Legislation

The Local Government Act provides for local government in the Northern Territory.

Regulations made under the Local Government Act include:

• Local Government (Accounting) Regulations
• Local Government (Administration) Regulations
• Local Government (Electoral) Regulations.

Guideline 1 - revoked

Guideline 2: allowances for council members

Previously effective from 6 January 2011 and as replaced on 1 July 2014 to include West Daly Regional Council.

Guideline 2: allowances for council members PDF (96.0 KB).

Table of maximum allowances applicable for 2019-20 PDF (73.5 KB).

Table of maximum allowances applicable for 2020-21 PDF (349.4 KB).

Table of maximum allowances applicable for 2021-22 PDF (473.6 KB).

Refer to General Instruction No. 2 - Council member allowances PDF (832.4 KB).

Guideline 3: appointing a CEO

Guideline 3: appointing a CEO PDF (26.6 KB).

Guideline 4: investments

Guideline 4: investments PDF (162.8 KB).

Guideline 5: borrowing

Guideline 5: borrowing PDF (28.6 KB).

Guideline 6 - revoked

General Instruction Number 1 - conditional rating PDF (1.0 MB).

Guideline 7: disposal of property

Guideline 7: disposal of property PDF (28.3 KB).

Guideline 8: regional councils and local authorities

Guideline 8: regional councils and local authorities PDF (599.8 KB)

Guideline 8: regional councils and local authorities DOCX (34.2 KB).

The Department of Local Government and Regions issues general instructions pursuant to regulation 7 of the Local Government (Accounting) Regulations.

• General Instruction No. 1 - Conditional rating PDF (1.0 MB).
• General Instruction No. 2 - Council member allowances PDF (832.4 KB).
• General Instruction No. 3 - Audit committees PDF (5.7 MB).
• General Instruction No. 4 - Procurement PDF (2.5 MB).

Council by-laws are listed on the Department of the Chief Minister's legislation database.

Councils are responsible for making and enforcing their own by-laws.

The Local Government and Community Development Division can assist councils to make, amend or repeal local government by-laws. For assistance please email localgovernment.DLGHCD@nt.gov.au.

Section 27 of the Local Government Act provides for councils and the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory to form separate entities known as local government subsidiaries to carry out functions related to local government on behalf of the constituent councils.

Under section 28 of the Act, the Minister for Local Government uses an NT Government Gazette notice to allow a subsidiary to come into existence on a specific date as a body corporate that has the powers and functions conferred or assigned by its constitution.

The constitution of a subsidiary must be approved by the Minister, pursuant to section 29(1).

The Minister has approved the constititution of CouncilBiz. Download the constitution PDF (949.7 KB).

Table of maximum allowances applicable for 2017-18 PDF (227.1 KB).

Table of maximum allowances applicable for 2018-19 PDF (146.2 KB).

Archived guideline 8: regional councils and local authorities PDF (90.3 KB).

Table of maximum allowances applicable for 2016-17 PDF (226.9 KB).