Palmerston mayor, council to consider fighting ward split in Territory’s Supreme Court

Palmerston’s mayor says she may appeal a decision in the Territory’s highest court on whether to divide her council into wards. We reveal how the city will be split.

A proposal to split the City of Palmerston into wards has been met with criticism by the local mayor. Picture: Glenn Campbell. Picture: Glenn Campbell

A Territory mayor fighting a decision to split her council into wards is looking to take the matter to the NT’s highest court.

The Local Government Representation Committee has determined Palmerston should be split into three wards at the next council election in August 2025.

The city currently has seven elected councillors equally representing the population of 37,000.

However mayor Athina Pascoe-Bell said the decision was not taken “in good faith” and lacked “genuine consultation”.

She said her council was seeking advice on appealing the decision in the Supreme Court, among other options.

The City of Palmerston Mayor Athina Pascoe-Bell is against the decision to split Palmerston into wards. Photograph: Che Chorley

“Council is extremely disappointed in the committee’s decision,” Ms Pascoe-Bell said.

“(We do) not believe that the decision was undertaken in good faith, the consultation was not genuine and the committee did not appropriately consider the requirements set out in the Local Government Act 2019.

“The City of Palmerston is a single community of interest and the council believes that wards will inappropriately and negatively impact the provision of support and services.”

The committee also recommended an extra councillor join the existing seven representatives in light of Palmerston’s rapid growth, which has risen more than 10 per cent in five years.

The move to create wards also comes after the council boundaries were extended in July last year to cover previously unincorporated areas, including parts of Berrimah, East Arm and Wishart, as well as Elrundie and Tivendale.

However an NT News survey showed two-thirds of more than 230 respondents did not think Palmerston should be split into wards.

“Palmerston is, geographically, the smallest municipal council in the NT,” the Local Government Representation Committee report reads.

The City of Palmerston’s next election is due to take place in August 2025. Picture: Michael Franchi

“However it is among the largest councils in regard to population, population density and enrolment – second only to the City of Darwin.

“The City of Palmerston also has among the highest enrolment and population growth rates of any council in the NT.

“As this council grows, so too does the diversity of its residents, their interests and their needs.”

Ms Pascoe-Bell said no wards allowed residents to approach any councillor they felt comfortable with.

“Wards will adversely affect the ability for people to select the councillor they wish to vote for and engage with,” she said.

“(They will) also affect the ability for councillors to advocate for members of the community outside their wards, regardless of the community of interest that they belong to or associate with.”

The recommendations now sit with the Local Government Minister Chansey Paech.

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Originally published as Palmerston mayor, council to consider fighting ward split in Territory’s Supreme Court