Local Government Act 2019

The Local Government Act 2019 is the main law for local government in the Northern Territory.

The Act commenced on 1 July 2021.

Regulations

Regulations made under the Act:

• Local Government (Electoral) Regulations 2021
• Local Government (General) Regulations 2021.

Guidelines

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Community Development may make guidelines for the purposes of the Act.

Guidelines made under the Act:

• Guideline 1: Local Authorities PDF (1022.2 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)

Determinations

The chief executive officer (CEO) of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Community Development can make determinations under the Act.

Download determinations made by the CEO of the department.

Determination on Training Requirements PDF (231.0 KB) (commenced 1 July 2026)

General instructions

General instructions are mandatory instructions relating to core council operations that councils and local government subsidiaries must comply with.

The CEO of the Department of Housing Local Government and Community Development may issue general instructions under the Local Government (General) Regulations 2021.

Failure to comply with a general instruction by a council or local government subsidiary is an offence.

Download general instructions issued by the CEO of the department:

• General Instruction 1: Procurement PDF (369.7 KB) (commenced 1 July 2021).
• General Instruction 2: Annual Financial Statement PDF (279.4 KB) (commenced 28 July 2022).

Prescribed forms

The Act or regulations may prescribe forms to be used by a local government council.

Download prescribed forms under the legislation:

• 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 may approve forms for the Local Government Act 2019.

Download approved forms issued by the CEO of the department:

• Monthly Financial Report Form PDF (1.2 MB)
• Monthly Financial Report Template XLSX (32.4 KB)
• Code of Conduct Complaint Form PDF (964.6 KB)

Code of Conduct for members

The Code of Conduct sets out in Local Government (General) Regulations 2021 governs how members are expected to behave. It applies to all members (a member of an audit committee, a council, a council committee or a local authority) during their tenure.

Members must:

• act lawfully and in the public interest
• treat people with courtesy and respect
• use council resources responsibly
• keep information confidential where required
• avoid using their position for personal advantage
• declare and manage conflicts of interest.

The Code of Conduct applies when members are acting in their role. This can include:

• at council and committee meetings
• when working with council staff
• when engaging with the community
• in written communications and social media.

If you believe a member has breached the Code of Conduct, you can make a complaint. Complaints must be submitted using the form.

Download the form and view information about how to make a complaint about a member who you believe has breached the Code of Conduct.

View the Code of Conduct under schedule 1A of the Regulations - page 65.

Council by-laws

Council by-laws are local laws that everyone in a council area must follow. Councils are responsible for making, administering and enforcing their own by-laws.

Council by-laws commonly relate to:

• animal management
• parking
• littering
• waste management facilities
• the use of public spaces.

Council by-laws are listed on the Legislation Database.

The Local Government and Community Development Unit can assist councils to make, amend or repeal council by-laws.

For assistance, email lgquestions.dhlgcd@nt.gov.au.

Local government subsidiaries

Section 67 of the Local Government Act 2019 allows for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Community Development 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 constituent 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.

CouncilBiz is a local government subsidiary established under the Local Government Act 2019. CouncilBiz provides shared services to NT councils. These services include:

• information technology (IT)
• finance
• other corporate support services.

By sharing these services, councils can work more efficiently and focus on serving their communities.

Download the CouncilBIZ Constitution PDF (2.1 MB).

Procurement entity

A procurement entity is an organisation that can buy goods and services on behalf of local councils or establish contracts that councils can use.

The CEO of the department approved the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory (LGANT) as a procurement entity under the Local Government (General) Regulations 2021, subject to conditions.

This allows LGANT to establish procurement arrangements that councils can use to purchase goods and services, helping them achieve value for money and reduce the time and cost of procurement.

Download the Procurement Entity Approval PDF (456.5 KB).