Plans to move residents off Cocos (Keeling) Islands walked back after backlash

Photo Credit and Excerpt from abc.net.au

The federal government has walked back its plans to relocate Cocos (Keeling) Island residents after widespread community backlash, promising greater local input.

The crescent-shaped coral atoll, located in the Indian Ocean some 2,500 kilometres off the mainland, is Australia's most remote territory.

About 600 people live on Home and West islands, two of the 27 slashes of white sand and tropical greenery that make up Cocos.

But climate change is threatening the viability of their homes, with an annual sea level rise of 4 millimetres since 1992.