{"id":"crown-lands-recreation-reserve-regulations-1938","name":"CROWN LANDS (RECREATION RESERVE) REGULATIONS 1938","slug":"crown-lands-recreation-reserve-regulations-1938","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"nt","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":174642,"registerId":"nt-crown-lands-recreation-reserve-regulations-1938-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"CROWN LANDS (RECREATION RESERVE) REGULATIONS 1938","content":"NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA\nCROWN LANDS (RECREATION RESERVE) REGULATIONS 1938\nAs in force at 1 October 1985\nTable of provisions\n1 Citation ............................................................................................ 1\n2 Definitions ........................................................................................ 1\n3 Meetings of Trustees ....................................................................... 1\n4 Affixing of seal ................................................................................. 1\n5 Trustees to report to Minister ........................................................... 2\n6 Trustees to keep accounts............................................................... 2\n7 Expenditure on improvements ......................................................... 2\n8 Closing of reserve at certain times .................................................. 2\n9 Power to charge for admission ........................................................ 3\n10 Fences ............................................................................................. 3\n11 Unauthorized erections prohibited ................................................... 3\n12 Erections to be kept in repair ........................................................... 3\n13 Reserve to be kept clean ................................................................. 3\n14 Service of notices ............................................................................ 3\n15 Power of trustee to remove offensive persons................................. 4\n16 Damage to seats, trees or other property prohibited ....................... 4\n17 Fires or nuisances prohibited........................................................... 4\n18 Trespassing in certain parts prohibited ............................................ 5\n19 Camping prohibited ......................................................................... 5\n20 Playing of games prohibited in certain parts .................................... 5\n21 Unauthorized meetings prohibited ................................................... 5\n22 Erection of tents or poles prohibited ................................................ 5\n23 Sale of articles prohibited ................................................................ 5\n24 Grazing of stock............................................................................... 5\n25 Persons reasonably suspected to give name and address.............. 6\n26 Penalty ............................................................................................ 6\nENDNOTES\n\n\n\nNORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA\n____________________\nAs in force at 1 October 1985\n____________________\nCROWN LANDS (RECREATION RESERVE) REGULATIONS 1938\nRegulations under the Crown Lands Act 1992\n1 Citation\nThese Regulations may be cited as the Crown Lands (Recreation\nReserve) Regulations 1938.\n2 Definitions\nIn this Regulations, unless the contrary intention appears:\nmeeting includes agricultural or pastoral show, exhibition, athletic\nsports, race meeting or other entertainment.\nreserve means any lands reserved for the recreation or\namusement of the public or for any other public purpose.\nthe Ordinance means the Crown Lands Ordinance 1931-1935.\ntrustees means trustees appointed under section 103C of the\nOrdinance.\n3 Meetings of Trustees\nThe Trustees of any reserve shall once at least in each period of\n4 months meet together for the despatch of business affecting such\nreserve and shall regulate their meetings and proceedings as they\nthink fit and for this purpose 2 trustees shall constitute a quorum,\nunless or until all the trustees otherwise determine.\n4 Affixing of seal\nThe seal of the trustees of any reserve shall not be affixed to any\ninstrument except by the authority of a resolution of the trustees\nand in the presence of at least 2 trustees who shall sign every\ninstrument to which the seal shall be so affixed in their presence.\n\nCrown Lands (Recreation Reserve) Regulations 1938 2\n5 Trustees to report to Minister\nThe trustees of any reserve shall, at such times as the Minister\ndirects, report to the Minister upon the management of the reserve\nand upon such matters in connection therewith as the Minister\nspecifies.\n6 Trustees to keep accounts\nThe trustees of any reserve shall keep books of account showing all\nrevenue received from or in connection with the reserve and all\nmoneys expended in the maintenance of or otherwise in connection\nwith the reserve and shall permit any person authorized by the\nAdministrator to inspect such books and to audit the accounts\nrelating to the reserve.\n7 Expenditure on improvements\n(1) The trustees of any reserve shall expend in and about the\nimproving of the reserve and the buildings thereon or the\nrepayment of principal or interest in connection with moneys\nborrowed for building on or improving the reserve or otherwise in\nrelation thereto, such sums of money as they deem necessary.