NORTHERN TERRITORY (SELF-GOVERNMENT) ACT 1978

This compilation was prepared on 7 July 2009
taking into account amendments up to Act No. 54 of 2009

The text of any of those amendments not in force
on that date is appended in the Notes section

The operation of amendments that have been incorporated may be
affected by application provisions that are set out in the Notes section

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting and Publishing,
Attorney‑General's Department, Canberra

Contents

Part I--Preliminary 1

1............ Short title [see Note 1] ....................................................................... 1

2............ Commencement [see Note 1] .............................................................. 2

3............ Repeals ............................................................................................... 2

4............ Interpretation ...................................................................................... 2

Part II--Northern Territory of Australia 4

5............ Establishment of body politic ............................................................ 4

Part III--Legislative Assembly 5

Division 1--Powers of Legislative Assembly 5

6............ Legislative power ................................................................................ 5

7............ Assent to proposed laws .................................................................... 5

8............ Signification of pleasure on proposed law reserved ........................... 6

9............ Disallowance of enactments ............................................................... 6

10.......... Reason for withholding assent etc. to be tabled in Legislative Assembly 7

11.......... Proposal of money votes .................................................................... 7

12.......... Powers, privileges and immunities of Legislative Assembly .............. 8

Division 2--Constitution and membership of Legislative Assembly 9

13.......... Legislative Assembly .......................................................................... 9

14.......... Qualifications of electors .................................................................... 9

15.......... Writs for elections ............................................................................ 10

16.......... Term of office of member ................................................................. 10

17.......... Dates of elections ............................................................................. 10

18.......... Resignation of members of Legislative Assembly ............................ 10

19.......... Filling of casual vacancy ................................................................... 10

20.......... Qualifications for election ................................................................. 11

21.......... Disqualifications for membership of Legislative Assembly ............. 11

Division 3--Procedure of Legislative Assembly 13

22.......... Sessions of Legislative Assembly ..................................................... 13

23.......... Quorum ............................................................................................. 13

24.......... Election of Speaker ........................................................................... 13

25.......... Acting Speaker--appointment by Legislative Assembly ................ 14

26.......... Acting Speaker--appointment by Administrator ............................ 14

27.......... Voting in Legislative Assembly ........................................................ 15

28.......... Validation of acts of Legislative Assembly ...................................... 16

29.......... Minutes of proceedings .................................................................... 16

30.......... Standing rules and orders .................................................................. 16

Part IV--The Administration 17

31.......... Extent of executive power ................................................................ 17

32.......... Office of Administrator .................................................................... 17

33.......... The Executive Council ...................................................................... 17

34.......... Ministerial offices ............................................................................. 18

35.......... Transfer of functions to Executive ................................................... 18

36.......... Appointment of Ministers ............................................................... 18

37.......... Tenure of office ................................................................................ 18

38.......... Oath to be taken by Member of Council and Minister .................... 19

40.......... Acting Administrator ........................................................................ 19

41.......... Deputies of Administrator ............................................................... 20

42.......... Oath to be taken by Administrator etc. ............................................ 20

Part V--Finance 21

43.......... Interpretation .................................................................................... 21

44.......... Public moneys .................................................................................. 21

45.......... Withdrawals of public moneys ......................................................... 21

46.......... Borrowing from Commonwealth ...................................................... 21

48.......... Commonwealth Auditor‑General may audit Territory accounts ..... 21

Part VI--Miscellaneous 23

49.......... Trade and commerce with States to be free ...................................... 23

50.......... Acquisition of property to be on just terms .................................... 23

50A....... Laws concerning euthanasia .............................................................. 23

51.......... Acts that bind States to bind Northern Territory ............................ 24

53.......... Application of Fair Work Act 2009 ................................................. 24

54.......... Power to confer jurisdiction on Remuneration Tribunal in relation to members etc. 25

55.......... Regulations ....................................................................................... 25

Part VII--Transitional provisions 26

56.......... Interpretation .................................................................................... 26

