Commonwealth Numbered Acts

ABORIGINAL LAND RIGHTS (NORTHERN TERRITORY) ACT 1976 No. 191 of 1976 - SECT 31

31. (1) The Chairman shall convene such meetings of a Land Council as are, in
his opinion, necessary for the efficient conduct of its affairs and, at such a
meeting, the Chairman shall preside if he is present and, if he is not
present, the Deputy Chairman shall preside.

(2) At the request of at least 6 members of a Land Council, the Deputy
Chairman may convene a meeting of the Land Council and, if he does so, shall
preside at that meeting.

(3) The Minister may, where he considers that the circumstances require it,
convene a meeting of the Land Council and appoint a member of the Land Council
to preside at the meeting.

(4) The quorum for a meeting of a Land Council is such number of members as is
equal to-

   (a)  where the number of members of the Land Council at the time of the
        meeting is an even number-one-half of that last- mentioned number; or

   (b)  any other case-one-half of the number that is less by 1 than the
        number of members of the Land Council at the time of the meeting, and,
        except where the meeting has been convened under sub-section (3),
        includes the Chairman or the Deputy Chairman.

(5) A question arising at a meeting of a Land Council shall be decided by a
majority of the votes of members present and voting.

(6) At a meeting of a Land Council the member presiding has a deliberative
vote and, in the event of votes being equal, has a casting vote.

(7) A Land Council may, with the approval of the Minister, make rules, not
inconsistent with this Act, providing for and in relation to the convening of
meetings, and the procedure for the conduct of meetings, of the Council.

(8) Rules made under sub-section (7) are not Statutory Rules for the purposes
of the Rules Publication Act 1903.

(9) Subject to any direction of the member presiding, a member of a Land
Council may be accompanied to a meeting of the Land Council by such other
residents of the area of the Land Council as may wish so to accompany him.