APN Codex · Planning Rules
Northern Territory — Roper Gulf
The Rules That Govern Property in Roper Gulf
Instruments
37
Local Plan
3
NT
34
As At
17 Sep 2026
1Overview
The use, development, sale, lease and taxation of land in Roper Gulf are governed by the 37 instruments listed here: 3 local planning instruments and 34 Territory Acts, regulations and planning instruments. Each entry records the version in force, a plain-English description and a link to the official text.
Commonwealth laws that apply across Australia, including the Building Code and foreign investment rules, are listed on the national page →
Every instrument is checked against its official publisher each month, and a new version is recorded when it takes effect. Descriptions are APN’s own and are not legal advice; the official version of each instrument prevails.
2The Local Plans
Borroloola Area Plan · Current edition
Provides the framework for orderly township growth in Borroloola under the Northern Territory Planning Scheme by identifying areas for suitably located and compatible uses. Its map shows residential, commercial, community, industrial, and recreation and natural use areas, a town centre precinct, cultural exclusion areas and airstrip constraint areas.
Ngukurr Area Plan · Current edition
Sets out an area plan for Ngukurr under the Northern Territory Planning Scheme, allocating land to residential, community, commercial, industrial and utilities uses, with town centre and education precincts, so the township grows in an orderly way. It maps cultural exclusion areas, water and sewerage service constraints and land that may be inundated, and identifies sites for future housing once facilities such as the power station and health centre close.
Numbulwar Area Plan · Current edition
Sets out an area plan for Numbulwar under the Northern Territory Planning Scheme, allocating land to residential, community, commercial, industrial, recreation and natural, and utilities uses so the township grows in an orderly way. It maps development constraint areas and land that may be inundated, and provides for a town centre precinct mixing residential, community, commercial and open space uses once the site has been rehabilitated.
Area plans and land use plans operate under the NT Planning Scheme 2020. Zone maps are not listed here; the Northern Territory's planning website shows the zoning that applies to a particular parcel.
3Latest Versions
4 of the 37 instruments have a version that took effect in the 90 days to 17 September 2026. They are:
- 14 September 2026: Northern Territory Planning Scheme 2020. Official →
- 1 July 2026: Local Government Act 2019. Official →
- 1 July 2026: Local Government (General) Regulations 2021. Official →
- 30 June 2026: Planning Regulations 2000. Official →
4Planning and Development
| Instrument | Level | Type | In Force From | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crown Lands Act 1992Regulates the administration and disposal of Crown land in the Northern Territory. It empowers the Minister to grant estates in fee simple and leases over Crown land, provides for agreements to grant such interests, reversion of certain land, methods of disposal and notice of available land, and allows entry onto land, delegation, and the prescription, waiver and refund of fees. | NT | Act | 25 May 2023 | Official → |
| Planning Act 1999Establishes the Northern Territory system for the orderly planning, use and development of land. Its objectives include applying strategic planning to planning schemes and individual decisions, reflecting community needs through public consultation, keeping the system clear and accessible, and promoting sustainable development and responsible use of land and water resources. It provides for the Northern Territory Planning Scheme and other planning schemes, and defines consent authorities and subdivision. | NT | Act | 10 Feb 2026 | Official → |
| Northern Territory Planning Scheme 2020Establishes the planning scheme for the Northern Territory, setting out when development consent is required and how the Consent Authority exercises discretion. It contains a strategic framework of planning policies and land use plans, overlays addressing matters such as native vegetation clearing, flooding, storm surge and land near airports, and zones with assessment tables covering residential, rural and other land uses. | NT | Planning Scheme | 14 Sep 2026 | Official → |
| Crown Lands Regulations 1992Makes regulations supporting the Crown Lands Act in the Northern Territory. They deal with the leasing of Crown land, including land that stays open for lease after advertisement, when a lease takes effect, lease covenants, payment for improvements and surrender. They also cover licences and estates in fee simple, and prescribe the conditions that attach to licences and to classes of licences. | NT | Regulation | 10 Feb 2026 | Official → |
| Planning Regulations 2000Supports the Northern Territory planning legislation by prescribing subdivisions and consolidations exempt from planning control, identifying residential zones, and setting requirements for exceptional development permit decisions, electronic and concurrent applications, reports for prescribed classes of application, and public notice of applications. It also deals with developer contributions, creates infringement notice offences with set penalties, and provides transitional arrangements for later amendments. | NT | Regulation | 30 Jun 2026 | Official → |
