{"id":"pastoral-land-regulations-1992","name":"PASTORAL LAND REGULATIONS 1992","slug":"pastoral-land-regulations-1992","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"nt","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":177085,"registerId":"nt-pastoral-land-regulations-1992-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"PASTORAL LAND REGULATIONS 1992","content":"NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA\nPASTORAL LAND REGULATIONS 1992\nAs in force at 23 May 2025\nTable of provisions\nPart 1 Preliminary matters\n1 Citation ............................................................................................ 1\n2 Commencement .............................................................................. 1\nPart 2 Proceedings of Board\n3 Chairperson to notify time and place of meetings of Board ............. 1\n4 Communications with members of Board ........................................ 1\n5 Interruption of proceedings of Board ............................................... 2\nPart 3 Pastoral leases\n6 Standard lease provision ................................................................. 2\n7 Insurance of improvements ............................................................. 2\n8 Surrender of leases ......................................................................... 3\n9 Lodging of surrender with Registrar-General................................... 3\n10 Amendment of plan where lease partly surrendered ....................... 3\n11 Disposal of stock removed from pastoral land otherwise than\nby or on behalf of lessee ................................................................. 3\n12 Rent notices .................................................................................... 3\n12A Rate of interest for late payment ..................................................... 4\nPart 4 Pastoral land monitoring\n13 Monitoring sites ............................................................................... 4\nPart 5 Access to pastoral land\n14 Regulation of persons on pastoral land etc. under Part 6 of\nAct ................................................................................................... 4\n15 Cost of restoration and compensation ............................................. 5\nPart 6 Licence to go onto and take certain things\nfrom pastoral land\n16 Application to be licensed under section 84 of Act .......................... 5\n17 Entry by licensee onto pastoral land ................................................ 6\n18 Period for which person licensed ..................................................... 6\n19 Production of notice ......................................................................... 6\n\nPastoral Land Regulations 1992 ii\n20 Employment of labour on land in respect of which person\nlicensed ........................................................................................... 6\n21 Returns in relation to material taken ................................................ 7\n22 Royalties .......................................................................................... 7\n23 Refusal of licence when royalty or rate fixed ................................... 7\n24 Minister may revoke notice to licensee ............................................ 7\nPart 8 Miscellaneous matters\n28 Records to be kept .......................................................................... 8\n29 Interest on debts due and payable to territory ................................. 8\n30 Board to notify reasons.................................................................... 8\n31 Prescribed purposes under section 68(5) of the Act ....................... 9\nENDNOTES\n\nNORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA\n____________________\nAs in force at 23 May 2025\n____________________\nPASTORAL LAND REGULATIONS 1992\nRegulations under the Pastoral Land Act 1992\nPart 1 Preliminary matters\n1 Citation\nThese Regulations may be cited as the Pastoral Land\nRegulations 1992.\n2 Commencement\nThese Regulations shall come into operation on the\ncommencement of the Pastoral Land Act 1992.\nPart 2 Proceedings of Board\n3 Chairperson to notify time and place of meetings of Board\n(1) Subject to subregulation (2), the Chairperson must give not less\nthan 14 days notice of the time and place fixed for a meeting of the\nBoard to an applicant or other person entitled to appear, or required\nto give evidence, at the meeting.\n(2) If the parties to a matter to be dealt with at a meeting of the Board\nagree, the notice required by subregulation (1) to be given may be\nreduced to that to which they have agreed.\n4 Communications with members of Board\nA person must not, before or after a meeting of the Board,\ncommunicate with a member of the Board with a view to influencing\na recommendation or decision of the Board.\nMaximum penalty: 40 penalty units\n\nPart 3 Pastoral leases\nPastoral Land Regulations 1992 2\n5 Interruption of proceedings of Board\nA person must not interrupt the proceedings of the Board or cause\na disturbance in a place where the Board is meeting.\nMaximum penalty: 15 penalty units\nPart 3 Pastoral leases\n6 Standard lease provision\nIn every pastoral lease, unless otherwise provided in the lease,\nstock includes beef cattle, buffaloes, horses, donkeys, mules or\ncamels which are not in a feral state.