{"id":"special-purposes-leases-regulations-1955","name":"SPECIAL PURPOSES LEASES REGULATIONS 1955","slug":"special-purposes-leases-regulations-1955","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"nt","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":177152,"registerId":"nt-special-purposes-leases-regulations-1955-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"SPECIAL PURPOSES LEASES REGULATIONS 1955","content":"NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA\nSPECIAL PURPOSES LEASES REGULATIONS 1955\nAs in force at 13 September 2025\nTable of provisions\n1 Citation ............................................................................................ 1\n2 Interpretation ................................................................................... 1\n3 Form of application .......................................................................... 1\n4 Fee payable on application .............................................................. 1\n5 General conditions of leases ........................................................... 2\n6 Procedure where applicant fails to execute lease............................ 3\n8 Suits for moneys due but unpaid ..................................................... 3\n9 Form for the purpose of section 4A ................................................. 3\nENDNOTES\n\n\n\nNORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA\n____________________\nAs in force at 13 September 2025\n____________________\nSPECIAL PURPOSES LEASES REGULATIONS 1955\nRegulations under the Special Purposes Leases Act 1953\n1 Citation\nThese Regulations may be cited as the Special Purposes Leases\nRegulations 1955.\n2 Interpretation\n(1) In these Regulations:\nqualified person means a person, Government, association,\nstatutory corporation established under a law of the Commonwealth\nor of a State or Territory, or company to whom or to which the\nMinister may grant a lease for a special purpose in accordance with\nthe Act.\nthe Act means the Special Purposes Leases Act 1953.\n(2) In these Regulations, a reference to a form by number is a\nreference to the form as numbered and approved by the Minister\nunder section 32A of the Act.\n3 Form of application\n(1) An application for a lease may be made by a qualified person in\naccordance with Form 1.\n(2) The application shall be lodged at the Lands Office, Darwin.\n4 Fee payable on application\n(1) An application for a lease, other than a lease within the Darwin\nTown Area or a municipality, shall be accompanied by a fee of\n3 dollars.\n(2) If an application is not granted, the Minister shall refund the fee paid\nwith the application, less any expenses incurred by the Minister in\nconnection with the application.\n\nSpecial Purposes Leases Regulations 1955 2\n(3) If an application is granted, no additional fee shall be payable for\nthe preparation and registration of the lease.\n(4) If an application is withdrawn or is deemed to have been withdrawn,\nthe fee paid with the application shall not be refunded.\n5 General conditions of leases\nA lease shall contain:\n(a) a reservation of a right of entry in favour of the Minister, or an\nofficer authorised in writing by the Minister, at all reasonable\ntimes and in any reasonable manner, to enter upon the leased\nland or any part of it and to inspect the leased land or any part\nof it and any improvements on it;\n(b) a reservation to the Crown of all minerals and mineral\nsubstances in or on the leased land, including gold, silver,\ncopper, tin, other metals, ores and substances containing\nmetals, gems, precious stones, coal, shale, mineral oils and\nvaluable earths or substances, together with the right to\nauthorise any persons to enter upon the land to mine, work\nfor, win, recover and remove them or any of them, and to do\nall things necessary or convenient for those purposes;\n(c) a reservation of a power to resume the leased land in\naccordance with the Act;\n(d) a reservation of a right of entry for the purposes of providing\nand maintaining water, sewer, electricity and other services on\nthe land leased, or on other land;\n(e) a covenant by the lessee that the lessee will pay the rent\nannually in advance;\n(f) a covenant by the lessee that the lessee will use the land only\nfor the purpose, or a purpose ancillary to the purpose, for\nwhich the lease is granted;\n(g) a covenant by the lessee that the lessee will pay all rates and\ntaxes which may at any time become due in respect of the\nleased land;\n(h) a condition that the lease does not confer any rights on the\nlessee until the rent for the first year of the term has been\npaid;\n(i) a condition that the lessee has no right of entry on the land\nwhich is the subject of the lease until the rent for the first year\nof the term has been paid;\n\nSpecial Purposes Leases Regulations 1955 3\n(j) a condition that, if the rent (other than the rent for the\nfirst year) is not paid on or before the expiry of 3 months from\nthe date on which it becomes payable, an additional amount\n(which shall be deemed to be recoverable as rent) at the rate\nof 5 per cent per annum from the expiry of that period shall\nbecome payable by the lessee in respect of the rent overdue,\nif demanded by the Minister; and\n(k) a condition that the lessee, having paid all rent due by the\nlessee, may at any time surrender the lease in accordance\nwith the provisions of the Act and these Regulations.