The Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands comprises West, Middle and East Islands of Ashmore Reef, Cartier Island and the territorial sea generated by these islands. The Territory is located on the outer edge of the continental shelf in the Indian Ocean approximately 320 km off Australia's north-west coast and 144 km south of the Indonesian Island of Roti. The Jabiru and Challis oil fields are adjacent to the Territory. The islands are uninhabited, small, low and composed of coral and sand, with some grass cover. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat and in 1983 became a Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, became a reserve in 2000.
History
The Territory was accepted from Britain in 1933 and responsibility for the administration was transferred from the Northern Territory to the Commonwealth when self-government was instituted in the Northern Territory in 1978. Commonwealth laws, laws of the Northern Territory and Ordinances made by the Governor-General make up the body of law applicable in the Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands.
Petroleum extraction activities in the area adjacent to the Territory are administered on behalf of the Commonwealth by the Northern Territory Department of Mines and Energy.
In early May 1996, Indonesian and Australian officials, at the request of the Indonesians, visited the Territory with the objective of satisfying Indonesian officials that the Territory does in fact include islands generating a 24 nautical mile boundary. This has important implications for negotiations between Australia and Indonesia on the maritime boundary. A memorandum of understanding between the Australian and Indonesian governments allows Indonesian fishermen access to their traditional fishing grounds within the region, subject to limits.
As the closest Australian territory to Indonesia, these islands became the target of human traffickers for the landing of illegal immigrants in the 1990s. In 2001 the Australian government removed these islands from its Migration Zone making illegal arrivals ineligible for temporary visas and entry into Australia.
Figure 53 - Location of Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Figure 54 - Ashmore Islands – The three dark spots are West, Middle and East islands
Figure 55 - Cartier Island