\n7 Insurance of improvements\n(1) Where the lessee is allowed to pay for the right to the grant of a\npastoral lease with improvements by instalments, the lessee must,\nfrom and including the day of commencement of the lease insure,\nand keep insured, against destruction or damage by fire, storm,\nflood or other event, for their full insurable value, all such\nimprovements which are susceptible to such destruction or\ndamage.\n(2) The insurance is to be in the joint names of the lessee and the\nTerritory.\n(3) The lessee must forward to the Minister a copy of the policy of\nevery such insurance within one month after it is issued.\n(4) The lessee must forward to the Minister the receipts for the\npremiums payable in respect of the policy within one month after\nthey are due and payable.\n(5) If the lessee fails to comply with a provision of this regulation, the\nMinister may insure the improvements as required of the lessee by\nthis regulation.\n(6) Moneys equal to the amount expended by the Minister under\nsubregulation (5), with interest at the rate mentioned in\nregulation 29 but computed from the time of expending the\nmoneys, are to be paid by the lessee, on demand, to the Minister\nand may be recovered as a debt due and payable by the lessee to\nthe Territory.\n(7) All moneys received under the insurance policy must be applied\ntowards reinstating the improvements in respect of which the\ninsurance is received or otherwise as approved by the Minister.\n\nPart 3 Pastoral leases\nPastoral Land Regulations 1992 3\n8 Surrender of leases\nThe surrender of a lease or part of a lease must be in a form\napproved by the Minister and must be forwarded to the Minister for\nacceptance by the Minister.\n9 Lodging of surrender with Registrar-General\nOn acceptance of the surrender of a lease or part of a lease, the\nMinister must lodge the instrument of surrender with the Registrar-\nGeneral.\n10 Amendment of plan where lease partly surrendered\nWhere a lease has been partly surrendered, the Minister must\ncause a new plan to be prepared delineating the amended\nboundaries of the leased land and lodge the amended plan with the\nRegistrar-General with the instrument of partial surrender.\n11 Disposal of stock removed from pastoral land otherwise than\nby or on behalf of lessee\n(1) Where the Minister has, under section 42(1) of the Act, caused\nstock to be removed from pastoral land, the stock must be\ndisposed of in accordance with a contract entered into by the\nMinister for its removal or on the open market by tender, auction or\nprivate treaty, and a person so acquiring the stock has good title to\nit free of encumbrance.\n(2) The proceeds of the disposal of stock under section 42(3) of the\nAct are to be applied first, in meeting the expenses of its sale; and\nthen in meeting the expenses incurred by the Minister in the work of\ndestocking (including the reasonable costs incurred in transporting,\nholding and feeding the stock), with any amount remaining after the\ndischarge of any registered mortgage of the stock being paid to the\nlessee.\n12 Rent notices\nIn addition to the matters prescribed in section 56(1)(a) and (b) of\nthe Act, the notice under that section must:\n(a) contain a description of the pastoral land to which it relates by\nreference to its portion number, pastoral lease number and\ntitle; and\n(b) show the estimated carrying capacity determined under\nsection 54 of the Act.\n\nPart 5 Access to pastoral land\nPastoral Land Regulations 1992 4\n12A Rate of interest for late payment\n(1) For section 57(1) of the Act, the rate of interest is the statutory\ninterest rate as in force from time to time.\n(2) In this regulation:\nstatutory interest rate has the meaning given to it under\nsection 35(1) of the Taxation Administration Act 2007.\nPart 4 Pastoral land monitoring\n13 Monitoring sites\nFor section 75 of the Act, a monitoring site must be marked by a\nmarker of steel or other durable material protruding above the\nsurface of the ground so as to be clearly visible, to which is\nattached a tag bearing the words \"Monitoring Site marker ....\nRemoval is an offence\", or to that effect.\nPart 5 Access to pastoral land\n14 Regulation of persons on pastoral land etc. under Part 6 of Act\n(1) A person on pastoral land under Part 6 of the Act, or on or in\nperennial natural waters mentioned in section 79(1) of the Act,\nmust not:\n(a) wilfully or negligently destroy or damage property of the\nlessee or other person on the land or on or in the water; or\n(b) knowingly unreasonably interfere with the operation of the\npastoral enterprise; or\n(c) leave a gate on the land otherwise than as he or she found it;\nor\n(d) use a firearm as defined in section 3(1) of the Firearms\nAct 1997, on the land (or on the water so as to deliberately or\nnegligently cause its projectile to pass over or impact with the\npastoral land or anything on the pastoral land), except with the\npermission of the pastoral lessee or in the exercise of a right\nor power under any other law in force in the Territory; or\n(e) light a fire otherwise than in a constructed fireplace or on an\narea so cleared as to ensure that the fire does not escape or\nleave such a fire unattended if it is not extinguished; or\n\nPart 6 Licence to go onto and take certain things from pastoral land\nPastoral Land Regulations 1992 5\n(f) drive a motor vehicle (including a motor-cycle) in a place or\nmanner likely to damage an access route or cause or\ncontribute to soil erosion or other degradation on the land,\nhaving regard to soil and weather conditions and all other\nrelevant considerations; or\n(g) pollute or litter the land or the water; or\n(h) cut or otherwise damage any living plant that is not a declared\nweed, as defined in section 4 of the Weeds Management\nAct 2001, on the land or in the water.