Our Role, Mission & Vision

Our commitment:

Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council will foster unity, respect elders, celebrate courage, facilitate connection, refine for efficiency and acknowledge equality and govern with integrity.

The Role of a Local Government

All councils operate under various legislation. The primary legislation in which Yarrabah Council operates under is the Local Government Act 2009 (LGA09) The LGA09 empowers mayors and councillors and clearly puts them in charge of their councils.

As the executive arm, Yarrabah’s Mayor and Councillors make local laws and determine policy and other matters at a strategic level. They are responsible for determining and setting the overall direction of the local government and are ultimately directly responsible to the community for the council’s performance.

Under the legislation, the actions of mayors, councillors and local government employees must reflect the five local government principles:

  1. Transparent and effective processes and decision making in the public interest
  2. Sustainable development and management of assets and infrastructure and delivery of services
  3. Democratic representation, social inclusion and meaningful community engagement
  4. Good governance of, and by, the local government
  5. Ethical and legal behaviour of councillors and local government employees The Code of conduct for councillors in Queensland sets out the values and standards of behaviour that councillors must follow under each principle


While the LGA09 is the principal ‘head of power’ for the governance of Yarrabah, Council is also bound by the provisions of the following Acts (at a minimum):

  • Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008
  • Building Act 1975
  • Disaster Management Act 2003
  • Environmental Protection Act 1994
  • Food Act 2006
  • Health Act 1937
  • Information Privacy Act 2009
  • Integrity Act 2009
  • Land Act 1994
  • Liquor Act 1992
  • Plumbing and Drainage Act 2002
  • Public Health Act 2005
  • Public Sector Ethics Act 1994
  • Queensland Reconstruction Act 2011
  • Right to Information Act 2009
  • Sustainable Planning Act 2009
  • Transport Infrastructure Act 1994
  • Water Act 2000.
Children performing a dance, adorned with body paint and traditional attire. Audience members watch in the background.
Rocky shoreline with boulders and calm waters, framed by trees and distant hills under a blue sky.

Council’s Mission

A better quality of life through sponsoring a sense of purpose, respect and pride.

Council’s Vision:

Working in unison and empowering the community to determine its own future.

Four large shells partially buried in wet sand, reflecting in the water with a coastal background.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council (YASC) respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands within the Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire boundaries the Gunggandji and Yidinji peoples, recognising their enduring cultural and spiritual connection to Country. Council recognises the important role of Traditional Owners in caring for lands and waters and is committed to working in collaboration with them in shaping the future of the community. The Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council also wishes to acknowledge all the Yarrabah people brought here from various locations under past government policies. Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council pays its respects to Elders past and present and acknowledges the ongoing strength of Traditional Owner families in maintaining their culture, knowledge and connection to Country.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices and names of deceased persons.