NORTHERN TERRITORY (ADMINISTRATION).
No. 50 of 1956.
An Act to amend the Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1910–1955.
[Assented to 30th June, 1956.]
BE it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—
Short title and citation.
1.—(1.) This Act may be cited as the Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1956.
(2.) The Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1910–1955, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1910–1956.
Commencement.
2. This Act shall come into operation on the date fixed under subsection (2.) of section two of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1956.
3. Section six of the Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1910–1955 is repealed and the following section inserted in its stead:—
Application of Conciliation and Arbitration Act.
“6. The Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904–1956 shall apply to industrial disputes in the Territory as if—
(a) from paragraph (a)of the definition of ‘industrial dispute’ in sub-section (1.) of section four of that Act the words ‘which extends beyond the limits of any one State’ were omitted;
(b) from paragraph (b) of that definition the words ‘which so extends’ were omitted; and
(c) from the definitions of ‘industrial dispute’ in section seventy-one and sub-section (1.) of section eighty-one of that Act the words ‘which extends beyond the limits of any one State’ were omitted.”.
Overview
The Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1956 was enacted to address gaps in the administration of the Northern Territory, particularly concerning industrial disputes, by amending the Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1910–1955. This Act was assented to on 30th June 1956 and came into operation on a date specified under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1956. The enacting body was the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia. The primary objective of this Act was to ensure that the Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904–1956 would apply to industrial disputes within the Northern Territory, making necessary amendments to the definitions to tailor them to the Territory’s unique circumstances.
Scope and Application
The Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1956 amends the Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1910–1955 to modify the application of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904–1956 to industrial disputes within the Northern Territory. This Act applies to industrial disputes within the Territory, extending the applicability of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act to matters that do not necessarily extend beyond the limits of a single state. It thereby provides a jurisdictional framework for handling industrial disputes that are confined to the Northern Territory. The Act applies to entities and persons involved in industrial disputes within this region, ensuring that the relevant provisions of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act are adapted to suit the unique circumstances of the Territory. The Act's scope is geographically confined to the Northern Territory, without specifying exclusions or thresholds. However, the application of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act may be further defined or restricted through subordinate instruments issued under the authority of this Act.
Key Provisions
The Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1956 (referred to as C1956A00050) amends the Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1910–1955 by making significant changes to the application of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904–1956 within the Territory. Specifically, section 6 of the 1910–1955 Act is repealed and replaced with new provisions that modify how the Conciliation and Arbitration Act applies to industrial disputes within the Northern Territory. These modifications effectively remove references to industrial disputes extending beyond the limits of any one State, thereby tailoring the application of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act to the unique jurisdictional context of the Northern Territory.
Under the amended Act, the obligations placed on parties or entities involved in industrial disputes within the Northern Territory are aligned with the Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904–1956, albeit with the aforementioned adjustments. Employers and employees, as well as their respective organisations, must now adhere to the provisions of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act as if it were specifically designed for disputes occurring within the Territory, without the necessity for these disputes to extend beyond State borders. This alignment ensures that the processes and protections afforded by the Conciliation and Arbitration Act are uniformly applicable within the Northern Territory, irrespective of the geographical scope of the dispute.
Failure to comply with the provisions of the Northern Territory (Administration) Act 1956 and the amended application of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904–1956 may result in various legal consequences. While specific penalties or offences are not detailed within the Act itself, breaches of industrial laws typically attract penalties under the relevant industrial relations legislation. Such penalties may include fines for individuals or organisations found in violation of the Act, and potentially more severe consequences for repeated or egregious breaches. These penalties serve to enforce compliance and uphold the integrity of the industrial relations framework within the Northern Territory.