\nMaximum penalty: 40 penalty units\n(2) Subregulation (1) does not relieve a person of the obligation to\ncomply with any other law in force in the Territory relating to a\nmatter mentioned in that subregulation.\n15 Cost of restoration and compensation\n(1) In addition to any penalty imposed by a court for an offence against\nregulation 14, the court imposing the penalty may order that the\nperson found guilty of the offence pay to the lessee, the Territory,\nor such other person as the court directs the cost of or likely to be\nincurred by the lessee the Territory or other person in restoring any\ndamage resulting from the guilty person's action and an amount of\ncompensation for the loss.\n(2) A court mentioned in subregulation (1) has the jurisdiction and\npower to assess the amount of damages or compensation.\nPart 6 Licence to go onto and take certain things\nfrom pastoral land\n16 Application to be licensed under section 84 of Act\n(1) An application to the Minister to license a person under section 84\nof the Act must be in writing to the Minister, accompanied by the\nprescribed fee, and set out:\n(a) the full name and address of the applicant; and\n(b) the occupation of the applicant; and\n(c) a description of the area in respect of which the applicant\nwishes to be licensed; and\n(d) the purpose for which he or she wishes to be licensed.\n\nPart 6 Licence to go onto and take certain things from pastoral land\nPastoral Land Regulations 1992 6\n(2) The Minister may, by notice in writing to the applicant, license the\napplicant as requested in the application, refuse to license the\napplicant or return the application to the applicant for amendment\nin such manner as the Minister specifies and license the applicant\nin accordance with the amended form.\n17 Entry by licensee onto pastoral land\n(1) It is a condition subject to which a person is licensed under\nsection 84 of the Act that the person must not enter land in respect\nof which he or she is licensed except for such periods specified in\nthe notice under regulation 16(2), or as subsequently advised in\nwriting by the Minister, as in the opinion of the Minister are\nnecessary to enable the person to exercise the person's right as a\nlicensee.\n(2) Before entering pastoral land, a licensee must give reasonable\nnotice to the pastoral lessee of the licensee's intention to do so and\ncomply with all reasonable requests by the pastoral lessee to\nestablish the licensee's identity and to avoid unnecessary\ninterference with normal pastoral operations on the land.\nMaximum penalty: 4 penalty units.\n18 Period for which person licensed\nSubject to section 84(2) of the Act, a person is licensed for the\nperiod specified in the notice under regulation 16(2).\n19 Production of notice\nWhere the Minister (or the pastoral lessee in pursuance of\nregulation 17(2) or person acting on his or her behalf) requires a\nperson licensed under section 84 of the Act to produce the relevant\nnotice under regulation 16(2) to the Minister, the pastoral lessee or\nthe person on behalf of the pastoral lessee, as the case may be,\nthe licensee must produce the notice accordingly.\nMaximum penalty: 4 penalty units.\n20 Employment of labour on land in respect of which person\nlicensed\n(1) A licensee may issue to a person he or she wishes to employ in the\nexercise of the licensee's rights on the land in respect of which the\nlicensee is licensed, a certificate, in a form approved by the\nMinister, identifying the person.\n(2) A person to whom a certificate under subregulation (1) is issued\nmay enter the relevant land (but only during the periods referred to\n\nPart 6 Licence to go onto and take certain things from pastoral land\nPastoral Land Regulations 1992 7\nin regulation 17(1)) for the purpose of being employed by the\nlicensee in the exercise of the licensee's rights, and these\nregulations apply to and in relation to the certificate and the person\nto whom it is issued as if the certificate were a notice under\nregulation 16(2).\n(3) A certificate under this regulation remains in force for as long only\nas the relevant notice of the Minister under regulation 16(2)\nremains in force.\n21 Returns in relation to material taken\nThe Minister may require a person licensed under section 84 of the\nAct to give to the Minister a return, in such form and at such times\nas the Minister thinks fit which accurately indicates the amount of\nmaterial taken from the land in respect of which the licensee is\nlicensed, and the licensee must comply with the requirement.\nMaximum penalty: 4 penalty units.