\n6 Procedure where applicant fails to execute lease\n(1) If an applicant fails to give written agreement of acceptance to the\nMinister within 3 months after the day of receipt of an offer of a\nspecial purposes lease, the Minister may, by notice in writing to the\napplicant, advise a time after which the offer will be withdrawn.\n(2) The time specified in a notice under subregulation (1) shall not be\nless than 14 days after the date of the notice.\n(3) If an applicant to whom a notice under subregulation (1) has been\ngiven fails, within the time specified in the notice, to give the written\nagreement of acceptance referred to in that subregulation, the offer\nis withdrawn.\n8 Suits for moneys due but unpaid\nMoneys which are due under a lease but are unpaid may be sued\nfor and recovered in any Court of competent jurisdiction in the\nname of the Territory by a person authorised in that behalf by the\nMinister.\n9 Form for the purpose of section 4A\nFor the purposes of section 4A of the Act, a form lodged under that\nsection must be in accordance with Form 3.\n\nENDNOTES\nSpecial Purposes Leases Regulations 1955 4\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\nSpecial Purposes Leases Regulations (SL No. 10, 1955)\nNotified 21 December 1955\nCommenced 21 December 1955\nOrdinances Revision Ordinance 1973 (Act No. 87, 1973)\nAssent date 11 December 1973\nCommenced 11 December 1973\nAmendments of the Special Purposes Leases Regulations (SL No. 6, 1978)\nNotified 2 June 1978\nCommenced 2 June 1978\nTransfer of Powers (Self-Government) Ordinance 1978 (Act No. 54, 1978)\nAssent date 1 July 1978\nCommenced 1 July 1978 (s 2)\nReal Property (Consequential Amendments) Act 1991 (Act No. 33, 1991)\nAssent date 25 June 1991\nCommenced 1 October 1991 (Gaz S49, 1 October 1991)\nAmendments of Special Purposes Leases Regulations (SL No. 50, 1991)\nNotified 1 October 1991\nCommenced 1 October 1991 (r 1, s 2 Real Property (Consequential\nAmendments) Act 1991 (Act No. 50, 1991) and Gaz S49,\n1 October 1991)\nLands, Planning and Environment Legislation Amendment Act 2025 (Act No. 25, 2025)\nAssent date 12 September 2025\nCommenced pt 6: nc; rem: 13 September 2025 (s 2(1))\n\nENDNOTES\nSpecial Purposes Leases Regulations 1955 5\n3 GENERAL AMENDMENTS\nGeneral amendments of a formal nature (which are not referred to in the list\nof amendments to this reprint) are made by s 11 of the Ordinances Revision\nOrdinance 1973 (Act No. 87, 1973) (as amended) to the following provisions:\nrr 2, 4, 5, 6 and sch.\n4 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 and 2 and sch.\n5 LIST OF AMENDMENTS\nr 2 amd No. 6, 1978, r 1; Act No. 25, 2025, s 47\nr 4 amd No. 6, 1978, r 2; Act No. 54, 1978, s 6\nr 5 amd No. 6, 1978, r 3; Act No. 54, 1978, s 6; Act No. 25, 2025, s 47\nr 6 amd Act No. 54, 1978, s 6; Act No. 33, 1991, s 7; Act No. 25, 2025, s 47\nr 7 rep Act No. 33, 1991, s 7\nr 8 amd Act No. 54, 1978, s 6; Act No. 25, 2025, s 47\nr 9 ins No. 50, 1991, r 2\namd Act No. 25, 2025, s 47\nsch amd No. 6, 1978, r 4; Act No. 54, 1978, s 6; No. 50, 1991, r 3\nom Act No. 25, 2025, s 47","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The regulations have been amended repeatedly (noted amendments in 1978, 1991, 2018 and 2025). Amendments have altered definitions (r 2), fees and payment rules (r 4), lease conditions (r 5), procedural timing (r 6), removed an earlier r 7 and inserted r 9 (forms for s 4A), and involved formal and commencement changes recorded in the endnotes. Those changes modified procedural, form and some substantive requirements compared with the 1955 text."},"complexity_factors":["Cross-references to the Special Purposes Leases Act (eg. forms approved under s 32A; forms for s 4A) require consulting the primary Act (r 2(2), r 9).","Broad, catch-all definition of 'qualified person' (r 2(1)) expands potential applicants and increases scope of application.","Multiple Ministerial discretions: accepting/granting, refunding fees, withdrawing offers and authorising suits (rr 3, 4(2), 6, 8).","Detailed mandatory lease content and reservations (minerals, entry, resumption, services, covenants on rent, use, rates) create prescriptive contract terms (r 5).","Administrative timing and payment rules (3‑month acceptance window, 14‑day withdrawal notice, first-year rent condition, 5% p.a. overdue interest) add procedural compliance obligations (rr 4, 5, 6).","Amendment history and not‑commenced provisions (1978, 1991, 2018, 2025 amendments; endnotes) mean current practice must account for historical and recent changes."],"plain_english_summary":"These Regulations set the practical steps and standard terms for special-purpose land leases in the Northern Territory: who may apply, the Minister‑approved forms and where to lodge them, a $3 application fee outside Darwin/municipalities, refund and withdrawal rules, standard lease reservations and covenants (including Crown mineral rights, Ministerial entry, service easements), rent payment and overdue interest rules, and how unpaid moneys are recovered. They operate by allocating payment and compliance obligations to applicants/lessees and by giving the Minister administrative discretion over offers, refunds and enforcement."