Norfolk Island is, legally speaking, part of Australia. But running a business in this remote Pacific territory, home to around 2,100 residents, can be very different from on the mainland.

Government forms can reject local telephone numbers and banking services can be difficult to access. Even routine changes to internet services can leave businesses disconnected.

This speaks to its geographic challenges – Norfolk lies some 1,500km from the Australian mainland – as well as some unique complexities stemming from its unusual political and administrative history.

In 1856, following the closure of its British penal settlements, Norfolk became home to descendants of the HMS Bounty mutineers and Tahitians from Pitcairn Island. The Pitcairn community brought its own traditions and governing practices, which helped shape Norfolk’s distinctive identity long before it became an Australian territory in 1914.

Norfolk gained a substantial degree of self-government in 1979, before Canberra abolished the arrangement in 2015. Australian taxation, employment laws, Medicare and social security followed, bringing benefits alongside new obligations. The island’s regional council has been under administration since 2021, while disputes over its governance continue.

Now, a new survey of Norfolk Island businesses examines the difficulties they face, from freight and insurance costs to navigating laws and commercial systems designed for mainland Australia.

An unusual economy, under pressure

The Business Council of........

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