\n22 Royalties\nThe Minister may determine the amount or rate of a royalty on\nmaterial removed or to be removed from pastoral land in respect of\nwhich a person is or is to be licensed under section 84 of the Act\nand the amount or rate of the royalty, if any, and the time and place\nat which it is to be paid is to be specified in the relevant notice\nunder regulation 16(2), and the licensee must pay the royalty\naccordingly.\n23 Refusal of licence when royalty or rate fixed\nWhere an amount or rate of royalty is determined under\nregulation 22, the licensee may, in writing, advise the Minister that\nthe licensee does not intend to exercise his or her rights as a\nlicensee because the amount or rate of royalty determined is not\nacceptable to the licensee and, on the licensee returning to the\nMinister the relevant notice under regulation 16(2), the Minister\nmust refund to him or her the fee paid at the time of lodging the\napplication to be licensed.\n24 Minister may revoke notice to licensee\n(1) Where a licensee fails:\n(a) to comply with a condition subject to which he or she is\nlicensed; or\n(b) to comply with a requirement of or under the Act or these\nRegulations; or\n\nPart 8 Miscellaneous matters\nPastoral Land Regulations 1992 8\n(c) to pay within the time required a fee or an amount of royalty\nrequired under the Act or these Regulations to be paid;\nthe Minister may, by notice in writing to the licensee specifying the\nfailure, revoke the notice under regulation 16(2).\n(2) Despite subregulation (1), the Minister may, in his or her absolute\ndiscretion revoke a notice of approval under regulation 16(2), but\non so doing, except in a case referred to in subregulation (1) of this\nregulation, the Minister must refund such percentage of the fee\npaid by the licensee under regulation 16(1) as the Minister thinks\nappropriate in the circumstances.\nPart 8 Miscellaneous matters\n28 Records to be kept\nA pastoral lessee must keep, in respect of each area of pastoral\nland held by him or her under a separate pastoral lease, a\ncontinuous record of:\n(a) the stock levels on, and turned off from, the pastoral land; and\n(b) measures taken to control feral animals as directed under\nsection 73 of the Act by the Board.\nMaximum penalty: 15 penalty units.\n29 Interest on debts due and payable to territory\nFor section 124(2) of the Act, interest accrues on an amount from\ntime to time due and payable to the Territory (other than under\nsection 59 of the Act) at the rate of 1% above the Commonwealth\nBank of Australia standard overdraft rate applicable on the first\nworking day of each relevant quarter, commencing one month after\nthe amount first became payable and afterwards on the first\nworking day after each subsequent 1 October, 1 January, 1 April\nand 1 July, as the case may be, with corresponding quarterly rests.\n30 Board to notify reasons\nWhere the Board takes an action or makes a decision that\nadversely affects a lessee and the action or decision may be\nreviewed by the Tribunal under the Act, the Board must, in its\nrelevant report, or notice to the lessee, give its reasons for taking\nthe action or making the decision.\n\nPart 8 Miscellaneous matters\nPastoral Land Regulations 1992 9\n31 Prescribed purposes under section 68(5) of the Act\nThe prescribed purposes under section 68(5) of the Act are as\nfollows:\n(a) generating electrical power on the land and transmitting or\ndistributing electrical power to, from, through or across the\nland;\n(b) supplying or conveying to, through or across the land gas,\nliquid fuels or water or other liquids in such a form as to be\ncapable of conveying energy;\n(ba) establishing and housing facilities, as defined in section 7 of\nthe Telecommunications Act 1997 (Cth), for\ntelecommunications;\n(bb) housing surveying and scientific measurement equipment and\nassociated infrastructure;\n(bc) establishing, housing and operating satellite communications,\ngeoscience, geophysical, geospatial or meteorological\nequipment and associated infrastructure;\n(c) establishing and operating a commercial tourist enterprise;\n(d) keeping and breeding animals (other than stock).\n\nENDNOTES\nPastoral Land Regulations 1992 10\nENDNOTES\n1 KEY Key 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\nPastoral Land Regulations (SL No. 23, 1992)\nNotified 26 June 1992\nCommenced 26 June 1992 (r 2, s 2 Pastoral Land Act 1992 (Act No. 17,\n1992) and Gaz S33, 26 June 1992)\nAmendment of Pastoral Land Regulations (SL No. 21, 1993)\nNotified 11 August 1993\nCommenced 11 August 1993\nAmendment of Pastoral Land Regulations (SL No. 13, 1994)\nNotified 13 May 1994\nCommenced 13 May 1994\nAmendment of Pastoral Land Regulations (SL No. 17, 1999)\nNotified 12 May 1999\nCommenced 12 May 1999\nPastoral Land Amendment Regulations 2011 (SL No. 40, 2011)\nNotified 31 August 2011\nCommenced 31 August 2011\nPenalties Amendment (Miscellaneous) Act 2013 (Act No. 23, 2013)\nAssent date 12 July 2013\nCommenced 28 August 2013 (Gaz G35, 28 August 2013, p 2)\nNorthern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal (Conferral of Jurisdiction\nAmendments) (No. 2) Act 2014 (Act No. 35, 2014)\nAssent date 13 November 2014\nCommenced pts 4, 9, 10 and 19: 1 June 2015 (Gaz S53, 29 May 2015, p 2);\nrem: 