Number: A016/2021
Date: 31 March 2021
On behalf of the Australian Government, I am pleased to release the 2019-20 annual report on service provision by Western Australian (WA) state government agencies to the Indian Ocean Territories (IOT) communities of Christmas Island (CI) and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (CKI).
The Australian Government, through the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, provides funding to WA agencies to deliver services to CI and CKI.
While the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions affected on-island service delivery in the second half of this reporting year, we were able to achieve a number of positive outcomes for the IOT, prior to travel restrictions commencing. These included:
- Conducting a 12-month trial of a new Senior Communities Child Protection Worker, based on CI.
- Conducting 189 mammograms on CI and 103 mammograms on CKI in September 2019 with BreastScreen WA.
- The signing of a two-year agreement with Phosphate Resources Limited (PRL) for vehicle inspection services for the CI community, commencing in late November 2019.
A copy of the report, including a summary and full list of highlights of the services delivered by WA agencies during 2019-20, is available on the department’s website www.regional.gov.au/territories/indian_ocean/sda/index.aspx
The Australian Government remains committed to delivering high quality, fit-for-purpose services to the IOT through service delivery agreements (SDA) with the WA Government.
Fact sheets on all SDA services are available at www.regional.gov.au/territories/indian_ocean/sda/sda-factsheets-wa.aspx
Natasha Griggs
Administrator of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands