Christmas Island is located 2,605 kilometres from Perth and 490 kilometres from Jakarta. The island is at the tip of a 5,000 metre submarine volcano with the highest point being 361 metres above sea level. The area of the island is 137.4 square kilometres, over 60% of which is national park. Approximately half of Christmas Island’s households reported a non-English language was spoken at home. Languages spoken include Mandarin, Malay, Cantonese, Min Nan, and Tagalog. The island has extraordinary access to the depths of the ocean and its marine creatures, as well as world-class Ramsar sites. The annual red crab migration is an internationally renowned natural event on Christmas Island between October and January. For further information on Christmas Island, please visit the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts website.
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are located 2,936 kilometres from Perth and 985 kilometres from Christmas Island. They are a group of 27 low-lying coral islands that form two atolls with a total land area of 15.6 square kilometres. The residents of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are located on two of the islands: Home Island and West Island. Approximately 80% of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands’ residents are Cocos Malay and live on Home Island. Cocos Malay, a unique dialect of Malay, is the most common language spoken at Home Island. The remaining population identifies as being of European descent. The Cocos (Keeling) Islands is a tropical environment that encircles turquoise lagoon waters. For further information on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, please visit the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts website.
Service Delivery Arrangements
The Australian Government has responsibility for the Indian Ocean Territories of Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage delivers State-type services to the Indian Ocean Territories through a Service Delivery Arrangement with the Australian Government. The underlying principle of service delivery, policy development, and capital works is to ensure that the Territories communities are provided with services and infrastructure comparable with those provided to equivalent WA mainland communities.
For more information on Government services to the Indian Ocean Territories please visit the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts website
Local governments in the Indian Ocean Territories
Shire of Christmas Island
The Shire of Christmas Island is a local government body created in 1992. The Shire provides standard local government services and has a permanent staff and an elected Council.
Information on the Shire is available from its website.
Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands
The Shire of Cocos (Keeling) Islands is a local government body created in 1992. The Shire provides standard local government services and has a permanent staff and an elected Council.
Information on the Shire is available from its website.
Land capacity analysis
Land capacity analysis provides a broad overview of the land capacity of settlements in the Gascoyne, Indian Ocean Territories, Kimberley and Pilbara regions with respect to forecast population growth.
View the Land capacity analysis page.
