2025 Northern Territory local elections

Last updated

2025 Northern Territory local elections
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←  2021 23 August 20252029 →
16 [a] of the 18 local government areas in the Northern Territory
(144 of the 164 councillors in the Northern Territory) [3] [4] [5]
Registered151,035 [6]
Turnout71,992 (54%) [7]
Votes counted
75.0%
as of 02:09 ACST (24 August 2025)
 
IND
Greens placeholder-01.png
Party Independent Greens
Last election115 seats2 seats
Current seats1152

The 2025 Northern Territory local elections were held on 23 August 2025 to elect the councils of 16 [a] of the 18 local government areas (LGAs) in the Northern Territory. [8] Five councils also held mayoral elections. [9]

Contents

One LGA, the Groote Archipelago Region, was formed in September 2024 and held its inaugural election on 16 March 2025. [10] [11] Barkly Regional Council, which was dismissed in June 2024, held an election in November 2024 and did not go to the polls in 2025. [1]

Background

Barkly dismissal

On 17 October 2023, all elected members of Barkly Regional Council were suspended by the Northern Territory Government because of concerns around fiscal management and service delivery. [12] [13] Following the completion of an investigation into its management, the council was dismissed on 20 June 2024. [14] [15]

An election was held on 2 November 2024, with 21 candidates contesting five wards and the mayoralty. [16] Greens councillor Dianne Stokes was re-elected in Patta Ward. [17] [18]

Coomalie dismissal

On 22 July 2024, all elected members of Coomalie Community Government Council were suspended because of "serious deficiencies in the conduct of the council's affairs". [19] [20] The council was dismissed on 23 May 2025. [21] [22]

A report found that the council's behaviour had "degenerated significantly" prior to the suspension, and councillors had become divided into "two voting blocs" led by president Sharon Beswick and deputy president Colin Freeman. [23] [24]

Proposed mayoral elections removal

In April 2025, the Northern Territory Government proposed removing the direct mayoral elections in six councils – Alice Springs, Barkly, Darwin, Katherine, Litchfield and Palmerston – and move to having mayors elected by councillors, as is the case in other twelve LGAs. [25] No decision on the proposal was made by the government before the 2025 local elections. [26]

Electoral system

Northern Territory local elections use proportional representation with the single transferable vote (STV). [27] Voting is compulsory for any person who is on the Northern Territory electoral roll in an address that is within a council area. [28] [29]

Like at territory general elections, the local elections are conducted by the Northern Territory Electoral Commission (NTEC). [30] [31]

Election timeline

The NTEC has advised that the timeline for the local elections will be as follows: [32]

Candidates

Political parties

The Territory Labor Party and Country Liberal Party do not endorse candidates for local elections. [33] [34] The NT Greens endorsed three candidates in 2025; Aia Newport for Alice Springs councillor, Asta Hill for Alice Springs mayor and councillor, and Ellyane Wall for Darwin's Chan Ward. [35] [36] Morgan Rickard, who had served as a Greens councillor for Chan Ward since 2021, did not seek re-election. [37] [38]

Results

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 All local government areas, with the exception of Barkly Regional Council and Groote Archipelago Regional Council, held an election on 23 August 2025. [1] However, the Northern Territory Electoral Commission (NTEC) considered the election for Coomalie Community Government Council separate from the 2025 local elections, despite it being held concurrently and with the same timetable. [2]

