Dear LG Focus:Legislation amending the northern territory local government act
Change is forthcoming with the Northern Territory government successfully amending the Northern Territory Local Government Act to allow the Minister for Local Government to issue restructuring orders to do with regional and remote councils. The power to issue these orders expires on 1 January 2016.
The Minister is expected to issue the first orders in the new year, which will see an increase in the number of councils in the Northern Territory from the current 16. All councils affected are being subjected to financial sustainability assessments. The Local Government Association of the Northern Territory (LGANT) has put a budget submission to the government for the 2014/15 financial year which calls for increases in the grants paid to councils.
Transition committees will be established to provide advice to the Minister and to bring the restructuring orders into effect. The new councils are expected to commence operations from 1 July 2014 and it is likely there will be a sharing of resources amongst them.
LGANT is a partner in this reform and will be working closely with the government to bring about the successful creation and operation of new councils.
Yours sincerely
Mayor Damien Ryan,
LGANT President
