PLACE NAMES ACT 1967

NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA PLACE NAMES ACT 1967 As in force at 13 September 2025 Table of provisions 1 Short title ......................................................................................... 1 2 Commencement .............................................................................. 1 3 Repeal and saving ........................................................................... 1 4 Definitions ........................................................................................ 1 4A Meaning of place ............................................................................. 2 5 Place Names Committee ................................................................. 2 6 Acting Chairperson .......................................................................... 3 7 Term of appointment ....................................................................... 3 7A Deputies of members ...................................................................... 3 9 Committee's reports and recommendations .................................... 3 10 Meetings of Committee .................................................................... 5 11 Powers of Minister ........................................................................... 5 11A Delegation ....................................................................................... 6 11B Register ........................................................................................... 6 11C Naming of place............................................................................... 7 11D Notification of naming of place......................................................... 7 12 Regulations...................................................................................... 7 13 Transitional matters for Place Names Amendment Act 2004 .......... 7 ENDNOTES -- 1 of 12 -- -- 2 of 12 -- NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA ____________________ As in force at 13 September 2025 ____________________ PLACE NAMES ACT 1967 An Act relating to the naming of places 1 Short title This Act may be cited as the Place Names Act 1967. 2 Commencement This Act shall come into operation on a date to be fixed by the Administrator by notice in the Gazette. 3 Repeal and saving (1) The Nomenclature (Public Places) Ordinance 1945 and the Nomenclature (Public Places) Ordinance 1966 are repealed. (2) Notwithstanding the repeal effected by subsection (1), where, by virtue of section 5 of the Nomenclature (Public Places) Ordinance 1945, a public place was, immediately prior to the commencement of this Act, known by a particular name, that public place shall continue to be known by that name unless and until the name of that public place is altered as provided by this Act. 4 Definitions In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears: member means a member of the Committee. place has the meaning in section 4A. Surveyor-General means the Surveyor-General for the Northern Territory appointed under the Licensed Surveyors Act 1983. the Committee means the Place Names Committee for the Northern Territory established under this Act. -- 3 of 12 -- Place Names Act 1967 2 4A Meaning of place (1) A place includes: (a) a geographic or topographic feature (whether or not covered by water); and (b) a county, hundred, town, community, suburb or locality within a town or a site for a town; and (c) a highway, road, street, lane, trail or thoroughfare that is open to or used by the public; and (d) a park, garden, reserve, recreation or sporting ground that is open to or used by the public; and (e) a public cemetery as defined in the Burial and Cremation Act 2022; and (f) public infrastructure associated with transport facilities, educational institutions, medical institutions or nursing homes; and (g) a place, structure or building that is or may be of public or historic interest. (2) A place does not include: (a) a division within the meaning of the Electoral Act 2004; or (b) a local government area or a ward; or (c) a place that is given or that may be given a name under another law in force in the Territory. 5 Place Names Committee (1) For the purposes of this Act, there is to be a Place Names Committee for the Northern Territory. (2) The Committee is to consist of at least 4 and no more than 6 members. (3) The Minister, in writing, may appoint: (a) at least 2 persons to be members, and may appoint one of those persons to be the Chairperson of the Committee; and (b) one person to be a member from among 3 persons nominated by the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory. -- 4 of 12 -- Place Names Act 1967 3 (4) The Surveyor-General is to be a member of the Committee. 