| NT Compact Urban Growth PolicyEstablishes Northern Territory policy for compact urban growth, setting performance criteria against which higher density residential proposals are assessed. Its accessibility criteria favour proposals within easy walking distance of activity centres, public transport, open space and community facilities, served by direct and safe walking and cycling routes. Where key performance indicators are not met, an area plan may be required to show the policy objectives are still achieved. | NT | Strategic Planning Policy | Current edition | Official → |
5Building and Construction
| Instrument | Level | Type | In Force From | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Act 1993Provides for technical building standards in the Northern Territory, the registration of building practitioners and certifiers, building permits and occupancy certification, and an appeals process for building matters. Its objects include raising building standards, supporting national uniform standards and product accreditation, protecting the safety, health and amenity of building users, promoting environmentally efficient buildings and resolving building disputes. It establishes the Director of Building Control, a Building Advisory Committee and a Building Practitioners Board. | NT | Act | 10 Feb 2026 | Official → |
| Building (RBI and Fidelity Fund Schemes) Regulations 2012Regulates authorised RBI policies and fidelity fund schemes that provide cover for residential building work in the Northern Territory. It sets what policies must contain and how claims are made, prescribes approval criteria for fidelity fund schemes covering trust deeds, trustees, scheme and financial management and builder contributions, and governs fidelity certificates, including their issue, the losses and common property they cover, excesses and claims. It also sets prudential standards for approved schemes, including audit and actuarial requirements, and deals with transitional matters. | NT | Regulation | 30 Mar 2026 | Official → |
| Building (Resolution of Residential Building Work Disputes) Regulations 2012Sets out how disputes about residential building work in the Northern Territory are resolved. It governs applications to the Commissioner for mediation or conciliation and for consumer guarantee disputes, including acceptance, negotiated agreements and technical inspections and reports, and provides for proceedings before the Tribunal and referrals to it. It also deals with enforcing decisions and the consequences of contraventions, defines consumer guarantees, their effective period and structural and non-structural defects, and lists application fees and reviewable decisions. | NT | Regulation | 30 Mar 2026 | Official → |
| Building Regulations 1993Supports the Northern Territory building control framework by adopting the Building Code of Australia as the building standard and setting disability access standards, building permit requirements, independent review of significant and complex buildings, inspections and occupancy certification, reliance on certificates and protection of adjoining property. It also deals with enforcement, appeals, siting, relocation of approved dwellings, registration of building practitioners and contractors, residential building contracts, owner-builders and prescribed fees. | NT | Regulation | 30 Mar 2026 | Official → |
6Buying, Selling and Title
| Instrument | Level | Type | In Force From | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Land Title Act 2000Consolidates and reforms the law governing the registration of land and interests in land in the Northern Territory. It aims to simplify title and land dealings, define the rights of those holding interests in registered land and the powers of the Registrar-General, maintain the land register with the aid of information technology, and improve access to information about land and property transactions. | NT | Act | 1 Aug 2025 | Official → |
| Law of Property Act 2000Consolidates, amends and reforms Northern Territory law on conveyancing, property and contract. It sets general rules affecting property, including requirements for conveyances of land and certain other instruments to be in writing, the reservation of easements in conveyances, the creation of interests in land by parol, and the position of persons who take under an instrument without being parties to it. | NT | Act | 2 Jan 2024 | Official → |
| Land Title Regulations 2000Sets out supporting requirements for the Northern Territory land titles system. It prescribes the form of a certificate as to title and the persons, such as owners, mortgagees and caveators, whose written consent is needed to register unit title scheme statements and to terminate unit title schemes and developments. It also provides for new scheme statements for member schemes, the preservation of interests in common property, plans of termination, cancellation of particulars in the land register and verification of identity. | NT | Regulation | 1 Aug 2025 | Official → |
7Renting and Residential Communities
| Instrument | Level | Type | In Force From | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Tenancies Act 1999Regulates the relationship between landlords and tenants under residential tenancy agreements in the Northern Territory. It sets out which agreements the Act covers and how exemptions operate, establishes the Commissioner of Tenancies, deals with vicarious liability and the establishing of domestic violence experience, and renders void any arrangement that seeks to exclude or limit the operation of the Act. | NT | Act | 1 Aug 2025 | Official → |
| Residential Tenancies Regulations 2000Supports the Northern Territory residential tenancies legislation by excluding certain boarders, lodgers and a named residence from the Act, and by allowing the Commissioner to issue infringement notices for listed offences, with payment expiating the offence. It lists occupations whose members may certify domestic violence, and prescribes the standard tenancy agreement, the content of a notice to remedy a breach, and forms. | NT | Regulation | 2 Jan 2024 | Official → |
8Strata and Community Title
| Instrument | Level | Type | In Force From | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit Title Schemes Act 2009Provides for the formation and operation of unit title schemes in the Northern Territory. It sets out what a scheme statement must contain, including descriptions of the units and common property, entitlement schedules and any staged development, and establishes a body corporate with powers to hold and deal with property, engage people, invest money and take legal action. | NT | Act | 27 Nov 2023 | Official → |
| Unit Titles Act 1975Provides for the subdivision of land into units and common property in the Northern Territory. It sets out how subdivision proposals are prepared, what documents and diagrams they must include, and how they are approved, including conditional approval, and establishes voting methods and types of resolution for decisions made by the corporation. | NT | Act | 27 Nov 2023 | Official → |
| Unit Title Schemes (General Provisions and Transitional Matters) Regulations 2009Makes general provisions for Northern Territory unit title schemes, covering changes to scheme statements, the information a statement must contain for schemes developed in stages, seller disclosure obligations, and the approval and registration of modified management modules and review of by-laws. Transitional provisions let a corporation convert an existing units plan or building development plan into a scheme and govern schemes formed from developments begun before commencement. | NT | Regulation | 23 Oct 2019 | Official → |
| Unit Title Schemes (Management Modules) Regulations 2009Sets out management modules for administering unit title schemes in the Northern Territory, allowing a scheme statement to nominate a module, defining when a dispute arises, and providing for module changes and related offences. The scheduled modules, including one for a standard scheme, deal with body corporate decisions and interim resolutions, the committee's constitution, meetings and powers, general meetings and voting, exclusive use by-laws, special levies, and financial, record and administrative matters. | NT | Regulation | 12 May 2023 | Official → |
| Unit Titles (Management Modules) Regulations 2009Provides management modules governing how unit title corporations in the Northern Territory operate, with provision for changing modules and related offences. Separate modules for standard and small plans cover corporation decisions and interim resolutions, the constitution, meetings and powers of the committee, general meetings and voting, financial and record management, administrative matters, and codes of conduct for committee members and managers. | NT | Regulation | 12 Apr 2017 | Official → |
| Unit Titles Regulations 2002Supports the Northern Territory unit titles legislation by prescribing forms and the process for adding land to or removing land from a parcel, including supporting plans, planning consent, council notification and adjustment of contributions. It sets a prescribed warning for condominium development and requirements for building development plans, disclosure statements and lot entitlement schedules, and deals with management corporations, special privileges over common property, a model dispute resolution procedure and transitional matters. | NT | Regulation | 27 Nov 2023 | Official → |
9Land Tax, Duties and Valuation
| Instrument | Level | Type | In Force From | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stamp Duty Act 1978Imposes stamp duty in the Northern Territory and sets out how liability for duty arises and is assessed. It defines key concepts such as dutiable and unencumbered value, change in control of a corporation and exempt entities, addresses tax avoidance schemes and the surrender and merger of property, and governs the lodgement of instruments and the rate of duty. | NT | Act | 1 Jul 2025 | Official → |
| Taxation Administration Act 2007Provides a common framework for administering and enforcing Northern Territory taxation laws, each of which is read together with it as a single Act. It establishes the office of Commissioner of Territory Revenue, provides for acting and deputy commissioners, staff and contractors, and sets out the Commissioner's role and functions, including legal proceedings brought in the Commissioner's name. | NT | Act | 1 Jul 2024 | Official → |
10Heritage and Environment
| Instrument | Level | Type | In Force From | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environment Protection Act 2019Establishes the Northern Territory framework for protecting the environment through environmental impact assessment, environmental approval and the environmental licensing of mining activities. Its objects include promoting ecologically sustainable development, enabling community participation in assessment, approval and licensing processes, and recognising a role for Aboriginal people. It also imposes general obligations on operators, workers and contractors to take care of the environment and creates related environmental offences. | NT | Act | 5 Jun 2026 | Official → |
