I hope everyone has had a restful and peaceful Easter break. I am taking the opportunity to have a short period of annual leave returning on 14 April 2021.

Aaron O’Neill – the Assistant Secretary of the Indian Ocean Territories Branch in the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications – will be acting Administrator of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands and undertaking my official duties as Administrator.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) issued Tropical Cyclone Advice Number 1. As a result of this advice, the Cocos Emergency Management Executive Committee has met and supported the recommendation from the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (CKI) Territory Controller to enact the Cyclone Action Plan.

The Australian Government is continuing its current relief measures to support electricity customers across Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, as part of the ongoing response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and its economic impacts.

I am seeking Expressions of Interest from Christmas Island residents who wish to contribute to the design, delivery, measurement and evaluation of health services across the Indian Ocean Territories as part of the Indian Ocean Territories Health Service Community Advisory Committee (CAC).

Following yesterday’s significant rockfall event at the Kampong at 9am (10 March 2021), access to Flying Fish Cove remains restricted to support the emergency response.

Given the ongoing risk, the restrictions will remain in place until Monday, 15 March for people’s safety, while we await assessment by a specialist engineer. The engineer is scheduled to arrive tomorrow to commence the risk assessment.

There will be some temporary changes to passenger air service routes for the Indian Ocean Territories (IOT), to manage ongoing delays to aviation fuel delivery to Christmas Island (CI) caused by poor weather conditions.

From Tuesday, 2 March 2021, all passenger flights to the IOT will be temporarily rerouted to first stop at the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (CKI) – and refuel – before travelling on to CI, then return to Perth.

The Cocos Emergency Management Executive Committee met this afternoon and provide the following information:

At 1pm WST the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) advised that no warnings currently exist on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
I have spoken with the Territory Controller, Sergeant David Williams and he has advised that residents can leave their homes from 2pm (Cocos time) today, 22 January 2021.

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands Emergency Management Committee Executive met this afternoon and agreed to raise the cyclone warning level to Condition Yellow.

This means that a cyclone is moving closer to the islands and may impact within 12 hours. The West and Home Island Cyclone Shelters will be opened from 6:00pm today for anyone that doesn"t feel safe in their own home.

This page provides information about the governance and administration arrangements for the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

Legal framework

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands are an external territory of Australia. The Australian Government has the power to make laws for the government of any territory, including the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, under section 122 of the Australian Constitution.

I look forward to welcoming Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories, the Hon Nola Marino MP, on her first official visit to the beautiful Cocos (Keeling) Islands (CKI).