},"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"},"summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Based on the available metadata, there is no clear indication that the scope of these regulations has changed from their original intent of governing special purposes leases. The 2025 commencement date likely reflects a reprint rather than a substantive expansion or contraction of scope. However, without the full legislative text, a definitive assessment cannot be made."},"complexity_factors":["Limited legislative text provided — the actual substantive content of the regulations is not included, making full analysis impossible","Age of the instrument (1955) means interpretation may require reference to historical amendments and repealed provisions","The unusual 2025 commencement date relative to a 1955 instrument suggests layered amendment history that could complicate understanding of which version applies","Interaction with the parent Act (Special Purposes Leases Act) is unknown without seeing the full text, adding a layer of dependency","Northern Territory land law can intersect with native title and other land rights frameworks, potentially adding complexity in practice"],"plain_english_summary":"These regulations govern special purposes leases over Crown land in the Northern Territory — leases granted for specific non‑standard uses (community facilities, churches, clubs, etc.). They set the procedural and administrative framework (applications, conditions, rent and compliance) for anyone holding or seeking such a lease and for the Department of Lands, Planning and Environment that administers them. Made in 1955, reprinted/amended and still in force; a 13/09/2025 commencement date appears in the record."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The regulations remain tightly focused on their original purpose: procedural and administrative rules for special purpose leases in the Northern Territory. The 2025 amendments (Lands, Planning and Environment Legislation Amendment Act 2025) appear to be technical updates (noted as 'general amendments of a formal nature' and section 47 amendments) rather than substantive expansion. The repeal of the Schedule and regulation 7 (previously dealing with registration) actually narrows the scope slightly by removing registration procedures, likely because these are now handled under other legislation such as the Real Property Act."},"complexity_factors":["Only 9 regulations (with one repealed), spanning 3 pages of substantive content","Minimal defined terms: only 2 definitions in regulation 2 ('qualified person' and 'the Act')","No nested exceptions or complex conditional logic — most provisions are straightforward commands or descriptions","Simple fee structure ($3 flat fee with basic refund conditions)","No cross-references to external legislation beyond the parent Act (Special Purposes Leases Act 1953)","Regulation 5 contains a straightforward list of 11 standard lease conditions without sub-conditions or alternatives","Procedural rules (regulation 6) follow simple sequential steps without branching paths"],"plain_english_summary":"These regulations set out the practical rules for applying for and managing **special purpose leases** in the Northern Territory. A special purpose lease is a type of land lease granted by the government for specific uses (like community facilities, businesses, or other particular purposes) rather than general farming or housing.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Anyone applying to lease Crown land in the NT for a specific purpose — including individuals, companies, government bodies, and associations\n- The Minister responsible for land administration\n- People or entities already holding such leases\n\n**What it does:**\n- **Application process:** Sets out that applications must use Form 1 and be lodged at the Darwin Lands Office, with a $3 fee (refundable if rejected, but not if withdrawn)\n- **Standard lease terms:** Requires every lease to include specific conditions, including:\n  - The government keeps all rights to minerals and can allow mining on the land\n  - The Minister can enter the land to inspect it\n  - The government can resume (take back) the land if needed\n  - Rent must be paid yearly in advance\n  - The land can only be used for the specific purpose granted\n  - Late rent payments attract 5% interest after 3 months\n  - Lessees can surrender (give back) the lease if all rent is paid up\n- **Enforcement:** Allows the Territory to sue for unpaid rent through the courts\n- **Time limits:** If you don't accept a lease offer within 3 months, the Minister can give you 14 days' notice before withdrawing the offer\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThese rules ensure the government maintains control over Crown land while allowing businesses and organisations to use it for specific purposes. The regulations balance private use with public interest — particularly by reserving mineral rights and maintaining powers of entry and resumption."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/special-purposes-leases-regulations-1955","history":"/api/acts/special-purposes-leases-regulations-1955/history","analysis":"/api/acts/special-purposes-leases-regulations-1955/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/special-purposes-leases-regulations-1955/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/special-purposes-leases-regulations-1955/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/special-purposes-leases-regulations-1955/documents"}}