6 Acting Chairperson When the office of Chairperson is vacant or in the event of the absence, illness or other incapacity of the Chairperson, the Surveyor-General shall have the powers, exercise the functions and perform the duties of the Chairperson. 7 Term of appointment (1) Subject to subsection (2), a member (other than the Surveyor- General) holds office for the period, not exceeding 4 years, specified in the instrument of appointment and is eligible for reappointment. (2) The appointment of a member (other than the Surveyor-General) may be terminated at any time by the Minister by written notice given to the member. (3) A member (other than the Surveyor-General) may resign from office by written notice given to the Minister. 7A Deputies of members (1) A member (other than the Chairperson or the Surveyor-General) may by writing under his or her hand appoint a person to be his or her deputy for the purpose of attending a specified meeting of the Committee. (2) A person appointed under subsection (1) has, at the meeting in respect of which he or she is appointed, but not otherwise, all the powers and functions of the member of whom he or she is the deputy but shall not preside at the meeting. (3) An appointment under subsection (1) is revocable by writing served on the deputy before the time fixed for the meeting in respect of which the deputy is appointed but if not so revoked prevents the member making the appointment from exercising his powers and performing his functions in person at the meeting. 9 Committee's reports and recommendations (1) Subject to this section, the Committee may, from time to time as occasion requires, make reports to the Minister containing recommendations in relation to the naming of or the altering of the name of a place. -- 5 of 12 -- Place Names Act 1967 4 (1A) Before making a report under subsection (1), the Committee must request the following persons seek the views of interested persons and provide a report to the Committee of those views: (a) if a person requested the naming or altering of the name of a place – the person; (b) any other person the Committee considers appropriate. (1AB) However, the Committee may on its own initiative, seek the views of interested persons. (1B) The Committee must not make a recommendation under subsection (1) in relation to naming or altering the name of: (a) a road, street, lane, trail or thoroughfare that is not vested in the Territory or a local government council – unless the owner of the road, street, lane, trail or thoroughfare agrees to the recommendation being made; or (b) a building – unless the owner of the building agrees to the recommendation being made. (2) The Committee shall forward to the Minister with each report under subsection (1) any communications and particulars of any representations received by it in relation to the naming of or the altering of the name of a place to which the report relates. (3) A reference in this section to the altering of the name of a place shall be read as including a reference to the substitution of another name for the name of the place. (4) In this section: interested persons include the following: (a) if the report relates to a place within a local government area – the local government council established for the area; (b) if the report relates to a place outside a local government area – the Land Council, within the meaning of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 (Cth), established in respect of the area where the place is located; (c) if the report relates to a place within an area covered by an agreement with the Territory that includes provisions relating to the naming of places – the organisation required under the agreement to be consulted with in respect of the naming of the place; -- 6 of 12 -- Place Names Act 1967 5 (d) if the report relates to the naming of land – the owner or developer of the land; (e) the family or descendants of a person proposed to be commemorated through the naming of a place. 