57.......... Continuance of laws ......................................................................... 26

58.......... Administrator etc. to continue in office ............................................ 27

59.......... Legislative Assembly etc. to continue .............................................. 27

60.......... Functions performed by Legislative Assembly and Executive Council .. 28

61.......... Functions performed by specified persons ...................................... 28

63.......... Sessions of Legislative Assembly ..................................................... 28

64.......... Quorum ............................................................................................. 28

65.......... Remuneration and allowances ........................................................... 29

66.......... Ordinances made but not assented to before commencing date ........ 29

67.......... References in other laws ................................................................... 29

68.......... Certain provisions of previous Act to continue to operate .............. 30

69.......... Transfers of property etc. ................................................................ 30

70.......... Acquisition of certain land etc. ......................................................... 31

71.......... Contracts .......................................................................................... 33

72.......... Commonwealth to indemnify Territory ........................................... 33

73.......... Validity of Ordinances ...................................................................... 34

74.......... Agency arrangements ........................................................................ 34

75.......... Regulations ....................................................................................... 34

Schedule 1--Acts repealed 35

Schedule 2 36

Schedule 3 37

Schedule 4 38

Schedule 5 39

Schedule 6 40

Notes 41

WHEREAS the Northern Territory Acceptance Act 1910 provided for the ratifying of an Agreement between the Commonwealth and the State of South Australia for the surrender to and acceptance by the Commonwealth of the Northern Territory and provided for the acceptance by the Commonwealth of the Northern Territory:

AND WHEREAS by the Constitution it is provided that the Parliament may make laws for the government of any Territory surrendered by any State to and accepted by the Commonwealth:

AND WHEREAS the Parliament has made provision for the government of the Northern Territory by the Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1910 and for a Supreme Court of the Northern Territory of Australia by the Northern Territory Supreme Court Act 1961: [see Note 1]

AND WHEREAS the Parliament considers it desirable, by reason of the political and economic development of the Northern Territory, to confer self‑government on the Territory, and for that purpose to provide, among other things, for the establishment of separate political, representative and administrative institutions in the Territory and to give the Territory control over its own Treasury:

BE IT THEREFORE ENACTED by the Queen, and the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:

Notes to the Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act 1978

Note 1

The Northern Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1978 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 58, 1978 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

The Northern Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1978 was amended by the Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2006 (No. 1) (SLI 2006 No. 50). The amendments are incorporated in this compilation.

Preamble--The Northern Territory Supreme Court Act 1961 was repealed by the Northern Territory Supreme Court (Repeal) Act 1979 (No. 85, 1979).

All relevant information pertaining to application, saving or transitional provisions prior to 27 March 1997 is not included in this consolidation. For subsequent information see Table A.