\n(2) Within one month after the end of the financial year ending on\n30 June the trustees of a reserve shall furnish to the Minister an\naudited statement of their receipts and expenditure for that financial\nyear.\n8 Closing of reserve at certain times\nA reserve shall be open to the public on all days except:\n(a) a day or portion of a day on or during which the Administrator,\nby notice published in the Gazette, declares that the reserve\nshall not be open to the public; and\n(b) a day or portion of a day on or during which the trustees, by\nnotice of the Gazette, declare that the reserve shall not be\nopen to the public;\nProvided:\n(i) that the days the trustees may direct the reserve shall\nnot be open to the public shall not exceed 28 in any\none year; and\n(ii) that the trustees may not at any time direct that the\nreserve shall not be open to the public on more\nconsecutive days than 3.\n\nCrown Lands (Recreation Reserve) Regulations 1938 3\n9 Power to charge for admission\n(1) The trustees of any reserve may, on any day or portion of a day on\nor during which the reserve is not open to the public, make a\ncharge, approved by the Administrator, for admission to the reserve\nwhile it is not so open, and may exclude any person who does not\npay the amount charged.\n(2) The trustees of any reserve may grant to any person the exclusive\nright to occupy and use for a meeting the reserve or any portion\nthereof on any day or portion of a day on or during which the\nreserve is not open to the public on such terms as the trustees think\nfit, and the person to whom the right is granted may make a charge,\napproved by the Administrator, for admission to the reserve during\nsuch time as the person continues to have the right, and may\nexclude any person who does not pay the amount charged.\n10 Fences\nThe trustees of any reserve shall erect such fence or fences on or\non the boundary of the reserve as the Administrator, after\nconsultation with the trustees, directs.\n11 Unauthorized erections prohibited\nThe trustees of any reserve shall not, without the consent in writing\nof the Administrator, erect any building or other erection on the\nreserve or make any structural alteration to any building or other\nerection on the reserve.\n12 Erections to be kept in repair\nThe trustees of any reserve shall keep all buildings, erections,\nfixtures, fences and other improvements on the reserve in good and\ntenantable repair.\n13 Reserve to be kept clean\nThe trustees of any reserve shall keep the reserve clean, tidy and\nfree from debris, dry herbage, rubbish and other unsightly or\noffensive matter.\n14 Service of notices\nAny notice or document addressed to the trustees of any reserve in\ntheir corporate name and delivered to or served on or posted to the\naddress of any of the trustees of the reserve shall be deemed to\nhave been delivered to or served on or posted to the trustees.\n\nCrown Lands (Recreation Reserve) Regulations 1938 4\n15 Power of trustee to remove offensive persons\nAny trustee of a reserve or any servant of the trustee thereof may\nremove from the reserve any person, who in the reserve:\n(a) is intoxicated;\n(b) behaves in an offensive, abusive or indecent manner; or\n(c) uses indecent, profane, obscene or insulting language.\n16 Damage to seats, trees or other property prohibited\nAny person who:\n(a) without lawful excuse (proof whereof shall lie upon him)\ninterferes with, damages or destroys any tree, shrub, flower,\nplant, grass, notice, placard, seat, gate, post, fence, tank, tap,\npipe, building or other erection upon or bounding a reserve or\nany property of the Commonwealth or the trustees in a\nreserve; or\n(b) without lawful authority (proof whereof shall lie upon him) cuts\nor makes any name, letter or mark on or affixes any bill,\npaper, document or notice to any tree, seat, gate, post, fence,\nbuilding or other erection in a reserve or otherwise defaces\nany such tree, seat, gate post, fence, building or other\nerection,\nshall be guilty of an offence.\n17 Fires or nuisances prohibited\nAny person who:\n(a) lights any fire in any reserve except in a place specially\nprovided therefor in the reserve by the trustees thereof;\n(b) leaves any paper, fruit peel, litter, waste food or refuse of any\nkind in any reserve except in a place specially provided\ntherefor by the trustees thereof;\n(c) without lawful authority (proof whereof shall lie upon him)\nplays upon any instrument or discharges firearms or fireworks\nin a reserve; or\n(d) brings any dog into a reserve, unless the dog is held by a\nchain or cord,\nshall be guilty of an offence.\n\nCrown Lands (Recreation Reserve) Regulations 1938 5\n18 Trespassing in certain parts prohibited\nAny person who, without lawful excuse (proof whereof shall lie upon\nhim),:\n(a) enters or goes upon any portion of a reserve as to which any\nnotice is posted or exhibited that admittance is prohibited; or\n(b) takes any vehicle or rides any horse into any portion of a\nreserve except a portion specially provided in the reserve by\nthe trustees thereof,\nshall be guilty of an offence.\n19 Camping prohibited\nAny person who, without lawful authority (proof whereof shall lie\nupon him), camps on a reserve shall be guilty of an offence.\n20 Playing of games prohibited in certain parts\nA person shall not play or take part in any game of cricket or\nfootball or any other game or athletic sports in a reserve, except in\nsuch portions thereof as the trustees set apart for the purpose, and\nexcept on such conditions as the trustees direct.