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
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Nomenclature (Public Places) Ordinance 1966 are repealed.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.
Section 1 - Place Names Act 1967 - Place Names Act 1967 | Zoe
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.
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.
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;
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).
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).
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.
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)
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)
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