Table of Acts

Act	Number and year	Date of Assent	Date of commencement	Application, saving or transitional provisions
Northern Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1978	58, 1978	22 June 1978	Ss. 1, 2 and 70: Royal Assent Remainder: 1 July 1978
Northern Territory (Self‑Government) Amendment Act 1982	130, 1982	14 Dec 1982	S. 11: 22 June 1978 Remainder: Royal Assent	--
Australian Government Solicitor (Consequential Amendments) Act 1984	10, 1984	10 Apr 1984	S. 3: 1 July 1984 (see Gazette 1984, No. S231) (a)	S. 4(1)
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Self‑Determination (Consequential Amendments) Act 1984	46, 1984	25 June 1984	Part VII (ss. 22-26): 6 Apr 1984 Remainder: Royal Assent	--
Christmas Island Administration (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 1984	120, 1984	18 Oct 1984	Ss. 27-31: 1 Oct 1984 Remainder: Royal Assent	--
Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No. 1) 1985	65, 1985	5 June 1985	S. 3: 3 July 1985 (b)	--
Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No. 1) 1986	76, 1986	24 June 1986	S. 3: Royal Assent (c)	S. 9
Industrial Relations (Consequential Provisions) Act 1988	87, 1988	8 Nov 1988	Ss. 1 and 2: Royal Assent Remainder: 1 Mar 1989 (see s. 2(2) and Gazette 1989, No. S53)	--
Lands Acquisition (Repeal and Consequential Provisions) Act 1989	21, 1989	20 Apr 1989	9 June 1989 (see s. 2 and Gazette 1989, No. S185)	--
Arts, Sport, Environment, Tourism and Territories Legislation Amendment Act 1991	33, 1991	21 Mar 1991	(d)	S. 5
Statute Law Revision Act 1996	43, 1996	25 Oct 1996	Schedule 4 (item 113): Royal Assent (e)	--
Workplace Relations and Other Legislation Amendment Act 1996	60, 1996	25 Nov 1996	Schedule 19 (item 34): Royal Assent (f)	S. 2(2), (6) (am. by 77, 1996, Sch. 3 [items 1, 2])
as amended by
Workplace Relations and Other Legislation Amendment Act (No. 2) 1996	77, 1996	19 Dec 1996	Schedule 3 (items 1, 2): (g)	--
Euthanasia Laws Act 1997	17, 1997	27 Mar 1997	27 Mar 1997	Sch. 1 (item 2) [see Table A]
Judiciary Amendment Act 1999	7, 1999	31 March 1999	Schedules 1-3 (items 28, 29): 1 Sept 1999 (see Gazette 1999, No. S395) Remainder: Royal Assent	--
Criminal Code Amendment (Theft, Fraud, Bribery and Related Offences) Act 2000	137, 2000	24 Nov 2000	Ss. 1-3 and Schedule 1 (items 1, 4, 6, 7, 9-11, 32): Royal Assent Remainder: 24 May 2001	Sch. 2 (items 418, 419) [see Table A]
Statute Law Review Act 2008	73, 2008	3 July 2008	Schedule 4 (items 406-408): 4 July 2008	--
Fair Work (State Referral and Consequential and Other Amendments) Act 2009	54, 2009	25 June 2009	Schedule 5 (items 43-47): (h)	--

(a) The Northern Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1978 was amended by section 3 only of the Australian Government Solicitor (Consequential Amendments) Act 1984, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:

(1) Subject to subsection (2), this Act shall come into operation, or shall be deemed to have come into operation, as the case requires, on the day on which section 7 of the Judiciary Amendment Act (No. 2) 1984 comes into operation.

(b) The Northern Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1978 was amended by section 3 only of the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No. 1) 1985, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:

(1) Subject to this section, this Act shall come into operation on the twenty‑eighth day after the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

(c) The Northern Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1978 was amended by section 3 only of the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No. 1) 1986, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:

(1) Subject to this section, this Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

(d) The Northern Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1978 was amended by section 3 only of the Arts, Sport, Environment, Tourism and Territories Legislation Amendment Act 1991, subsection 2(2) of which provides as follows:

(2) Section 5, the amendment of section 3 of the Australian Capital Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1988 made by this Act and the repeal of sections 61, 62 and 63 of the Australian Capital Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1988 and sections 47, 47A, 47B and 47C of the Northern Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1978 effected by this Act commence on 1 July 1991.

(e) The Northern Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1978 was amended by Schedule 4 (item 113) only of the Statute Law Revision Act 1996, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:

(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), this Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

(f) The Northern Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1978 was amended by Schedule 19 (item 34) only of the Workplace Relations and Other Legislation Amendment Act 1996, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:

(1) Subject to this section, this Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

(g) The Workplace Relations and Other Legislation Amendment Act 1996 was amended by Schedule 3 (items 1 and 2) only of the Workplace Relations and Other Legislation Amendment Act (No. 2) 1996, subsection 2(4) of which provides as follows:

(4) The items of Schedule 3 are taken to have commenced immediately after the Workplace Relations and Other Legislation Amendment Act 1996 received the Royal Assent.

The Workplace Relations and Other Legislation Amendment Act 1996 received the Royal Assent on 25 November 1996.

