Local Government Act 2019
The Local Government Act 2019 commenced on 1 July 2021 and provides for local government in the Northern Territory.
Regulations
Regulations made under the Local Government Act 2019 include:
Guidelines
The Minister for Local Government may make guidelines for the purposes of the Local Government Act 2019.
Guidelines made under the Act include:
- Guideline 1: Local Authorities PDF (263.7 KB)
- Guideline 2: Appointing a CEO PDF (281.8 KB)
- Guideline 3: Borrowing PDF (286.8 KB)
- Guideline 4: Assets PDF (279.8 KB)
- Guideline 5: Budgets PDF (305.2 KB)
Guideline 5: Budgets template XLSX (20.6 KB) - Guideline 6: Annual report PDF (340.2 KB)
Guideline 6: Annual report template XLSX (16.4 KB) - Guideline 7: Procedural Fairness in Deciding Code of Conduct Complaints PDF (1.6 MB)
General instructions
The CEO of the Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet may issue general instructions under the Local Government (General) Regulations 2021.
The CEO issued General Instruction 1: Procurement PDF (369.7 KB), which commenced 1 July 2021.
The CEO issued General Instruction 2: Annual Financial Statement PDF (279.4 KB), which commenced 28 July 2022.
Prescribed forms
The Local Government Act 2019 or regulations may prescribe forms to be used by a local government council.
Schedule 5 - Annual return of interests for council members form PDF (81.5 KB)
Schedule 5 - Annual return of interests for council members form DOCX (33.2 KB)
Approved forms
The CEO of the Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet may approve forms for the Local Government Act 2019.
Monthly financial report form PDF (1.2 MB)
Monthly financial report template XLSX (32.4 KB)
Code of conduct
The code of conduct set out in schedule 1 of the Local Government Act 2019 governs the conduct of council members, audit committee members, council committee members and local authority members.
To read the code of conduct and how to make a complaint about a council member, go to the Northern Territory Government website.
Get the code of conduct complaint form.
Breach of Code of Conduct complaint form DOCX (29.1 KB)
Breach of Code of Conduct complaint form PDF (188.7 KB)
Further information about lodging a complaint is available on the relevant council’s website.
Council by-laws
Council by-laws are listed on the legislation database.
Councils are responsible for making and enforcing their own by-laws.
The Local Government Unit can assist councils to make, amend or repeal council by-laws.
For assistance, email LGQuestions.cmc@nt.gov.au.
Local government subsidiaries
Section 67 of the Local Government Act 2019 allows for the Minister for Local Government to approve the formation of a body corporate, referred to as a local government subsidiary, to carry out functions related to local government on behalf of its consistent council or councils.
The constitution of a local government subsidiary must be approved by the minister, pursuant to section 69(1) of the Act.
The minister has approved the Constitution of CouncilBIZ. Get the constitution PDF (2.1 MB).
Procurement entity
The CEO of the Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet approved the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory as a procurement entity under the Local Government (General) Regulations 2021, subject to conditions.
Contacts
For more information or assistance contact the Local Government Unit by email LGQuestions.cmc@nt.gov.au or phone 08 899 98571.
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