Local Government

Local governments are the closest level of government to the community. Their main goal should be to give power, speak for, help, and support the communities they serve in the NT.

Principles

The NT Greens believe:

1. Local government should recognise the continuing connection to land and culture of First Nations Territorians.
2. Local government is the level of government closest to the community and in the best position to identify and respond to communities’ needs.
3. Local government should include the communities they represent in decision-making.
4. Local governments should take a proactive role in implementing change in our community.
5. First Nations people are the experts in their own lives and know what their communities need. First Nations communities should be properly supported and resourced to meet their needs. 
6. Councillors must reflect the diversity of their constituents. 
7. Local government elections should be conducted in the fairest and most transparent way possible.
8. Councillors must be elected based on proportional representation.
9. Local government must work in the interests of and to strengthen local communities.
10. Local government has a responsibility to respond to the social and economic needs of their constituents.
11. Local government has a leading role in protecting communities as well as ecosystems from the impact of climate change and other destructive environmental processes.

Aims

The NT Greens want:

1. Services to be properly funded and of the same quality in all cities, towns and remote communities across the NT.
2. Councillors to be properly remunerated for their time.
3. Local government to be recognised in the Australian Constitution.
4. Increased number of First Nations people, women and all other marginalised people in councils.
5. An immediate increase in Australian Government funding to local governments, including increases in the Financial Assistance Grants program to provide local governments  with at least 1% of total Commonwealth tax income.
6. Local government rates and charges to be determined by people’s ability to pay rather than being set at flat rates that apply equally to all.

Consultation

7. A requirement that local governments engage meaningfully with communities about decisions that affect those communities.
8. Local governments to use technology to enable community engagement and reporting of local issues and problems.

Council meetings

9. Increased transparency of and public access to meetings of local government including live streaming and providing recordings of council meetings.
10. Citizens to have the right to address councillors at local government meetings.

Remote councils

11. Councillors in remote areas to be properly supported to represent the interests of their communities.
12. First Nations Councillors in remote areas to be better supported by local governments, particularly their non-First Nations councillors, CEOs and senior management. 

Wards and boundaries 

13. Each local government to have wards, with a minimum of three councillors per ward, elected by proportional representation.
14. A statutory independent body to advise on changes to boundaries of local governments and wards.
15. All changes to boundaries of local governments and wards to be decided by referendum of the people living in the local government area or ward that are proposed to be changed.

Elections

16. Local government elections where only people, and not corporations, are entitled to vote and each vote is of equal value.
17. All local government election candidates to disclose any political party affiliation.
18. All local government election candidates to submit a statement explaining their key reasons for nomination to the NTEC as part of their nomination. The statement should be published on the NTEC website and be made available to all voters at polling booths.
19. All Councillors to disclose donations as they are received. 
20. All local government election candidates to have capped campaign funding. 
21. All donations from property developers and the gambling industry, including pubs and clubs that have poker machines and are supported by other forms of gambling to be banned in local government elections.

Environment and services

22. The NT and Australian governments to work with all NT local governments to provide recycling and green waste disposal services to all people in the NT.
23. Local governments to develop and implement strong climate action plans that mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change on local communities (see further Climate Change policy).
24. Local governments to develop and implement strong action plans for enhancing biodiversity in local government areas (see further the NT Greens’ Biodiversity policy).
25. Local governments to develop sustainable water management plans that are adapted for the environment and weather patterns of the region.
26. Local governments to develop and implement strong action plans for planting more trees and shrubs on verges and in public parks and spaces.
27. Local governments to better invest in renewal and maintenance of public parks and spaces, in consultation with local communities.
28. Local governments to develop and expand community programs such as community centres, kitchens, gardens, cleaning facilities, toy libraries, car shares, public technology labs, and tool sheds.