1 January 2015 (Gaz G51, 24 December 2014, p 7)\n\nENDNOTES\nPastoral Land Regulations 1992 11\nPastoral Land Legislation Amendment Act 2018 (Act No. 20, 2018)\nAssent date 6 September 2018\nCommenced 26 September 2018 (Gaz S76, 26 September 2018)\nPastoral Land Amendment Regulations 2018 (SL No. 24, 2018)\nNotified 12 December 2018\nCommenced 12 December 2018\nPastoral Land Amendment Regulations 2019 (SL No. 19, 2019)\nNotified 31 July 2019\nCommenced 31 July 2019 (Gaz 31, 31 July 2019)\nStatute Law Revision Act 2020 (Act No. 26, 2020)\nAssent date 19 November 2020\nCommenced 20 November 2020 (s 2)\nAgriculture Legislation Amendment Regulations 2025 (SL No. 4, 2025)\nNotified 22 May 2025\nCommenced 23 May 2025 (r 2)\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: rr 1, 12A and 14.\n4 LIST OF AMENDMENTS\npt 1 hdg amd No. 40, 2011, r 4\nr 3 amd No. 40, 2011, r 4; Act No. 26, 2020, s 3\nrr 4 – 5 amd No. 40, 2011, r 4; Act No. 23, 2013, s 14\nrr 7 – 11 amd No. 40, 2011, r 4\nr 12 amd No. 40, 2011, r 4; Act No. 20, 2018, s 33\nr 12A ins Act No. 20, 2018, s 34\nr 13 amd No. 40, 2011, r 4\nr 14 hdg amd No. 40, 2011, r 4\nr 14 amd No. 40, 2011, r 4; Act No. 23, 2013, s 14\nrr 15 – 16 amd No. 40, 2011, r 4\nr 17 amd No. 40, 2011, r 4; Act No. 23, 2013, s 14\nr 18 amd No. 40, 2011, r 4\nr 19 amd No. 40, 2011, r 4; Act No. 23, 2013, s 14\nr 21 amd No. 40, 2011, r 4\nrr 22 – 24 amd No. 40, 2011, r 4\npt 7 hdg rep Act No. 35, 2014, s 104\nrr 25 – 27 amd No. 40, 2011, r 4\nrep Act No. 35, 2014, s 104\npt 8 hdg amd No. 40, 2011, r 4\nr 28 amd No. 40, 2011, r 4; Act No. 23, 2013, s 14\nr 29 amd No. 40, 2011, r 4\nr 30 amd No. 40, 2011, r 4; Act No. 35, 2014, s 105\nr 31 ins No. 21, 1993\namd No. 13, 1994; No. 17, 1999; No. 40,2011, r 3; No. 4, 2025, r 33\nr 32 ins No. 12, 2018, r 4\nrep No. 19, 2019, r 4","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":5,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The Regulations have been amended repeatedly since first made in 1992, and their scope has been altered and expanded by later instruments and Acts listed in the endnotes. Notable scope changes recorded in the instrument include insertion of a prescribed interest rate provision (regulation 12A added by Pastoral Land Legislation Amendment Act 2018), the addition and later amendments to the list of prescribed purposes (regulation 31 inserted 1993 and amended several times), removal of a former Part 7 (repealed by Act No. 35, 2014), and other formal and substantive amendments noted in the List of amendments and endnotes. These amendments adjust procedural detail, financial mechanisms (interest and royalties), permitted uses (regulation 31) and administrative powers of the Minister and Board, so the current Regulations differ in scope and detail from the original 1992 text (see the endnotes/List of amendments)."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple cross-references to the Pastoral Land Act 1992 and other Acts (e.g. Taxation Administration Act for the statutory interest rate) (regulations 12A, header and many regs referencing Act sections).","Mixed administrative, financial and criminal consequences (licensing/royalty regime, insurance recovery, penalties and court-ordered restoration) (regulations 7, 15, 21–24, 29).","Significant ministerial discretion (insuring on lessee’s behalf and recovering costs, determining royalties, refusing and revoking licences including in absolute discretion) (regulations 7(5)–(6), 22, 16(2), 24(1)–(2)).","Procedural requirements for Board and Tribunal interaction (notice periods, communication prohibitions, requirement to give reasons where decisions are reviewable) creating administrative process detail (regulations 3–4, 30).","Operational compliance obligations for private parties (insurance documentation, record keeping, returns, monitoring-site marking, licence notices and production) spread across many regulations (regulations 7(3)–(4), 13, 16(1), 19, 21, 28).","Varied penalty levels and debt recovery mechanics (penalty units, interest calculation methodology tied to external banking rates) (regulations 4, 5, 14, 29).","Evolving text with multiple amendments over time, requiring attention to historical changes and current consolidated wording (endnotes and List of amendments)."],"plain_english_summary":"# What these Regulations do (plain-English)\n\nThese Regulations spell out detailed, practical rules that implement parts of the Pastoral Land Act 1992. They set how the pastoral land regime operates day-to-day: how the advisory Board runs meetings, what standard lease terms look like, insurance and surrender procedures for leases, how stock removed from land is handled, how rent and late payments are dealt with, how monitoring sites are marked, rules for people entering pastoral land, how licences to take material from pastoral land are applied for and managed, record‑keeping and interest on Territory debts, and a list of \"prescribed purposes\" for certain uses of pastoral land (for example power lines, pipelines, telecommunications and tourism). (See regulations 3–5, 6–12, 12A, 13–24, 28–31.)\n\nMechanically, the instrument does these main things:\n- Requires advance notice of Board meetings (14 days unless parties agree otherwise) and forbids communications intended to influence Board members (regulations 3–4).