Editing Norfolk Island (section)

==== Reduced autonomy 2016 ====
In March 2015, the Australian Government announced comprehensive reforms for Norfolk Island.<ref name="Norfolk Island reform"/> The action was justified on the grounds it was necessary "to address issues of sustainability which have arisen from the model of self-government requiring Norfolk Island to deliver local, state and federal functions since 1979".<ref name="Norfolk Island reform"/> On 17 June 2015, the Norfolk Island Legislative Assembly was abolished, with the territory becoming run by an Administrator and an advisory council. Elections for a new Regional Council were held on 28 May 2016, with the new council taking office on 1 July 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/pf/releases/2016/June/pf060_2016.aspx |title=Norfolk Island elects its inaugural council |publisher=Minister.infrastructure.gov.au |date=3 June 2016 |access-date=17 July 2016 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160715161303/http://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/pf/releases/2016/June/pf060_2016.aspx |archive-date=15 July 2016}}</ref>

From that date, most Australian Commonwealth laws were extended to Norfolk Island. This means that taxation, social security, immigration, customs and health arrangements apply on the same basis as in mainland Australia.<ref name="Norfolk Island reform">{{cite web |url=http://regional.gov.au/territories/norfolk_island/reforms/index.aspx |title=Norfolk Island reform |publisher=Regional.gov.au |access-date=17 July 2016 |url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160829233024/http://regional.gov.au/territories/norfolk_island/reforms/index.aspx |archive-date=29 August 2016}}</ref> Travel between Norfolk Island and mainland Australia became domestic travel on 1 July 2016.<ref>Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development – Factsheet: Domestic travel between Norfolk Island and mainland Australia, website. Retrieved 12 November 2016</ref> For the [[2016 Australian federal election]], 328 people on Norfolk Island voted in the [[Australian Capital Territory|ACT]] [[Division of Canberra|electorate of Canberra]], out of 117,248 total votes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tally room, Canberra ACT |url=https://results.aec.gov.au/20499/Website/HouseDivisionPage-20499-101.htm |publisher=Australian Electoral Commission |access-date=15 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520110217/https://results.aec.gov.au/20499/Website/HouseDivisionPage-20499-101.htm |archive-date=20 May 2019 |url-status = live}}</ref> Since 2018, Norfolk Island is covered by the [[Division of Bean|electorate of Bean]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Whyte |first1=Sally |title=ACT's new federal electorates revealed |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/act/act-s-new-federal-electorates-revealed-20180406-p4z82l.html |access-date=15 May 2019 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=6 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515041014/https://www.smh.com.au/national/act/act-s-new-federal-electorates-revealed-20180406-p4z82l.html |archive-date=15 May 2019 |url-status = live}}</ref>

There is opposition to the reforms, led by Norfolk Island People for Democracy Inc., an association appealing to the United Nations to include the island on its list of "[[United Nations list of non-self-governing territories|non-self-governing territories]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/306686/norfolk-pleads-for-canberra-to-delay-nsw-absorption |title=Norfolk pleads for Canberra to delay NSW absorption |date=18 June 2016 |publisher=Radionz.co.nz |access-date=17 July 2016 |url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160723234527/http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/306686/norfolk-pleads-for-canberra-to-delay-nsw-absorption |archive-date=23 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/302552/norfolk-islanders-seeking-un-oversight |title=Norfolk Islanders seeking UN oversight |newspaper=RNZ |publisher=Radionz.co.nz |date=28 April 2016 |access-date=17 July 2016 |url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160723234522/http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/302552/norfolk-islanders-seeking-un-oversight |archive-date=23 July 2016}}</ref> There has also been movement to join New Zealand since the autonomy reforms.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/aug/23/norfolk-island-should-become-part-of-new-zealand-says-former-chief-minister|title=Norfolk Island should become part of New Zealand, says former chief minister|last=Roy|first=Eleanor Ainge|date=23 August 2017|work=[[Guardian Australia]]|access-date=24 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924015612/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/aug/23/norfolk-island-should-become-part-of-new-zealand-says-former-chief-minister|archive-date=24 September 2017|url-status = live}}</ref>

In October 2019, the Norfolk Island People For Democracy advocacy group conducted a survey of 457 island residents (about one quarter of the entire population) and found that 37% preferred [[Associated state|free association]] with New Zealand, 35% preferred free association with Australia, 25% preferred [[Self-governance|full independence]], and 3% preferred full integration with Australia.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Julia Hollingsworth|title=Norfolk Island: Why residents want to ditch Australia for New Zealand|url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/norfolk-island-governance-intl-hnk-scli/index.html|access-date=13 March 2021|website=CNN|date=30 October 2019 |language=en|archive-date=3 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210403095808/https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/norfolk-island-governance-intl-hnk-scli/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=24 October 2019|title=Survey reveals over 96% of people on Norfolk Island are opposed to the current governance regime imposed by Australia. – Norfolk Island People for Democracy|url=https://www.norfolkschoice.com/survey-reveals-over-96-of-people-on-norfolk-island-are-opposed-to-the-current-governance-regime-imposed-by-australia/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024111635/https://www.norfolkschoice.com/survey-reveals-over-96-of-people-on-norfolk-island-are-opposed-to-the-current-governance-regime-imposed-by-australia/|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 October 2019|access-date=13 March 2021}}</ref>