25 Aug 2021

Norfolk Islanders to seek answers from Canberra

11:18 am on 25 August 2021

Norfolk Islanders are searching for answers as to how the island is being run.

The Australia Government removed the island's autonomous government six years ago and for the past eight months the local council has been suspended.

Islanders have questions about dire state of the economy, and health and education services, which are to be moved from the control of the New South Wales to the Queensland Government.

no caption

Photo: Norfolk government

The Chamber of Commerce has called a public meeting for this afternoon which local businessman John Brown is to chair.

He said the four leading Canberra appointed bureaucrats have turned down invitations to attend.

"The purpose of the meeting originally was to give them the opportunity to explain to the community just what the real situation is, in relation to not only the school and the hospital, but the management of our public service and so forth.

So instead of those people coming and speaking, others will speak to their knowledge of things," he said.

John Brown said students and teachers are mystified about what happens after the end of this year.

He said the tourism based economy continues to struggle, with just visitors from Queensland able to travel because of Covid-19.