Environment

The Jervis Bay region lies in an overlap between the northern and southern climatic zones. The range of habitats include: oceanic waters, bay waters of varying depths, intertidal rock platforms and beaches, estuarine waters, recent and ancient dune systems, coastal cliffs, heaths, forests, swamps and perched lakes.

The climatic conditions together with a variety of habitats have created an extremely rich and varied array of wildlife species both on the land and in the sea.

The Australian Government, through the department, administers the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, the Coral Sea Islands, the Jervis Bay Territory and Norfolk Island. The department also manages the government's interests in the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory.

New laws to support sustainable fisheries management in the Indian Ocean Territories (IOT) are now in effect, after extensive consultation with the Christmas Island (CI) community.

The updated fisheries ordinances for CI are fit-for-purpose and best meet the long-term needs of both the marine environment and CI residents. Included in the new ordinances are updated bag limits, as well as governance and compliance legislation. The 2022 fisheries ordinance has now been amalgamated into the Christmas Island Applied Laws Ordinance 1992.

This page provides general information about the governance and administration arrangements for the Territory of Christmas Island (Christmas Island).

Legal framework

Christmas Island is an external territory of Australia. The Australian Government has the power to make laws for the government of any territory, including Christmas Island, under section 122 of the Australian Constitution.