\n21 Unauthorized meetings prohibited\nA person shall not, without the permission in writing of the trustees\n(proof whereof shall lie upon him), hold or take part in any public\nassembly or meeting of any kind, or preach at or address any such\npublic assembly or meeting in a reserve.\n22 Erection of tents or poles prohibited\nA person shall not, without the consent in writing of the trustees\n(proof whereof shall lie upon him), erect tents, booths, stalls, posts\nor poles on a reserve.\n23 Sale of articles prohibited\nA person shall not, without the consent in writing of the trustees\n(proof whereof shall lie upon him), offer any article for sale in a\nreserve.\n24 Grazing of stock\nA person shall not, without the consent in writing of the trustees\n(proof whereof shall lie upon him), allow any horse, mare, gelding,\ncolt, filly, ass, mule, bull, cow, ox, heifer, steer, calf, sheep, ram,\n\nCrown Lands (Recreation Reserve) Regulations 1938 6\newe, lamb, goat, pig, or camel to graze in any reserve, or take into\nor permit any such animal to enter any such reserve for the purpose\nof grazing.\n25 Persons reasonably suspected to give name and address\n(1) A member of the Police Force or any person thereto authorized in\nwriting by the trustees of any reserve may require any person\nreasonably suspected of having committed or being about to\ncommit an offence against these Regulations to give his name in\nfull and place of abode.\n(2) Any person who, after being so required and on production of the\nnecessary authority, refuses or fails to give his real name or place\nof abode shall be guilty of an offence.\n26 Penalty\nAny person who commits an offence against or contravenes any\nprovision of these Regulations shall be liable to a penalty not\nexceeding $20.\n\nENDNOTES\nCrown Lands (Recreation Reserve) Regulations 1938 7\nENDNOTES\n1 KEY\nKey to abbreviations\namd = amended od = order\napp = appendix om = omitted\nbl = by-law pt = Part\nch = Chapter r = regulation/rule\ncl = clause rem = remainder\ndiv = Division renum = renumbered\nexp = expires/expired rep = repealed\nf = forms s = section\nGaz = Gazette sch = Schedule\nhdg = heading sdiv = Subdivision\nins = inserted SL = Subordinate Legislation\nlt = long title sub = substituted\nnc = not commenced\n2 LIST OF LEGISLATION\nCrown Lands (Recreation Reserve) Regulations (SL No. –, 1938)\nNotified 21 April 1938\nCommenced 21 April 1938 (Cth Gaz, 21 April 1938)\nAmendment of the Crown Lands (Recreation Reserve) Regulations (SL No. 5, 1965)\nNotified 12 May 1965\nCommenced 12 May 1965\nAmendment of the Crown Lands (Recreation Reserve) Regulations (SL No. 10, 1965)\nNotified 23 June 1965\nCommenced 23 June 1965\nOrdinances Revision Ordinance 1973 (Act No. 87, 1973)\nAssent date 11 December 1973\nCommenced 11 December 1973\nStatute Law Revision Act 1985 (Act No. 49, 1985)\nAssent date 1 October 1985\nCommenced 1 October 1985\n3 GENERAL AMENDMENTS\nGeneral amendments of a formal nature (which are not referred to in the table\nof amendments to this reprint) are made by the Interpretation Legislation\nAmendment Act 2018 (Act No. 22, 2018) to: r 1.\n\nENDNOTES\nCrown Lands (Recreation Reserve) Regulations 1938 8\n4 LIST OF AMENDMENTS\nr 2 amd Act No. 49, 1985, s 3(6)\nrr 3 – 4 amd Act No. 87, 1973, s 11\nr 7 amd No. 5, 1965; Act No. 87, 1973, s 11\nr 8 amd Act No. 87, 1973, s 11\nr 26 amd Act No. 87, 1973, s 11","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Based on the available information, there is no clear indication that the scope has materially changed from its original intent of regulating the use and management of Crown land recreation reserves. The 1985 commencement likely reflects a reprint or administrative update rather than a substantive change in purpose."},"complexity_factors":["Split administration between two government agencies creates potential confusion about which department has authority over specific matters","The legislation is very old (1938) and may contain outdated language or references","Limited metadata provided makes it difficult to assess the full scope and content of the regulations","The relationship between the 1938 original and the 1985 commencement date suggests amendment history that adds interpretive complexity"],"plain_english_summary":"These regulations govern how Crown land set aside as public recreation reserves is to be managed and used, applying to visitors, managers and government bodies involved with those parks and public recreation areas. They matter because they set the legal rules for permissible uses and management responsibilities across agencies — primarily the Department of Lands, Planning and Environment, with one section administered by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Community Development."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains focused on its original purpose: regulating the management of Crown land recreation reserves and public conduct within them. The 1985 reprint shows only minor amendments (updating terminology and the maximum penalty), with no expansion into new areas of regulation."