\n- Sets a default meaning of \"stock\" in pastoral leases (regulation 6).\n- Requires lessees who buy a lease including improvements by instalments to insure those improvements jointly with the Territory, lodge the policy and premium receipts with the Minister, and reimburses the Territory if the Minister has to insure (regulation 7(1)–(7)).\n- Prescribes how lease surrenders are made, lodged and how plans are amended when part of a lease is surrendered (regulations 8–10).\n- Authorises the Minister to sell stock removed from land and prescribes how sale proceeds are applied (regulation 11).\n- Specifies what must be included in rent notices, and sets the rate of statutory interest for late payments by reference to the Taxation Administration Act (regulations 12, 12A).\n- Prescribes how monitoring sites must be marked (regulation 13).\n- Defines what people on pastoral land must not do (for example damage property, interfere with operations, misuse firearms, create fire risks, pollute, damage non‑weed plants) and provides penalties and civil restoration/compensation powers (regulations 14–15).\n- Sets application, notice and fee requirements for licences to go on and take material from pastoral land; allows the Minister to set royalties, require returns and to refuse or revoke licences (regulations 16–24).\n- Requires lessees to keep continuous records of stock levels and feral-animal control measures (regulation 28), and prescribes how interest accrues on Territory debts (regulation 29).\n- Requires the Board to give reasons when taking an action that adversely affects a lessee and is reviewable by the Tribunal (regulation 30).\n- Lists \"prescribed purposes\" for certain uses of pastoral land (regulation 31).\n\nClaim about purpose and testing it against costs, incentives and trade‑offs\n- Explicit purpose in structure: these Regulations provide the operational detail needed to implement the Pastoral Land Act 1992 (they are Regulations made under that Act). The text itself implements administrative, compliance and enforcement mechanisms across several topics (see the regulations cited above).\n\n- Who pays and where costs fall:\n  - Lessees must obtain and maintain insurance on improvements and provide copies of the policy and premium receipts to the Minister (regulation 7(1)–(4)). If the lessee does not comply the Minister may insure and recover the cost plus interest from the lessee (regulation 7(5)–(6)).\n  - License applicants pay a prescribed fee when applying to be licensed under section 84 (regulation 16(1)).\n  - Licensees must pay any royalty the Minister determines for material removed from land; the royalty amount, timing and place for payment may be specified in the licence notice (regulation 22).\n  - A person found guilty of an offence under the access rules may be ordered to pay the cost of restoring damage and compensation (regulation 15(1)–(2)).\n  - Amounts due to the Territory accrue interest at a defined rate (regulation 29).\n\n- Incentives and behavioural effects created by the Regulations:\n  - The financial consequence of the Minister insuring on a lessee’s behalf (recoverable with interest) incentivises lessees to maintain required insurance (regulation 7(5)–(6)).\n  - Licence fees, possible royalties and the Minister’s ability to set the royalty rate may influence whether third parties choose to exercise licence rights or decline them and seek a refund (regulations 16(1), 22–23).\n  - Recordkeeping requirements and return obligations create ongoing administrative obligations for lessees and licensees (regulations 21, 28).\n\n- Trade‑offs and opportunity costs visible in the text:\n  - The Minister’s power to determine royalties and to refuse or revoke licences (regulations 22, 16(2), 24) creates administrative control but also introduces uncertainty for prospective licensees about commercial terms.\n  - Prohibitions on conduct by persons on pastoral land (regulation 14) protect pastoral operations but restrict some forms of access and activity; licence conditions further limit entry times and require prior notice to the lessee (regulation 17).\n\n- Implementation risk and administrative discretion:\n  - The Minister has multiple discretionary powers (for example, to insure on behalf of a lessee and recover costs (regulation 7(5)–(6)); to determine royalties and specify payment terms (regulation 22); and to revoke licences in \"absolute discretion\" with discretionary refunding (regulation 24(2))). Those provisions create scope for administrative decision‑making that will affect costs to private parties.\n  - The Board’s procedural obligations (notice of meetings in regulation 3; and the requirement to give reasons where a decision adversely affects a lessee (regulation 30)) impose transparency requirements on the Board but leave other procedural details to the Board’s practice.\n\n- Compliance burden on private parties:\n  - Lessees: insurance obligations and proof to the Minister (regulation 7), recordkeeping of stock and feral animal control (regulation 28), and obligations to notify and cooperate when licencees enter (regulation 17).