Editing Ashmore and Cartier Islands (section)

==Governance==
Today, the territory is administered from [[Canberra]] by the [[Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts]], which is also responsible for the administration of the territories of [[Christmas Island]], [[Cocos (Keeling) Islands]], the [[Coral Sea Islands]], [[Jervis Bay Territory]] and [[Norfolk Island]].<ref name="AussieAG">{{cite web| author =  Assistant Director, Territories and Disaster Reconstruction Division | title = Territories of Australia | url = http://www.regional.gov.au/territories | publisher= Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport | date= 16 June 2012 | access-date = 7 February 2008 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110211125655/http://www.regional.gov.au/territories/| archive-date=11 February 2011| url-status= live}}</ref>

The [[Attorney-General's Department (Australia)|Attorney-General's Department]] had been responsible for the administration of Australian territories until the [[2010 Australian federal election|2010 federal election]]. In that year the responsibility for Australian territories was transferred to the then [[Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport]],<ref name=DIRD/> and from 18 September 2013 the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development has administered Australian territories.

Defence of Ashmore and Cartier Islands is the responsibility of Australia, with periodic visits by the [[Royal Australian Navy]], [[Royal Australian Air Force]] and the [[Australian Border Force|Australia Border Force]].

Nearby Hibernia Reef, {{convert|42|km|0|abbr=on}} northeast of Ashmore Reef, is not part of the Territory, but belongs to [[Western Australia]].<ref>{{Cite web|page=Administrative Divisions of Countries|url=http://www.statoids.com/uau.html |title=States of Australia|access-date=2011-06-23}}</ref> It has no permanently dry land area, although large parts of the reef become exposed during low tide.

===Proposed Northern Territory annexation===
The [[Northern Territory]] government has claimed on multiple occasions (1989, 1996) that the Ashmore and Cartier Islands should be returned to their jurisdiction, instead of remaining a separate territory.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Long Road to Statehood: Report of the inquiry into the federal implications of statehood for the Northern Territory House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs |url=https://hdl.handle.net/10070/284014 | date=May 2007 | access-date=22 May 2023 | page=17 |hdl=10070/284014 |ref={{sfnref|The Long Road to Statehood|2007}} }}</ref> The [[Australian House of Representatives]] Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs recommended in a 1991 report that the Northern Territory annex the islands.{{sfn|The Long Road to Statehood|2007|p=96}} In 1998, [[John Howard]]'s [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] debated the issue in the leadup to the [[1998 Northern Territory referendum|1998 Northern Territory statehood referendum]], and stated in a campaign release that it would "pursue incorporation of the Ashmore & Cartier Islands into the Northern Territory before or at the time of Statehood".<ref name="Garrick 2020">{{cite web | last=Garrick | first=Matt | title=Ghan land acquisition contingency had green light from Howard government, documents show – ABC News | website=ABC | date=January 1, 2020 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-02/ghan-plans-revealed-in-john-howard-government-documents/11810508 | access-date=May 22, 2023}}</ref><ref name="ASPI 2018">{{cite web | title=Coalition Foreign Affairs Statement: Our Indian Ocean Territories | website=ASPI | date=July 26, 2018 | url=http://www.aspi.org.au/aspi-election-policy-library/2007/2007-coalition | access-date=May 22, 2023}} Website incorrectly filed the statement under 2007, but the statement itself says it was released 30 September 1998.</ref> However, these efforts did not lead to any changes.