Norfolk Island a year on from the loss of autonomy

NORFOLK ISLAND – It is coming up to a year since Australia unilaterally removed the island’s autonomy and replaced it with a regional council under the control of New South Wales. The move angered many, prompting months of protest and appeals for international help. There have been significant changes made to the lives of Norfolk Islanders and Radio New Zealand asked the mayor and head of the regional council, Robin Adams, how people feel about Canberra’s moves now. “That would depend entirely on who you are speaking with but I think generally it would be reasonable for me to say that Norfolk Island is endeavouring to move into a brand new world. “A brand new world where we are coming for the first time into the Australian taxation and social welfare system, having of course had our own system since 1979. So there are big changes happening there. “What is currently on the table and causing considerable concern in the community is that we are being required to move to valuation based land rating system commencing 1 July 2018. “This week we have had two public meetings where the community have been addressed by the valuer general for Norfolk Island’s land and it was absolutely evident to all of us present their is absolute concern in this community. “Because what has to be understood here is that when the Pitcairn community was moved to Norfolk Island in 1856 and all of the Pitcairn families were given 50 acre land grants – that land was regarded and continues to be regarded as heritage land. “Like throughout the Pacific, there is perhaps a bigger attachment to land than what there might be in Australia as a whole. And to find that now we have to pay land rates and have our land valued for the purposes of rating, is causing a lot of uncertainty in the communities. RNZI: Communities all across Australia and New Zealand are going to say well the rates are about paying for government services, paying for roads and whatever and that’s valid, surely? “Yeah, but please understand that since 1856 up until the present day Norfolk Island has managed without that system being in place. “ But with the changes that have been brought upon us, with the removal of Norfolk Islands government and now having a regional council we have to work under a totally different legal regime. “ So, yes, it is a learning curve for the community and you know with any change there is always uncertainty and there is a very real concern in the community that if they are unable to pay their rates the land they have held onto since 1856 could very well be lost. “But yes it is understood, council has to make money in order to provide services to the community. It’s an interesting time.” RNZI: What sort of rates are people going to be looking at do you think? “ I couldn’t answer that question because this is the very first time. We now have a valuer general and I have just come out of a meeting with him and other councillors where he was explaining the methodology of how he would go about rating the land but he too has a difficulty that there is nothing to work from. “There is no platform of rating or categorisation – so it is a totally brand new world for Norfolk Island here but we will get there. It is just part of a huge change from having self-government removed from the community “And the continuing concern there is, and which I share and am working with the commonwealth to try and resolve, is that by applying New South Wales law to Norfolk Island – we have no representation in NSW, we are not part of NSW, but yet we have a parliament making laws in which we have no say. And that is seen as a democratic deficit.” RNZI: When you say you are working with the commonwealth, what do you do? “I am in conversation with the federal minister, Senator Nash, who appreciates the concern and we have in place still a large proportion of Norfolk Islands legislation and I am proposing, with council support, that we find a way to modernise existing Norfolk Island law to mirror NSW law rather than applying NSW law to us, over which we have had no say. “And trying to put a bit more democracy on the table here, around the law that is going to affect us at state and local level. RNZI: And what sort of indication are you getting that you might make some progress there? “There is willingness on the part of the minister to communicate and she had tasked our new administrator, Eric Hutchinson, and I to work together and consult the community around this issue. “We will have a good conversation, I can’t forecast what the outcome is finally going to be but there is a willingness there to have a conversation and I can’t ask for more than that. RNZI: Apart from this issue over the rates is the air of animosity that existed, has that lifted? “I will try to respond to that by saying there is still very much a want for Norfolk Island to have a say in its governance model going forward/ “You will be aware there is a movement that Norfolk Island be listed with the United Nations under their decolonisation arena, and that continues to be progressed, at the international level. - RNZI/Dateline Pacific