The Tiwi Islands Local Government (TILG) was established in 2001 as the first attempt by the NT Government to support regional governing bodies. The President of TILG, Mr Maralampuwi Kurrupuwu, will describe the long-held desire of the Tiwi people to be once again responsible for their own lands, governance and future. He likens this to the building of a large ship with one engine, one rudder and a united crew that will steer the ship in one direction.

The CEO of TILG, Mr John Cleary, will take a different perspective as he describes the rough ride that TILG had down the slipway at its launching. He identifies a set of critical issues for other Indigenous communities interested in developing a regional governance structure: government responsibilities, financial management issues, the human and other resources required for success.