As a result of the State wide Local Government Reform process to build a more modern system of local government for Queensland there are now 12 Aboriginal Shire Councils governed by the Local Government (Community Government Areas) Act 2004, and two Indigenous Regional Councils governed by the Local Government Act 1993. The two Indigenous Regional Councils are the Northern Peninsula Regional Council and the Torres Strait IslandRegional Council.

For the 2008-09 year Councils have to prepare financial statements that comply with all Australian Accounting Standards except for the requirements to restate comparative figures.

Under the legislation the Department sets the format in which Councils must prepare their annual financial statements. For 2008/09 the format for the 12 Aboriginal Councils is slightly different to the format for the 2 Indigenous Regional Councils because of council amalgamations and the move to preparing statements on an accrual accounting basis.

• View the format for Aboriginal Shire Councils for 2008-09 ( 128 KB)
• View the approved format for the two Indigenous Regional Councils for 2008-09 ( 119 KB)

To assist with preparing the Financial Statements the Department issues Illustrative Accounts which give Councils examples of how a complete set of financial statements could be presented. These complement the format approved under the legislation, but are not compulsory.

• View the illustrative accounts for Aboriginal Shire Councils for 2008-09 ( 787 KB).
• View the illustrative accounts for the two Indigenous Regional Councils for 2008-09 ( 128 KB)