Northern Parklands Regulations 2026

These regulations may be cited as the

Northern Parklands

Regulations 2026.

These regulations come into operation on the day on which section 11 of the Northern

Parklands Act 2025 comes into operation.

In these regulations—

Act means the Northern Parklands

Act 2025;

camping includes sleeping overnight in a motor vehicle parked in the trust parklands;

motor vehicle has the same meaning as in the

Road Traffic

Act 1961.

For the purposes of section 15(15) of the Act, the approval of the Minister is required in relation to a variation of an annual business plan of the Northern Parklands Trust in circumstances in which contributions by constituent councils under Part 4 are varied.

Interest accrues under section 17(1) of the Act from the date on which the instalment was payable under that section at the Reserve Bank of Australia Cash Rate Target on 1 July in the financial year in which the instalment was payable, as published on the Reserve Bank of Australia website, calculated in respect of each month (or part of a month) for which the relevant amount remains unpaid.

Pursuant to section 19(5) of the Act, the following purposes for which rateable land is used are prescribed:

Residential comprising the use of land for a detached dwelling, group dwelling, residential flat building, row dwelling or semi‑detached dwelling within the meaning of the Planning and Design

Code;

Commercial—Shop comprising the use of land for a shop within the meaning of the Planning and Design Code;

Commercial—Office comprising the use of land for an office within the meaning of the Planning and Design Code;

Commercial—Other comprising any other commercial use of land not referred to in the categories specified in paragraph (b) or (c);

Industry—Light comprising the use of land for a light industry within the meaning of the Planning and Design Code;

Industry—Other comprising any other industrial use of land not referred to in the category specified in paragraph (e);

Primary Production comprising—

farming within the meaning of the Planning and Design Code;

or

horticulture within the meaning of the Planning and Design Code;

or

the use of land for horse keeping, animal keeping or intensive animal husbandry within the meaning of the Planning and Design Code;

or

in respect of a dairy situated on a farm—the use of land for a dairy within the meaning of the Planning and Design Code; or

commercial forestry within the meaning of the Planning and Design

Code;

Vacant land comprising the non‑use of vacant land;

Other comprising any other use of land not referred to in a previous category.

Pursuant to section 19(3)(d) of the Act, the operation of section 152(2) of the Local

Government Act 1999 is modified—

as if it extended to a separate rate as well as a fixed charge;

and

as if—

section 152(2)(c) provided that if a separate rate is a fixed charge based on a factor referred to in section 19(3)(a)(ii) or (iii) of the

Northern Parklands

Act 2025 and is imposed in respect of 2 or more pieces of contiguous rateable land (being land that is owned by the same owner and occupied by the same occupier), then only 1 fixed charge may be imposed against the whole of the land; and

section 152(2)(d) provided that if a separate rate is a fixed charge based on the factor referred to in section 19(3)(a)(ii) of the

Northern Parklands

Act 2025 and is imposed in respect of land constituting a single farm enterprise, then only 1 fixed charge may be imposed against the whole of the land.

Pursuant to section 19(3)(d) of the Act, the operation of section 159(9) of the Local

Government Act 1999 is modified—

so as to not require a council that grants to a person or body a rebate of general rates under section 166 of the

Local Government

Act 1999 to grant a comparable rebate of a Northern

Parklands levy to the person or body; and

so as to allow a council to grant to a person or body a rebate of a

Northern Parklands levy under section 166 of the

Local Government

Act 1999 that is different to a rebate of general rates granted to the person or body.

In this regulation—

Planning and Design Code means the Planning and

Design Code under the Planning,

Development and Infrastructure Act 2016.

For the purposes of section 38(b) of the Act, the following periods are prescribed:

21 days; or

if another period is authorised by the statutory trust—that period.

A person must not, while in trust parklands—

behave in a disorderly or offensive manner; or

use threatening, insulting, abusive or indecent language;

or

create a disturbance or nuisance; or

wilfully obstruct, disturb or harass another person engaged in the proper use of the trust parklands.

Maximum penalty: $1 250.

Expiation fee: $160.

A person must not, without the permission of the responsible statutory trust, while in trust parklands—

carry, use or discharge a firearm, airgun or other weapon;

or

deposit litter or other waste except in an area or receptacle provided for that purpose; or

camp in an area other than a clearly designated camping area;

or

light, maintain or use a fire other than in a clearly designated fire place; or

leave a fire without effectively extinguishing it; or

leave property unattended for more than 24 hours; or

erect a marquee, booth, gazebo or other similar structure that is not intended solely for camping or other personal use; or

use a sound amplification device or other noisy equipment;

or

distribute printed matter; or

post, paint or otherwise display an advertisement, bill, sign, poster, placard, banner or flag; or

sell anything or offer anything for sale, conduct a business or provide a service; or

sell raffle or lottery tickets or take up a collection.

Maximum penalty: $1 250.

Expiation fee: $160.

A person must not, without the permission of the responsible statutory trust, bring an animal other than a dog into trust parklands. Maximum penalty: $750. Expiation fee: $105.

If a person brings a dog into trust parklands, the person must—

ensure that the dog does not enter or remain in an area of trust parklands indicated by signs or markings or a combination of signs and markings (erected or displayed with the authority of the responsible statutory trust) as an area in which dogs are not permitted; and

exercise effective control over the dog at all times while it is in trust parklands. Maximum penalty: $750. Expiation fee: $105.

For the purposes of this regulation, a dog is under the effective control of a person if—

the person is exercising effective control of the dog—

by means of a chain, cord or leash that does not exceed 2 m in length restraining the dog; or

by command, the dog being in close proximity to the person and the person being able to see the dog at all times; or

the person has effectively secured the dog—

by placing it in a cage, vehicle or other object or structure;

or

by tethering it to a fixed object by means of a chain, cord or leash that does not exceed 2 m in length.

Subregulation (2)(a) does not apply to an assistance dog within the meaning of the Dog and Cat

Management Act 1995.

A person who drives or rides a motor vehicle in trust parklands must not, unless authorised by the responsible statutory trust—

drive or ride at a speed greater than 15 kph unless otherwise indicated (with the authority of the responsible statutory trust) by signs or markings or a combination of signs and markings; or

drive or ride at a speed greater than 15 kph unless otherwise indicated (with the authority of the responsible statutory trust) by signs or markings or a combination of signs and markings; or

fail to pay a parking fee indicated (with the authority of the responsible statutory trust) by signs or markings or a combination of signs and markings; or

fail to comply with any other speed, parking or other traffic restriction or direction indicated (with the authority of the responsible statutory trust) by signs or markings or a combination of signs and markings;

or

drive or ride except on roads, tracks or areas that are set aside by the responsible statutory trust for that purpose; or

drive or ride in such a manner as to cause undue noise to be emitted from the vehicle; or

park or leave the vehicle in a position that obstructs access to or use of trust parklands or a place in trust parklands; or

drive or ride in a dangerous or careless manner or without reasonable consideration for others; or

fail to comply with any reasonable speed, parking or other traffic direction of an authorised officer (within the meaning of section 40 of the Act).

Maximum penalty: $750.

Expiation fee: $105.

An authorisation or permission granted by a statutory trust under these regulations—

must be in writing or, if given orally, must be confirmed in writing as soon as practicable; and

may be granted to persons of a specified class; and

may be subject to conditions (including a condition requiring payment of a fee) specified by the statutory trust.