(h) Subsection 2(1) (item 13) of the Fair Work (State Referral and Consequential and Other Amendments) Act 2009 provides as follows:

(1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

Commencement information
Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
Provision(s)	Commencement	Date/Details
13. Schedule 5, items 32 to 64	Immediately after the commencement of Part 2‑4 of the Fair Work Act 2009.	1 July 2009 (see F2009L02563)

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted am. = amended rep. = repealed rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected	How affected
Part III
Division 1
Ss. 7, 8................................	am. No. 130, 1982; No. 73, 2008
S. 9......................................	am. No. 73, 2008
S. 11....................................	am. No. 130, 1982
Division 2
S. 13....................................	am. No. 73, 2008
S. 14....................................	am. Nos. 46 and 120, 1984
S. 16....................................	am. No. 73, 2008
S. 18....................................	am. No. 73, 2008
S. 19....................................	am. No. 130, 1982
S. 20....................................	am. No. 65, 1985; No. 73, 2008
S. 21....................................	am. No. 130, 1982; No. 65, 1985; No. 73, 2008
Division 3
S. 22....................................	am. No. 73, 2008
Ss. 24-26............................	am. No. 73, 2008
Ss. 28, 29............................	am. No. 73, 2008
Part IV
Ss. 32, 33............................	am. No. 73, 2008
Ss. 37, 38............................	am. No. 73, 2008
S. 39....................................	rep. No. 65, 1985
S. 40....................................	am. No. 130, 1982; No. 73, 2008
Ss. 41, 42............................	am. No. 73, 2008
Part V
S. 46....................................	rs. No. 76, 1986
S. 47....................................	am. No. 130, 1982
	rs. No. 76, 1986
	rep. No. 33, 1991
Ss. 47A-47C.......................	ad. No. 76, 1986
	rep. No. 33, 1991
Part VI
S. 50A.................................	ad. No. 17, 1997
S. 52....................................	rep. No. 137, 2000
Heading to s. 53..................	am. No. 60, 1996; No. 54, 2009
S. 53....................................	rs. No. 87, 1988
	am. No. 60, 1996; SLI 2006 No. 50 ; No. 54, 2009
Note to s. 53(6)...................	ad. No. 54, 2009
S. 54....................................	am. No. 43, 1996
Part VII
Ss. 57, 58............................	am. No. 73, 2008
S. 62....................................	rep. No. 130, 1982
S. 65....................................	am. No. 73, 2008
S. 70....................................	am. No. 130, 1982; No. 10, 1984; No. 21, 1989; No. 7, 1999
S. 71....................................	am. No. 130, 1982

Table A

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Euthanasia Laws Act 1997 (No. 17, 1997)

Schedule 1

2 Application

For the avoidance of doubt, the enactment of the Legislative Assembly called the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995 has no force or effect as a law of the Territory, except as regards the lawfulness or validity of anything done in accordance therewith prior to the commencement of this Act.

Criminal Code Amendment (Theft, Fraud, Bribery and Related Offences) Act 2000 (No. 137, 2000)

Schedule 2

418 Transitional--pre‑commencement offences

(1) Despite the amendment or repeal of a provision by this Schedule, that provision continues to apply, after the commencement of this item, in relation to:

(a) an offence committed before the commencement of this item; or

(b) proceedings for an offence alleged to have been committed before the commencement of this item; or

as if the amendment or repeal had not been made.

(2) Subitem (1) does not limit the operation of section 8 of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901.

419 Transitional--pre‑commencement notices

If:

(a) a provision in force immediately before the commencement of this item required that a notice set out the effect of one or more other provisions; and

(b) any or all of those other provisions are repealed by this Schedule; and

the amendment of the first‑mentioned provision by this Schedule does not affect the validity of such a notice that was given before the commencement of this item.

Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

NORTHERN TERRITORY (SELF-GOVERNMENT) ACT 1978 - NOTES