},"complexity_factors":["Short document — only 26 regulations spanning 6 pages","Minimal defined terms — only 4 definitions in section 2 ('meeting', 'reserve', 'the Ordinance', 'trustees')","Simple structure — sequential numbering with no Parts, Divisions, or Schedules","Limited cross-referencing — only references to 'the Ordinance' (Crown Lands Ordinance 1931-1935) and section 103C","Straightforward conditional logic — mostly simple prohibitions ('A person shall not...') with standard exception clauses ('without lawful authority')","No nested exceptions or complex provisos — the most complex condition is the 28-day/3-day limit on reserve closures in regulation 8","Clear penalty structure — single flat penalty in regulation 26"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this legislation does:**\n\nThese regulations set the rules for how **recreation reserves** (public parks and similar spaces) on Crown land in the Northern Territory are managed and used. Crown land is land owned by the government (\"the Crown\").\n\n**Who it affects:**\n\n- **Trustees**: People appointed to manage a specific reserve. They must meet regularly, keep proper accounts, maintain fences and buildings, and report to the Minister.\n- **The general public**: Anyone visiting the reserve must follow rules about behaviour, fires, camping, games, and animals.\n- **Police and authorised persons**: They can ask suspected rule-breakers for their name and address.\n\n**Key rules:**\n\n**For Trustees (the managers):**\n- Must meet at least every 4 months\n- Must keep financial records and report to the Minister\n- Can close the reserve for up to 28 days per year (but never more than 3 days in a row)\n- Can charge admission when the reserve is closed for special events\n- Must maintain fences, buildings, and keep the place clean\n- Need written permission from the Administrator (the senior government official) to build new structures\n\n**For the public:**\n- **Don't damage anything** — trees, seats, fences, signs, etc.\n- **No fires** except in designated areas\n- **No littering** — use the bins provided\n- **No camping** without permission\n- **No dogs** unless on a leash\n- **No ball games** (cricket, football, etc.) except in designated areas\n- **No meetings, preaching, selling goods, or erecting tents** without written permission from trustees\n- **No grazing animals** (horses, cattle, sheep, camels, etc.) without permission\n- **No entering restricted areas** or taking vehicles/horses into non-designated areas\n- **Behave properly** — trustees can remove intoxicated or offensive people\n\n**Penalties:**\nBreaking these rules can result in a fine of up to **$20** (the amount set in 1938 and updated over time).\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThese regulations ensure public parks are safe, clean, and available for everyone to enjoy, while giving trustees clear authority to manage the space and deal with troublemakers. It's essentially the rulebook for how public recreational spaces operate in the Northern Territory."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Regulations continue to regulate management, permitted uses and offences on recreation reserves. The endnotes record formal and targeted amendments to particular regulations (see list of amendments) but the core scope—trustees' duties, controls on access and behaviour, and penalties for breaches—remains the same and is not broadened or narrowed in a way evident from the text supplied."},"complexity_factors":["Clear operational focus on governance and conduct rather than complex legal rights or transfers — primarily duties and offences (many provisions short and prescriptive).","Multiple administrative duties and oversight: trustees must report to the Minister and supply audited accounts (r 5, r 6, r 7(2)) — creates routine compliance burden on trustees.","Discretion concentrated in designated officials: Administrator approves closures, charges, fences and consents for buildings; trustees have local discretion over meetings, exclusions and permitted activities (r 4, r 8, r 9, r 10, r 11).","Numerous offence categories with proof-onus clauses and modest pecuniary penalty — proof of lawful excuse or authority lies on defendant in many rules (r 16, r 17, r 18, r 21–r 24, r 26).","Cross-reference to a governing Ordinance for trustee appointments and statutory basis (definitions refer to the Crown Lands Ordinance 1931–1935), adding a contextual link to other legislation (r 2).","Low substantive legal complexity but moderate administrative complexity for small trustee bodies (meeting/quorum rules r 3; maintenance and repair obligations r 12–r 13).","Enforcement role for police or persons authorised by trustees to require identity details (r 25) — creates interface between private trusteeship and public law-enforcement powers."],"plain_english_summary":"These Regulations set how trustees must run and protect public recreation reserves: holding meetings, keeping accounts, maintaining grounds, controlling access (including temporary closures and paid events), and prosecuting offences (littering, damage, unauthorized sales, camping, etc.). They affect trustees, reserve users and authorised police, with trustees bearing upkeep and compliance costs and the Administrator and trustees exercising approval and closure powers. The rules matter because they allocate who decides, who pays, and what behaviour is prohibited in public reserves."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/crown-lands-recreation-reserve-regulations-1938","history":"/api/acts/crown-lands-recreation-reserve-regulations-1938/history","analysis":"/api/acts/crown-lands-recreation-reserve-regulations-1938/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/crown-lands-recreation-reserve-regulations-1938/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/crown-lands-recreation-reserve-regulations-1938/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/crown-lands-recreation-reserve-regulations-1938/documents"}}