The Norfolk Island Regional Council is facing multi-million dollar debts and could be wound up.
The Council, put in place by the Australian federal government four years ago, after Canberra had dissolved the autonomous government, has debts of about $AUD10 million dollars, according to counciller Lisle Snell.
Norfolk Island Flag Photo: None
Snell, who was also the last chief minister in the autonomous government, said the economy has been shattered by the impact of Covid-19 which meant a loss of one million dollars a week from tourism.
He said the debts are so substantial that if Canberra doesn't come to the rescue the council will probably have to shut its doors, "we need at least $AUD7 million dollars to continue functioning, that's the minimum benchmark that's arequired under our operative agreement under the New South Wales Local Government Act, so we are going to need that, plus another three million dollars to tide us over."
