The Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku is a unique local government in that its community of interest is contained with the traditional lands of the Ngaanyatjarra people of the Central Desert of Western Australia. The 99 year leases held by the Ngaanyatjarra Land Council on behalf of the traditional owners also form the boundaries of the Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku.

At its formation the Shire assumed responsibility for the limited services previously provided by the old Shire of Wiluna. Since then the Shire has been steadily improving and extending the range of services provided to the communities including ovals, street lights, welfare, TV and radio retransmission, swimming pools and culture. Increasingly the Shire is now undertaking the more conventional Local Government services including Health, Building, Waste Services, Litter control, Rubbish Disposal Sites, Road Sealing, Sports and Recreation, Project management and other community-based programs.

 
The Shire encompasses an area of 159,948 square kilometres and is located approximately 1542km from Perth. The region itself is diverse in natural beauty from the magnificent Rawlinson ranges to the red sandy plains of the Gibson Desert.

Location

The Shire's isolated location 1,542 km from Perth impacts on the cost of virtually every facet of its operations. The Shire's distance from Perth is not a true indicator of remoteness because of the 560 km of gravel road involved from Laverton to Warburton. The Shire is unique today in being so far from bitumen roads.

The estimated population of 1,838 comprises mainly Ngaanyatjarra people and about 195 non-Aboriginal co-ordinators, technicians and public servants.

Rating

The Shire receives ex gratia rates from the community leasehold areas and these will be supplemented by service charges as services are introduced. The rates on the community leasehold areas are based directly on unimproved values issued on the community's two leases. The only true rates that the Shire receives is in respect of mining tenements.