Tiwi Islands Region

The Tiwi Islands Region is a local government area (LGA) of the Northern Territory, Australia. The LGA covers an area of 7,483 square kilometres (2,889 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 2,753 in June 2018, and is governed by the Tiwi Islands Regional Council, formerly Tiwi Islands Shire Council.

Tiwi Islands Regional Council Northern Territory
Population	2,753 (2018)[1]
• Density	0.36790/km2 (0.95286/sq mi)
Established	2014
Area	7,483 km2 (2,889.2 sq mi)[1]
Mayor	Pirrawayingi Puruntatameri[2]
Council seat	Milikapiti
Region	Tiwi Islands
Territory electorate(s)	Arafura
Federal division(s)	Lingiari
Website	Tiwi Islands Regional Council
LGAs around Tiwi Islands Regional Council: Timor Sea Timor Sea Arafura Sea Timor Sea Tiwi Islands Regional Council West Arnhem Wagait Darwin West Arnhem

History

In October 2006 the Northern Territory Government announced the reform of local government areas. The intention of the reform was to improve and expand the delivery of services to towns and communities across the Northern Territory by establishing eleven new shires. The Tiwi Islands Shire Council was created on 1 July 2008 as were the remaining ten shires.^{[citation needed]}

The Tiwi Islands Shire Council became the Tiwi Islands Regional Council under legislation passed by the Northern Territory Government in January 2014.^[3]

Description and governance

The local government area covers an area of 7,483 square kilometres (2,889 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 2,753 in June 2018.^[1]

The most recent council elections (which also elected the Mayor) were held on 10 September 2021.^[4] The current mayor is Pirrawayingi Puruntatameri (an independent) and the current Deputy Mayor is Leslie Tungatalum (a member of the Country Liberal Party).^[2]

Wards

The Tiwi Islands Regional Council is divided into three wards: Bathurst, Milikapiti and Pirlangimpi. The council is governed by 12 councillors, six from Bathurst Ward and three each from the Milikapiti and Pirlangimpi Wards:^[5]

Bathurst (6)	Milikapiti (3)	Pirlangimpi (3)
Leslie Tungatalum (CLP) Jennifer Clancy Luke Tipuamantumirri Francis Xavier Kurrupuwu (CLP) Peter Kantilla Stanley Tipiloura	Lynette De Santis Jeffrey Ullungura Pius Tipungwuti	Pirrawayingi Puruntatameri Therese Bourke Joseph Gideon Pangiraminni

Localities and communities

Land within the Tiwi Islands Region was divided during 2007 into bounded areas for the purpose of creating an address for a property. The bounded areas are called "localities" with those localities associated with existing Aboriginal communities being called "communities".^[6][7]

Localities

• Tiwi Islands

Communities

Community	Population	Map
Milikapiti	414 (SAL 2021)[8][9]
Pirlangimpi (Garden Point)	317 (SAL 2021)[10][11]
Wurrumiyanga (Nguiu)	1,421 (SAL 2021)[12][13]

Demographics

The demographics of the region are shown in the tables below.^[14]

Ancestry

Ancestry	Number	Percentage
Aboriginal	2,023	82.3%
Australian	174	7.1%
English	89	3.6%
Irish	31	1.3%
Scottish	22	0.9%
Fijian	20	0.8%
Filipino	12	0.5%
Torres Strait Islander	11	0.4%
New Zealander	8	0.3%
Greek	6	0.2%
Estonian	6	0.2%
Japanese	6	0.2%
Chinese	5	0.2%
Samoan	4	0.2%
Tongan	4	0.2%
Vietnamese	4	0.2%
Dutch	4	0.2%
German	3	0.1%
South Sea Islander	3	0.1%
Afghan	3	0.1%
Italian	3	0.1%
Indonesian	3	0.1%

Birthplace

Before 2016, all Tiwi Islanders who stated their country of birth were born in Australia. Between 2011 and 2016, however, over ten arrivals each from the Philippines, the United Kingdom and Fiji arrived in the islands.

Country	Number	Percentage	Change since 2011
Australia	2,319	94.5%	-233
Philippines	15	0.6%	+15
United Kingdom	13	0.5%	+13
Fiji	12	0.5%	+12

Language

Language spoken at home

Language	Number	Percentage	Change since 2011
Australian Aboriginal languages (primarily Tiwi)	2,022	82.4%	-3
English	272	11.1%	-204
Fijian	15[a]	0.6%	+15
Only English	272	11.1%	-204
Language other than English	2,063	84.1%	+19

Proficiency in English

Proficiency	Number	Percentage	Change since 2011
Speaks another language and English well or very well	1,856	75.7%	-22
Speaks only English	272	11.1%	-205
Speaks another language, but speaks English not well or not at all	102	4.2%	-62

Religion

Religion	Number	Percentage	Change since 2011
Roman Catholicism	2,080	84.4%	-117
No religion	136	5.6%	-22
Christianity (not further defined)	24	1.0%	-3
Uniting Church	15	0.6%	-14
Christianity	2,156	88.1%	-156
No religion	136	5.6%	-22
Not stated[b]	143	5.9%	+61

Notes

1. 12 of these were born in Fiji.
2. In the 2016 Census, the religion question was optional and many Australians did not answer it.