\n  - Licensees: application form and fee (regulation 16(1)), compliance with licence conditions including restricted entry periods (regulation 17), producing notice on request (regulation 19), providing returns of material removed (regulation 21), and paying royalties where set (regulation 22).\n\n- Effects on private enterprise and choice:\n  - The licence and royalty regime governs who can take material from pastoral land and on what financial terms (regulations 16, 21–23).\n  - Prescribed purposes listed in regulation 31 identify activities for which particular arrangements under the Act may be used (for example electricity transmission, pipelines, telecommunications infrastructure, commercial tourism and animal breeding). Those purposes define categories of permitted or contemplated uses that interact with lessee rights under the Act.\n\nConcise statement of mechanics, who decides and who pays\n- Who decides: the Minister (insuring, licensing, setting royalties, revoking licences) and the Board (meeting procedures and decisions affecting lessees) are the main decision‑makers under these Regulations (regulations 3, 7, 16, 22, 24, 30).\n- Who pays: lessees for insurance and for amounts the Minister expends on their behalf (regulation 7); licensees for application fees and any royalties set (regulations 16(1), 22); persons ordered by a court to pay restoration or compensation (regulation 15).\n- Behavioural change required: lessees must procure and evidence insurance, maintain records and accept certain land uses specified in the Regulations; licensees must apply, pay fees/royalties (if set), give returns and follow entry conditions.\n\nPractical note on enforcement and remedies\n- The Regulations set monetary penalties for specified offences (for example, communication with Board members (regulation 4), interrupting Board proceedings (regulation 5), breaches of access rules (regulation 14)). They also provide civil remedies — courts may order restoration costs and compensation (regulation 15) and the Minister may recover expenses as a debt (regulation 7(6)).\n\nOverall: these Regulations supply the administrative detail, compliance obligations and enforcement tools required to apply sections of the Pastoral Land Act 1992. They allocate financial obligations mainly to lessees and licensees by imposing insurance, fee, record‑keeping and royalty obligations, while giving the Minister and the Board discretion to administer licences, insurance recovery and approvals (see the regulations cited above)."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The original 1992 regulations appear to have been primarily concerned with pastoral lease administration and basic access rules. However, the legislation has expanded significantly to cover modern infrastructure needs. Regulation 31 (prescribed purposes for entry onto pastoral land) has been amended multiple times (1993, 1994, 1999, 2011, 2025) to add telecommunications facilities, satellite communications, geoscience equipment, and meteorological infrastructure. This reflects a shift from purely agricultural land management to multi-use land management accommodating mining, energy, and telecommunications industries. Additionally, the repeal of Part 7 (which previously dealt with appeals to the Mining Warden) and replacement with references to the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal shows adaptation to broader administrative law reforms."},"complexity_factors":["Moderate length (31 regulations plus endnotes) but many parts are procedural rather than substantive","Cross-references to the Pastoral Land Act 1992 throughout (e.g., 'section 84 of the Act', 'section 42(1) of the Act') requiring dual reading","Multiple penalty provisions with varying amounts (4, 15, and 40 penalty units) creating a tiered offence structure","Conditional logic in licensing provisions (regulations 16-24) with multiple steps: application → Minister decision → conditions → revocation → refunds","Nested definitions: 'statutory interest rate' defined by reference to the Taxation Administration Act 2007 (regulation 12A)","Some outdated or awkward drafting (e.g., 'he or she' throughout, subregulation numbering that skips from 24 to 28 suggesting historical amendments)","Part 7 has been repealed entirely (as noted in endnotes), creating a gap in numbering that could confuse readers","Regulation 29 contains complex interest calculation mechanics with quarterly rests and variable rates tied to commercial banking rates"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this legislation does:**\n\nThese regulations set out the practical rules for managing pastoral land (large cattle stations and grazing properties) in the Northern Territory. They work alongside the Pastoral Land Act 1992 to govern how leases operate, how people can access the land, and what happens when things go wrong.