[15] Lex Wotton, who would later go on to lead the 2004 Palm Island riots, had resigned in June 2003 after becoming dissatisfied with the council's practices.

[16] At the conclusion of the administrator's term, a handover report was presented to the newly elected Council, which included: allocation of specific portfolios for Councillors and the establishment of committee structures to ensure functional decision-making, appointment of a financial controller for 12 months and the engagement of a Human Resource Management consultant.

She had previously been chairwoman of the Community Council from 2001 to 2003,[18] and had stood as an Independent candidate for the electoral district of Townsville in the 2004 election.

However, the Council primarily relies on income from rent and Government subsidies and can only afford to build one or two new houses a year.

It was feared that plans for a new shopping precinct, due to deliver much-needed business and job opportunities, would be affected.

[21] In the 2016 census, the Aboriginal Shire of Palm Island had a population of 2,446 people of whom 2,298 (94.1%) self-identified as an Indigenous person.