Northern Territory Numbered Acts Northern Territory Numbered Acts(1) The principal member of a council is to be elected or appointed to the office.
(2) A council is taken to have chosen appointment as the basis of filling the office until the council changes the basis of filling the office under subsection (3).
(3) A council may, by special resolution, change the basis of filling the office.
(4) The council must, as soon as practicable, notify the Electoral Commissioner and the CEO of the Agency if the council changes the basis of filling the office under subsection (3).
(5) However, a change to the basis of filling the office:
(a) may only be made once during a council's term; and
(b) must be made at least 12 months, but not more than 18 months, before the end of that term.
(6) If a change is made to the basis of filling the office:
(a) the change does not take effect until the next general election; and
(b) for the next general election, the change takes effect as follows:
(i) if the change is that the office is to be filled by election – the number of members of the council is increased by one;
(ii) if the change is that the office is to be filled by appointment – the number of members of the council is decreased by one.
(7) If there is a change in the classification of a local government area under section 16 , the basis of filling the office of the principal member remains the same as it was before the change, until changed under this section.