10 Meetings of Committee (1) The Chairperson of the Committee: (a) may convene a meeting of the Committee at any time on the Chairperson's own initiative; and (b) must convene a meeting of the Committee when requested to do so by the Minister. (1A) Subject to this Act, the Committee is to determine the procedures to be followed at or in connection with its meetings. (2) At a meeting of the Committee: (a) the Chairperson must preside; and (b) 2 members form a quorum; and (c) all questions must be decided by a majority of votes of the members present and voting; and (d) the Chairperson has a deliberative vote and, in the event of an equality of votes, also has a casting vote. 11 Powers of Minister (1A) The Minister may, in relation to the naming of or the alteration of the name of a place, direct the Committee to consider certain names or recommend specific names, and the Committee shall make recommendations thereon in accordance with section 9. (1) Upon receiving a report under section 9, the Minister may: (a) approve, either without alteration or subject to such alteration as he or she thinks fit, any recommendation contained in the report; (b) reject any recommendation contained in the report; or (c) return the report to the Committee for further consideration and the submission of another report under that section. (2) The Minister must notify the Committee of a recommendation approved under subsection (1). -- 7 of 12 -- Place Names Act 1967 6 11A Delegation (1) The Minister may, in writing, delegate to the Chairperson of the Committee or the Surveyor-General the Minister's powers under sections 11(1)(a) and (2) and 11D(1). (2) A person who is delegated the Minister's power under section 11(1)(a) may only exercise the power where a report of the Committee under section 9 recommends: (a) changes to the boundaries or geographical description of a place that has been named under this Act; or (b) the naming of an extension to a highway, road, street, lane, trail or thoroughfare that has been named under this Act; or (c) the naming or altering of the name of an Aboriginal community when the request has been made by an organisation representing the community; or (d) the naming or altering of the name of a place appearing on map sheets and charts of the Territory the name for which has been in general use in the community for at least 10 years; or (e) the naming or altering of the name of a geographic or topographic feature the name for which has been commonly used by the community or landowner in the area of the feature for at least 10 years; or (f) the altering of the road type part of the name of a highway, road, street, lane, trail or thoroughfare that has been named under this Act. Example for subsection (2)(a) Altering the location of a road named under this Act if the boundaries of the road change after it is named. Example for subsection (2)(f) Altering Godfrey Court to Godfrey Circuit. 11B Register (1) The Committee must establish a register. (2) The register may be kept in any form the Committee determines. (3) The Committee must record in the register a name approved under section 11 as soon as practicable after being notified under section 11(2). -- 8 of 12 -- Place Names Act 1967 7 (4) The Committee must ensure that the register is able to be inspected by the public. 11C Naming of place The name approved for a place under section 11 is the name of the place from the date the name is recorded in the register kept under section 11B. 11D Notification of naming of place (1) The Minister may publish in the Gazette a notice of the naming of a place. (2) The Committee may develop guidelines as to which categories of places should be notified under subsection (1). 12 Regulations The Administrator may make regulations, not inconsistent with this Act, prescribing all matters which by this Act are required or permitted to be prescribed, or which are necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to this Act. 13 Transitional matters for Place Names Amendment Act 2004 On the commencement of the Place Names Amendment Act 2004, the name given a place under this Act is taken to have been recorded in the register kept under section 11B. -- 9 of 12 -- ENDNOTES Place Names Act 1967 8 ENDNOTES 1 KEY Key to abbreviations amd = amended od = order app = appendix om = omitted bl = by-law pt = Part ch = Chapter r = regulation/rule cl = clause rem = remainder div = Division renum = renumbered exp = expires/expired rep = repealed f = forms s = section Gaz = Gazette sch = Schedule hdg = heading sdiv = Subdivision ins = inserted SL = Subordinate Legislation lt = long title sub = substituted nc = not commenced 2 LIST OF LEGISLATION Place Names Ordinance 1967 (Act No. 38, 1967) Assent date 8 September 1967 Commenced 22 November 1967 (Gaz No. 56, 22 November 1967) Place Names Ordinance 1973 (Act No. 6, 1973) Assent date 13 March 1973 Commenced 11 October 1973 (Gaz No. 40, 4 October 1973) Ordinances Revision Ordinance 