Aurukun Shire Council

Aurukun Shire Council is the major services and infrastructure provider for Aurukun, a very remote Indigenous community of 1100 people. Aurukun Shire covers an area of 7,500 sq. km of Aboriginal freehold land with about 107km of coastline on the north-west coast of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland. It is a 1 hour 40 minute flight or an 11 hour 30 minute drive from Cairns, with no road access during the wet season. The traditional homelands of the Wik, Wik Way and Kugu people are in and around the Aurukun Shire. There are five spiritual clan groups and the community is rich with traditional cultural practices including art and house opening ceremonies. The main language is Wik Mungkan with almost 90% of the population speaking this at home. Both Wik Mungkan and English are taught at school. The Council is governed by local Indigenous people. The Wik Kath Min (The Good Story) Community Values Statement is embedded within the local government framework giving a clear vision of what the community wants to help Aurukun move toward a better future. The Wik Kath Min Community Values Statement • We empower our children through teaching culture and sending them to school. • We care for and protect our children, our Elders and our families. • We teach our children the right way – to follow western laws and traditional cultural ways. • We love doing things together and feel connected by our shared experiences. • We seek worthwhile employment, training and mentoring so we can support our families and provide stability in our home. • We like to make connections and bring back experiences from the world outside Aurukun. • We are friendly and respectful to everyone in our community. • We care for each other and share what we have. • We like a nice place to live. • We are skilled at making peace and we have the hearts to forgive each other. • We have an in-depth spiritual connection to our country and our kin.