Australia in the eastern Indian Ocean.
Farzian Zainal is a politician from Christmas Island, who is a Councillor for the Shire of Christmas Island and Treasurer of the Indian Ocean Territories Regional Development Organisation. In 2023 she was appointed Administrator of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
Kaum Ibu (Women's Group) is a women's rights organisation in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. In 2001 and 2004 the group was part of consultations on transport and regional services, led by the Government of Australia's Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories. The chairperson of the organisation is Danie Olbio.
The COVID-19 pandemic in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was confirmed to have reached the Cocos (Keeling) Islands on 19 March 2022.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Christmas Island is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was confirmed to have reached Christmas Island on 6 March 2022.