1973 (Act No. 87, 1973) Assent date 11 December 1973 Commenced 11 December 1973 (s 12(2)) Amending Legislation Ordinances Revision Ordinance 1974 (Act No. 34, 1974) Assent date 26 August 1974 Commenced 11 December 1973 (s 3(2)) Ordinances Revision Ordinance (No. 2) 1974 (Act No. 69, 1974) Assent date 24 October 1974 Commenced 11 December 1973 (s 3) Ordinances Revision Ordinance 1976 (Act No. 27, 1976) Assent date 28 June 1976 Commenced ss 1, 2 and 6: 28 June 1976 (s 6(2)); ss 3 and 4: 11 December 1973; s 5: 24 October 1974 Transfer of Powers (Further Provisions) Ordinance 1977 (Act No. 51, 1977) Assent date 9 December 1977 Commenced 1 January 1978 (s 2) -- 10 of 12 -- ENDNOTES Place Names Act 1967 9 Transfer of Powers (Self-Government) Ordinance 1978 (Act No. 54, 1978) Assent date 1 July 1978 Commenced 1 July 1978 (s 2) Statute Law Revision Act 1978 (Act No. 95, 1978) Assent date 5 September 1978 Commenced 5 September 1978 Remuneration (Statutory Bodies) Act 1979 (Act No. 9, 1980) Assent date 14 January 1980 Commenced 8 February 1980 (Gaz G6, 8 February 1980, p 6) Statute Law Revision Act (No. 4) 1981 (Act No. 4, 1982) Assent date 12 February 1982 Commenced 12 February 1982 Place Names Amendment Act 1983 (Act No. 55, 1983) Assent date 8 November 1983 Commenced 8 November 1983 Local Government (Consequential Amendments) Act 1993 (Act No. 84, 1993) Assent date 31 December 1993 Commenced 1 June 1994 (s 2, s 2 Local Government Act 1993 (Act No. 83, 1993) and Gaz S35, 20 May 1994) Place Names Amendment Act 2004 (Act No. 70, 2004) Assent date 21 December 2004 Commenced 7 September 2005 (Gaz G36, 7 September 2005, p 3) Local Government (Consequential Amendments) Act 2008 (Act No. 28, 2008) Assent date 14 November 2008 Commenced 1 July 2008 (s 2) Local Government Amendment Act 2014 (Act No. 19, 2014) Assent date 2 June 2014 Commenced s 16: 1 July 2014; s 18: 1 December 2014; rem: 2 June 2014 (s 2) Statute Law Amendment (Territory Economic Reconstruction) Act 2021 (Act No. 19, 2021) Assent date 31 August 2021 Commenced pt 6: 2 October 2021; rem: 29 September 2021 (Gaz G39, 29 September 2021, p 1) Statute Law Amendment (Territory Economic Reconstruction) Act 2022 (Act No. 5, 2022) Assent date 14 April 2022 Commenced pt 7: nc; rem: 25 May 2022 (Gaz G21, 25 May 2022, p 1) Burial and Cremation Act 2022 (Act No. 16, 2022) Assent date 9 August 2022 Commenced 28 November 2022 (Gaz , 2022, p 1) Statute Law Revision Act 2023 (Act No. 4, 2023) Assent date 2 March 2023 Commenced 3 March 2023 (s 2) -- 11 of 12 -- ENDNOTES Place Names Act 1967 10 Local Government and Place Names Amendment Act 2024 (Act No. 2, 2024) Assent date 1 March 2024 Commenced 2 March 2024 (s 2) Lands, Planning and Environment Legislation Amendment Act 2025 (Act No. 25, 2025) Assent date 12 September 2025 Commenced pt 6: nc; rem: 13 September 2025 (s 2(1)) 3 GENERAL AMENDMENTS General amendments of a formal nature (which are not referred to in the table of amendments to this reprint) are made by the Ordinances Revision Ordinance 1973 (Act No. 87, 1973) (as amended) to: ss 3, 4, 5, 7, 10 and 11. 4 GENERAL AMENDMENTS General amendments of a formal nature (which are not referred to in the table of amendments to this reprint) are made by the Interpretation Legislation Amendment Act 2018 (Act No. 22, 2018) to: ss 1, 3, 4 and 4A. 5 LIST OF AMENDMENTS lt amd No. 4, 1982, s 3; No. 70, 2004, s 10 ss 1 – 3 amd No. 4, 1982, s 3 s 4 amd No. 6, 1973, s 4; No. 4, 1982, s 3; No. 55, 1983, s 3; No. 84, 1993, s 6; No. 70, 2004, s 4; No. 28, 2008, s 3; No. 19, 2014, s 26 s 4A ins No. 70, 2004, s 5 amd No. 28, 2008, s 3; No. 19, 2014, s 26; No. 16, 2022, s 222 s 5 amd No. 51, 1977, s 3; No. 54, 1978, s 3; No. 4, 1982, s 3 sub No. 55, 1983, s 4 amd No. 70, 2004, s 10; No. 25, 2025, s 26 s 7 amd No. 51, 1977, s 3; No. 54, 1978, s 4; No. 4, 1982, s 3 sub No. 55, 1983, s 5 amd No. 70, 2004, s 10; No. 2, 2024, s 6 s 7A ins No. 55, 1983, s 5 amd No. 70, 2004, s 10 s 8 rep No. 9, 1980, s 6 s 9 amd No. 6, 1973, s 5; No. 51, 1977, s 3; No. 54, 1978, s 3; No. 55, 1983, s 6; No. 84, 1993, s 6; No. 70, 2004, ss 6 and 10; No. 19, 2014, s 26; No. 5, 2022, s 110 s 10 amd No. 51, 1977, s 3; No. 54, 1978, s 3; No. 4, 1982, s 3; No. 55, 1983, s 7; No. 70, 2004, s 10; No. 19, 2021, s 86; No. 2, 2024, s 7 s 11 amd No. 51, 1977, s 3; No. 54, 1978, s 3; No. 4, 1982, s 3; No. 55, 1983, s 8; No. 70, 2004, ss 7 and 10 s 11A ins No. 70, 2004, s 8 amd No. 19, 2021, s 87; No. 4, 2023, s 23 ss 11B – 11D ins No. 70, 2004, s 8 s 12 amd No. 95, 1978, s 4; No. 4, 1982, s 3 s 13 ins No. 70, 2004, s 9 -- 12 of 12 --