Northern Territory Consolidated Acts Northern Territory Consolidated Acts(1) The Minister may appoint a licensed surveyor to act as the Surveyor-General:
(a) during a vacancy in the office of Surveyor-General, whether or not an appointment has previously been made to the office; or
(b) during a period, or during all
periods, when the
Surveyor-General is absent from duty or from the Territory
or is, for any reason, unable to perform the functions of his or her office,
but a person appointed to act during a vacancy shall not continue so to act for a period in excess of 12 months.
(2) The appointment of a person under subsection (1) may be expressed to have effect only in such circumstances as are specified in the instrument of appointment.
(3) Where a person is acting as the Surveyor-General in accordance with this section and the office of Surveyor-General becomes vacant while that person is so acting then, subject to subsection (2), that person may continue so to act until the Minister otherwise directs, the vacancy is filled or a period of 12 months from the date on which the vacancy occurred expires, whichever first occurs.
(4) The Minister may, at any time, terminate the appointment of a person appointed to act in accordance with this section.
(5) The appointment of a person under this section ceases to have effect if he or she resigns his or her appointment by writing signed by him or her and delivered to the Minister.
(6) The validity of anything done by a person purporting to act under subsection (1) shall not be called in question on the ground that the occasion for his or her appointment had not arisen, that there is a defect or irregularity in or in connection with his or her appointment, that the appointment had ceased to have effect or that the occasion for him or her to act had not arisen or had ceased.