| Heritage Act 2011Provides for conserving the Northern Territory's cultural and natural heritage. It does so by declaring heritage places and objects and protected classes of them, establishing the Heritage Council, enabling heritage agreements, regulating work affecting heritage places and objects, and creating offences with enforcement powers. | NT | Act | 13 Sep 2025 | Official → |
| Environment Protection Regulations 2020Supports Northern Territory environment protection legislation. It provides for declaring environmental objectives, referral triggers and protected areas, referral of proposed actions and strategic proposals, and impact assessment by supplementary report, environmental impact statement or inquiry, including health, social and cultural assessment and significant variations. It also covers mining activities, bonds and mining securities, registering environmental auditors and practitioners, protection notices, chain of responsibility, incident reporting, infringement notices and offsets. | NT | Regulation | 5 Jun 2026 | Official → |
| Heritage Regulations 2012Declares certain minor work on a heritage place or object to be exempt work under the Heritage Act in the Northern Territory. The exemption covers conservation work done by or for the owner that does not harm heritage significance, such as routine maintenance or cleaning that avoids damage to existing fabric and the repair or replacement of services. | NT | Regulation | 1 Oct 2012 | Official → |
11Natural Hazards and Fire
| Instrument | Level | Type | In Force From | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bushfires Management Act 2016Provides for mitigating, managing and suppressing bushfires in the Northern Territory in order to protect life, property and the environment. It sets out the Minister's role, including the obligation to consider advice from the Council, and establishes the functions of Bushfires NT. | NT | Act | 27 Nov 2023 | Official → |
| Fire and Emergency Act 1996Establishes the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service and governs its operational and emergency response functions, with the aim of protecting life, property and the environment from fires and other emergencies. It provides for a Commissioner and Chief Officer, allows the Minister to declare emergency response areas, and provides for fire and emergency response groups. | NT | Act | 10 Feb 2025 | Official → |
| Bushfires Management (General) Regulations 2017Establishes an infringement notice scheme for offences under the Bushfires Management Act in the Northern Territory. It identifies the offences and amounts payable, and sets out when a notice may be issued, what it must contain, how payment may be made and how a notice may be withdrawn. | NT | Regulation | 2 Mar 2018 | Official → |
12Real Estate Agents
| Instrument | Level | Type | In Force From | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agents Licensing Act 1979Provides for licensing certain agents in the Northern Territory, including real estate and business agents, and for registering the representatives who act for them. It constitutes the Agents Licensing Board, which also serves the Auctioneers Act, provides for a Registrar, deputy registrars and inspectors, and deals with trust money. | NT | Act | 10 Feb 2026 | Official → |
| Agents Licensing Regulations 1979Supports the Northern Territory licensing scheme for real estate, business and conveyancing agents. It lists the testimonials, identity documents and police certificates for licence and registration applications, provides for audits of trust money records and exemptions from audit and indemnity insurance requirements, and prescribes fees. It also names the bodies to be consulted on rules of conduct, sets rules of conduct with additional rules for conveyancing agents, sets a trust money scheme for corporation and body corporate managers, and provides for infringement notices. | NT | Regulation | 10 Feb 2026 | Official → |
13Local Government
| Instrument | Level | Type | In Force From | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Government Act 2019Provides for and regulates the system of local government in the Northern Territory. It sets out the principles on which that system operates, recognises the rights and interests of Aboriginal traditional owners, requires council policies to align with the code of conduct, and applies the Criminal Code to offences under the Act. | NT | Act | 1 Jul 2026 | Official → |
| Local Government (General) Regulations 2021Sets out financial and administrative requirements for Northern Territory councils. It covers general instructions on accounting, accounting records, budgets and long-term financial plans, annual reports and financial statements, authorised expenditure, assets, rates, debts, quotations and tenders, and information to be made public. It also deals with minutes and records, urban farm land, permanent road closures and the prescribed code of conduct, and provides for a municipal parking rate in Central Darwin, including usage schedules, calculation, levying, rebates and exemptions. | NT | Regulation | 1 Jul 2026 | Official → |
Links lead to each instrument's official publisher.
