Purpose:

The legislation aims to establish and manage Territory Parks and other Parks and Reserves, and to provide for the study, protection, conservation, and sustainable utilisation of wildlife.

Objectives:

• To make provision for the establishment and management of parks and reserves by the Administrator.
• To encourage and regulate the appropriate use, appreciation, and enjoyment of parks by the public.
• To regulate the use of reserves for their declared purpose.
• To preserve parks and reserves in their natural condition and protect their special features, including objects and sites of biological, historical, palaeontological, archaeological, geological, and geographical interest.
• To protect, conserve, and manage wildlife within parks and reserves.
• To protect parks and reserves against damage.
• To jointly establish an equitable partnership with traditional Aboriginal owners to manage and maintain joint management parks and reserves as part of a comprehensive and representative system.
• To protect biological diversity within joint management parks and reserves.
• To serve visitor and community needs for education and enjoyment within joint management parks and reserves.
• To promote the survival of wildlife in its natural habitat.
• To promote the conservation of biological diversity within the Territory.
• To promote the management of identified areas of habitat, vegetation, ecosystem, or landscape to ensure the survival of wildlife populations within those areas.
• To control or prohibit the introduction or release of prohibited entrants into the Territory.
• To control or prohibit any other act, omission, or thing that adversely affects, or is likely to adversely affect, the capacity of wildlife to sustain its natural processes.
• To promote the sustainable use of wildlife and its habitat.
• To reduce the population and distribution of feral animals within the Territory and control their detrimental effect on wildlife and land.

Key Provisions:

• Establishment and declaration of parks, reserves, wilderness zones, and sanctuaries by the Administrator.
• Provisions for the joint management of certain parks and reserves with traditional Aboriginal owners, including joint management agreements and plans.
• Regulations for mining, works, forestry, and other activities within parks, reserves, and wilderness zones.
• Authorisation processes for the use and development of land within parks and reserves.
• Classification of wildlife and identification of threatened wildlife.
• Formulation and implementation of management programs for wildlife, feral animals, and prohibited entrants.
• Declaration and management of areas of essential habitat for wildlife.
• Declaration of feral animals and establishment of feral animal control areas.
• Declaration and control of prohibited entrants (non-indigenous vertebrates, animals, or plants).
• A permitting system for taking, interfering with, keeping, importing, exporting, or releasing protected wildlife and prohibited entrants, and for commercial dealings with wildlife.
• Offences related to protected wildlife, unprotected wildlife, feral animals, prohibited entrants, areas of essential habitat, and compliance with permits.
• Powers and functions of conservation officers and honorary conservation officers, including search and seizure.
• Mechanisms for co-operative management agreements with Aboriginal Land Councils and private land owners for wildlife and natural feature protection.
• Recognition of traditional use of land and water by Aboriginals for hunting, food gathering, and ceremonial/religious purposes.

Evidence of Compliance Requirements For Agricultural Organisations:

• For use and development of land in non-joint management parks or reserves:
  • Must hold a current and valid authorisation document, in a form approved by the Commission, issued under section 21A.
  • Must submit an application in a form approved by the Commission, accompanied by any determined fee.
  • Must adhere to all specified terms and conditions of the authorisation.
  • Must ensure any person employed or engaged by the authorisation holder complies with the authorisation and the Act.
  • Subject to conservation officer powers to inspect premises and demand information or documents.
• For use and development of land in joint management parks or reserves:
  • Must hold a current and valid authorisation document, in a form approved by the joint management partners, issued under section 25AKB.
  • Must submit an application in a form approved by the joint management partners, accompanied by any determined fee.
  • Must adhere to all specified terms and conditions of the authorisation.
  • Must ensure any person employed or engaged by the authorisation holder complies with the authorisation and the Act.
  • Subject to conservation officer powers to inspect premises and demand information or documents.
• For control or eradication of feral animals on land:
  • Must comply with specific measures detailed in a written notice served by the Director under section 49(1).
  • Must take all reasonable steps to comply with the notice.
  • Subject to entry by conservation officers for investigation, control, or eradication of feral animals (Section 51(1)).
• For dealing with protected wildlife:
  • Must hold a current and valid permit issued by the Director under section 56, or operate under a lawful dealing declaration by the Minister (Section 44).
  • Must submit an application for a permit in a form approved by the Director, accompanied by prescribed fees and information.
  • Must have a valid permit or duplicate permit in possession when carrying out authorised activities and produce it to a conservation officer or honorary conservation officer upon request (Section 57(2)).
  • Must adhere to all specified terms and conditions of the permit, including any specified period of validity, maximum number or amount of animals or plants, species, sex, age, size, or location.
  • Must furnish returns and reports as required by permit conditions (Section 57(1)(b)(vi)).
  • Must pay royalties assessed in accordance with section 116 if wildlife is taken for commercial purposes and property is vested in the Territory.
  • Subject to conservation officer inspection of permits and searches of premises and persons. Director may require giving up of protected wildlife (Section 46).
• For dealing with unprotected wildlife for commercial purposes:
  • Must hold a current and valid permit issued by the Director under section 56.
  • Must submit an application for a permit in a form approved by the Director, accompanied by prescribed fees and information.
  • Must have a valid permit or duplicate permit in possession when carrying out authorised activities and produce it to a conservation officer or honorary conservation officer upon request (Section 57(2)).
  • Must adhere to all specified terms and conditions of the permit, including any specified period of validity, maximum number or amount of animals or plants, species, sex, age, size, or location.
  • Must furnish returns and reports as required by permit conditions (Section 57(1)(b)(vi)).
  • Must pay royalties assessed in accordance with section 116 if wildlife is taken for commercial purposes and property is vested in the Territory.
  • Subject to conservation officer inspection of permits and searches of premises and persons.
• For dealing with prohibited entrants:
  • Must hold a current and valid permit issued by the Director under section 56.
  • Must submit an application for a permit in a form approved by the Director, accompanied by prescribed fees and information.
  • Must have a valid permit or duplicate permit in possession when carrying out authorised activities and produce it to a conservation officer or honorary conservation officer upon request (Section 57(2)).
  • Must adhere to all specified terms and conditions of the permit, including requirements for retrieval, capture, disposal, or destruction of escaped entrants, and indemnification for costs (Section 57(1)(b)(x)).
  • Must furnish returns and reports as required by permit conditions (Section 57(1)(b)(vi)).
  • Subject to conservation officer inspection of permits and searches of premises and persons. Conservation officers may enter land to investigate or take immediate action to eradicate escaped prohibited entrants (Section 54(2)).
• For activities in areas of essential habitat:
  • Must hold written authority from the Director for specified articles or activities (Section 37(6)).
  • Must ensure use and enjoyment of land is consistent with the declaration of the area (Section 37(7)).
  • Subject to conservation officer entry and work on the land to attain objectives of the declaration (Section 42).
• For compliance with conservation officer requirements:
  • Must comply with a requirement to stop or move a vehicle (Section 96(4)).
  • Must allow conservation officers to inspect or examine premises, substances, or things, including breaking open and searching furniture, fixtures, boxes, packages, and other containers (Section 96(5)(a),(b)).
  • Must allow conservation officers to take measurements, conduct tests, take photographs, films, audio, video, or other recordings, and take and remove samples for analysis (Section 96(5)©,(d),(e)).
  • Must provide copies of documents found on premises (Section 96(5)(h)).
  • Must answer questions, provide information, make available documents kept on the premises, and provide reasonable assistance (Section 96(5)(j)).
  • Must state name and address upon request (Section 96(6)(a)).
  • Must accompany a conservation officer and allow search of person and any bag or other container in possession if there are reasonable grounds to believe an offence has been committed or a substance/thing connected with an offence is present (Section 96(6)(b)).
  • Must show a permit or duplicate permit to a conservation officer upon request if engaged in an activity for which a permit is required (Section 97).
  • Must maintain any documents or records that a conservation officer is authorised to copy or request.

Metadata Keywords:

Northern Territory, Parks, Reserves, Wildlife, Conservation, Feral Animals, Land Management, Aboriginal Land, Environmental Protection, Permits

Publication Information:

As in force at 12 June 2024

Agricultural Industry Alignment:

Beef & Veal, Fisheries, Forestry, Pig, Sheep Meat

Date Added to database:

This document was parsed and added to the database on 25-07-2025

URL:

https://legislation.nt.gov.au/api/sitecore/Act/PDF?id=12211 →