References

  1. 1 2 "2025 local government elections candidate handbook". Northern Territory Electoral Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  2. ↑ "Coomalie Community Government Council FAQs factsheet" (PDF). Northern Territory Electoral Commission. 2025. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 June 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  3. ↑ "Declaration of Nominations and ballot draw - 2025 Local Government Elections". Northern Territory Electoral Commission. 5 August 2025. Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  4. ↑ "Elected Members". Barkly Regional Council. Archived from the original on 23 August 2025. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  5. ↑ "Meet the Council". Groote Archipelago Regional Council. Archived from the original on 23 August 2025. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  6. ↑ "Enrolment statistics". Northern Territory Electoral Commission. 19 August 2025. Archived from the original on 23 August 2025. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  7. ↑ Fitzgerald, Darcy (24 August 2025). "NT mayoral election votes across the Territory continue to be counted with few clear winners". The Daily Telegraph. NT News. Archived from the original on 24 August 2025. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
  8. ↑ "So when is the next federal election? A quick guide". Parliament of Australia. 22 August 2022. Archived from the original on 5 October 2024. Retrieved 5 October 2024. Northern Territory local government elections are held on the fourth Saturday in August 4 years after the previous election.
  9. ↑ Ashton, Kate (29 August 2021). "Kon Vatskalis and Athina Pascoe-Bell claim re-election wins in NT council polls". ABC News. Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  10. ↑ "New Local Government Council For Groote Archipelago". Mirage News. 20 May 2024. Archived from the original on 15 November 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  11. ↑ "Elections for the newly constituted Groote Archipelago Regional Council election have been postponed to 15 March 2025". Facebook. Steve Edgington MLA: Member for Barkly. 19 October 2024. Archived from the original on 15 November 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  12. ↑ "NT government suspends Barkly Regional Council, places it under 'official management'". ABC News. 17 October 2023. Archived from the original on 9 October 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  13. ↑ "Barkly Regional Council Investigation". Northern Territory Government. 20 June 2024. Archived from the original on 30 October 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  14. ↑ Houlbrook-Walk, Myles (20 June 2024). "Barkly Regional Council elected members officially dismissed in wake of damning report". ABC News. Archived from the original on 9 October 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  15. ↑ "Barkly Regional Council members dismissed, new era set to begin". Australian Rural & Regional News. Tennant & District Times. 21 June 2024. Archived from the original on 15 November 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  16. ↑ Elton, James (5 November 2024). "Low voter turnout in Barkly Regional Council election concerns likely new mayor". ABC News. Archived from the original on 25 June 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  17. ↑ Upton, Shauna (1 November 2024). "Barkly region gears up for local council elections". The Wire. Archived from the original on 15 November 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  18. ↑ "Dianne Stokes". NT Greens. Archived from the original on 14 October 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  19. ↑ Paech, Chansey (22 July 2024). "Coomalie Community Government Council: Official Management" (PDF). Northern Territory Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  20. ↑ Paech, Chansey (23 July 2024). "Coomalie Community Government Council placed under official management". Northern Territory Government. Archived from the original on 25 June 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  21. ↑ "Coomalie Community Government Council Members Dismissed". Mirage News. 23 May 2025. Archived from the original on 25 June 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  22. ↑ "Minister sacks Coomalie council members". Inside Local Government. 25 May 2025. Archived from the original on 25 June 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  23. ↑ Colling, Tilda (24 May 2025). "Coomalie council dismissed by NT government after investigation finds 'serious deficiencies'". ABC News. Archived from the original on 31 May 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  24. ↑ Colling, Tilda (29 May 2025). "Conficts of interest, voting blocs and leadership failure blamed for Coomalie council sacking". ABC News. Archived from the original on 1 June 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  25. ↑ Ellis, Victoria; Brash, Stewart (30 April 2025). "Proposal for councillors to elect all NT mayors instead of voters angers some leaders". ABC News. Archived from the original on 1 May 2025. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  26. ↑ "Kon Vatskalis slams proposed NT council mayor election changes". The Greek Herald. 1 May 2025. Archived from the original on 1 May 2025. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  27. ↑ "How are votes counted?". Northern Territory Electoral Commission. 15 June 2023. Archived from the original on 27 October 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  28. ↑ "Northern Territory". Electoral Council of Australia and New Zealand. Archived from the original on 14 October 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  29. ↑ "Elections". Local Government Association of the Northern Territory. Archived from the original on 16 October 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  30. ↑ Perera, Alicia (28 August 2021). "Today is the NT local government election day. Here's everything you need to know to have your say". ABC News. Archived from the original on 7 January 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  31. ↑ "100 days to go until the 2025 Local Government Elections". Northern Territory Electoral Commission. 15 May 2025. Archived from the original on 19 May 2025. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  32. ↑ "Election timetable" (PDF). Northern Territory Electoral Commission. 2025. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 June 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  33. ↑ "Council elections can be confusing". Facebook. Michael Gunner. 27 August 2021. Archived from the original on 15 November 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  34. ↑ "Gunner demands council deal with Mayor's 'conflict of interest'". Alice Springs News. 28 January 2020. Archived from the original on 23 March 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  35. ↑ McLean, Thomas (22 July 2025). "NT Greens endorse Ellyane Wall for the City of Darwin's Chan Ward ahead of elections". Herald Sun. NT News. Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  36. ↑ "Greens council hopefuls push to ban Pine Gap from Alice Springs community events". ABC News. 18 August 2025. Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  37. ↑ "Councillor Morgan Rickard". City of Darwin. Archived from the original on 23 July 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
  38. ↑ "Morgan Rickard". NT Greens. Archived from the original on 22 June 2025. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
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