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n\n- **Pastoral lessees** (people or companies holding leases over grazing land)\n- **The Pastoral Land Board** (the body that oversees these leases)\n- **People wanting access to pastoral land** for tourism, mining, scientific research, or taking natural materials like sand or gravel\n- **The general public** who might cross or use pastoral land\n\n**Key things covered:**\n\n- **Board meetings:** Rules about how the Pastoral Land Board must give notice of meetings (at least 14 days) and a ban on trying to influence Board members outside official meetings (penalty: 40 penalty units)\n\n- **Lease conditions:** \n  - Defines what counts as \"stock\" (cattle, buffalo, horses, donkeys, mules, camels that aren't wild)\n  - Requires lessees to insure any buildings or improvements against fire, flood, etc., with the Territory named on the policy\n  - Sets rules for surrendering (giving back) leases or parts of leases\n\n- **Rent and debts:** \n  - Rent notices must show the land's \"carrying capacity\" (how many animals it can support)\n  - Late rent attracts interest at the statutory rate\n  - Other debts to the Territory attract interest at 1% above the Commonwealth Bank overdraft rate\n\n- **Access rules:** People on pastoral land must not:\n  - Damage property or interfere with farming operations\n  - Leave gates open\n  - Use firearms without permission\n  - Light fires carelessly\n  - Drive in ways that cause erosion\n  - Damage native plants\n  *(Maximum penalty: 40 penalty units)*\n\n- **Licences to take materials:** People wanting to extract sand, gravel, or other materials need a licence from the Minister, must pay royalties, keep records, and give notice before entering the land\n\n- **Records:** Lessees must keep continuous records of stock numbers and feral animal control measures\n\n- **Infrastructure:** The regulations specifically allow for power lines, gas pipelines, telecommunications facilities, and scientific equipment to be established on pastoral land\n\n**Why it matters:**\n\nThese rules balance the rights of pastoralists to run their businesses with the need for public access, environmental protection, and the Territory's interests. They ensure that people who use pastoral land for non-grazing purposes (like tourism or mining) do so responsibly, and that pastoralists maintain proper insurance and records. The regulations also provide mechanisms for resolving disputes and ensuring fair compensation when damage occurs."},"summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Based on the available information, the scope appears consistent with the original intent of the 1992 regulations — governing pastoral land use in the Northern Territory. The reprint in 2019 appears to be a consolidation or remake rather than a substantive expansion or narrowing of scope. The dual-agency split was likely present in prior versions given the longstanding relevance of Aboriginal community living areas under Northern Territory land law."},"complexity_factors":["Dual-agency administration creates potential jurisdictional ambiguity between two government departments","The distinction between general pastoral land provisions and Aboriginal community living area provisions adds a layer of structural complexity","The long gap between the date of making (2019) and commencement (2025) may create confusion about which rules were operative during the intervening period","The legislation has a long history (originally 1992) meaning there may be accumulated amendments and interpretive issues not visible from this summary alone","The interaction between these regulations and the parent Pastoral Land Act requires understanding of both instruments together"],"plain_english_summary":"## Pastoral Land Regulations 1992\n\nThese are the official rules (regulations) that sit underneath the Pastoral Land Act and govern how pastoral land (large tracts of land, typically used for grazing livestock like cattle and sheep) is managed in the Northern Territory.\n\n**Who administers this?**\nTwo government departments share responsibility:\n- The **Department of Agriculture and Fisheries** handles most pastoral land matters\n- The **Department of Lands, Planning and Environment** handles rules specifically about **Aboriginal community living areas** (designated parcels of land within pastoral leases where Aboriginal communities reside)\n\n**What does this mean for you?**\n- If you **hold a pastoral lease** (a long-term licence from the government to use land for grazing), these regulations set out the rules you must follow\n- If you **live in or manage an Aboriginal community living area** on pastoral land, a separate set of these same regulations applies to your situation, overseen by a different department\n- The regulations cover practical matters such as conditions on land use, fees, applications, and compliance requirements\n\n**Key things to note:**\n- Despite being originally made in 1992, this version (Reprint 1) was remade in 2019 and **does not come into full force until 23 May 2025** — meaning the current operative rules are only just taking effect\n- These rules affect **landholders, farmers, pastoralists, and Aboriginal communities** in the Northern Territory"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/pastoral-land-regulations-1992","history":"/api/acts/pastoral-land-regulations-1992/history","analysis":"/api/acts/pastoral-land-regulations-1992/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/pastoral-land-regulations-1992/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/pastoral-land-regulations-1992/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/pastoral-land-regulations-1992/documents"}}