16Power to establish local government etc.

16 Power to establish local government etc. (1) The Administrator may, by Gazette notice, exercise any one or more of the following powers: (a) constitute a part of the Territory as a local government area or abolish a local government area; (b) merge 2 or more local government areas; (c) divide a local government area into 2 or more local government areas; (d) determine whether a local government area is a municipality, a region or a shire; (e) change a municipality into a shire or a shire into a municipality;

Local Government Act 2019 15 (f) change a municipality into a region or a region into a municipality; (g) change a region into a shire or a shire into a region; (h) assign a name to a local government area or change the name of a local government area; (i) assign a name to the council for a local government area or change the name of the council for a local government area; (j) define or change the boundaries of a local government area; (k) create or abolish wards; (l) define or change the boundaries of a ward; (m) assign a name to, or change the name of, a ward; (n) determine or change the number of members to be elected for a particular area or a ward within a particular area; (o) correct an error or omission in an earlier notice under this section. (2) The Minister may also, by Gazette notice, exercise any of the powers conferred by subsection (1) except the power to constitute or abolish a local government area under subsection (1)(a). (3) If a Gazette notice under subsection (1) or (2) changes the name of a local government area, or of a local government council, any reference to the area or council is taken to be read as a reference to the area or council as changed by the notice. (4) A local government area may consist of 2 or more non-contiguous sections.