Pacific / Norfolk Island

New Zealanders on Norfolk hard hit by end of autonomy

19:50 pm on 13 June 2016

Norfolk Island leaders are warning the Australian take-over of the island's government will discriminate against New Zealanders.

Norfolk Island Photo: Wikipedia

From July 1st Norfolk Island, which had enjoyed significant autonomy since 1979, is to become a regional council within New South Wales.

There is a lot of opposition to the move on the island including an appeal to the United Nations to list the island as a non-self-governing territory.

A former chief minister on the island Andre Nobbs said a lot of New Zealanders lived on Norfolk and Canberra's move would penalise them.

"The committee that evaluated the legislative changes found that this legislation - in June of last year, they warned the Senate that it failed that anti-discrimination component, and specifically for how it was mistreating New Zealanders on Norfolk Island, or anyone of non-Australian citizenship."