# 2021 Northern Territory local elections

The 2021 Northern Territory local elections were held on 28 August 2021 to elect the councils of the 17 local government areas (LGAs) in the Northern Territory, Australia. Six councils also held mayoral elections.
303 candidates contested the elections to fill a total of 159 council and mayoral positions. Two councils did not have enough nominations to fill all vacancies, causing supplementary elections to be held.
A record number of voters were on the electoral roll, with an increase of more than 5,000 people compared to the 2017 elections. More than 25,000 people voted at an early voting centre.

## Party changes before elections

A number of councillors joined or left parties before the 2021 elections.
| Council | Ward | Councillor | Former party | New party | Date |
| Alice Springs | Unsubdivided | Eli Melky | Independent | Country | 8 February 2019 |
| Alice Springs | Unsubdivided | Marli Banks | Independent | Country | 14 June 2019 |
| Alice Springs | Unsubdivided | Catherine Satour | Independent | Country | 14 June 2019 |
| Alice Springs | Unsubdivided | Matt Paterson | Independent | Territory Alliance | 11 May 2020 |
| Alice Springs | Unsubdivided | Matt Paterson | Territory Alliance | Independent | Late 2020 |
| Alice Springs | Unsubdivided | Eli Melky | Federation | Independent | 20 August 2021 |

## Results
### Mayoral elections

Mayors in italics did not recontest their positions.
| Council | Before | Before | Before | Result after preference distribution | Result after preference distribution | Result after preference distribution | Result after preference distribution | Result after preference distribution | Result after preference distribution |
| Council | Mayor | Party | Party | Party | Party | Candidate | % | Result | Result |
| Alice Springs | Damien Ryan | | Country Liberal | | Independent | Matt Paterson | 50.01 | | Independent gain |
| Alice Springs | Damien Ryan | | Country Liberal | | Independent | Jimmy Cocking | 49.99 | | Independent gain |
| Barkly | Steve Edgington | | Country Liberal | | Independent | Jeffrey McLaughlin | 65.29 | | Independent gain |
| Barkly | Steve Edgington | | Country Liberal | | Independent | Hal Ruger | 34.71 | | Independent gain |
| Darwin | Kon Vatskalis | | Labor | | Labor | Kon Vatskalis | 57.23 | | Labor hold |
| Darwin | Kon Vatskalis | | Labor | | Independent | Amye Un | 12.69 | | Labor hold |
| Katherine | Fay Miller | | Country Liberal | | Independent | Lis Clark | 53.89 | | Independent gain |
| Katherine | Fay Miller | | Country Liberal | | Independent | Kevin South | 46.11 | | Independent gain |
| Litchfield | Maree Bredhauer | | Independent | | Independent | Doug Barden | 54.68 | | Independent gain |
| Litchfield | Maree Bredhauer | | Independent | | Independent | Maree Bredhauer | 45.32 | | Independent gain |
| Palmerston | Athina Pascoe-Bell | | Independent | | Independent | Athina Pascoe-Bell | 73.99 | | Independent hold |
| Palmerston | Athina Pascoe-Bell | | Independent | | Independent | Ryan Pettifer | 15.61 | | Independent hold |

### Council totals

| Council | Seats | Seats | Seats | Seats |
| Council | Independents | Labor | Country Liberal | Greens |
| Alice Springs | 7 | Did not contest | 1 | 0 |
| Barkly | 10 | Did not contest | Did not contest | 1 |
| Belyuen | 5 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| Central Desert | 4 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| Coomalie | 4 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| Darwin | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| East Arnhem | 6 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| Katherine | 6 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| Litchfield | 6 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| MacDonnell | 6 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| Palmerston | 7 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| Roper Gulf | 11 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| Tiwi Islands | 11 | Did not contest | 1 | Did not contest |
| Victoria Daly | 2 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| Wagait | 5 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| West Arnhem | 12 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |
| West Daly | 5 | Did not contest | Did not contest | Did not contest |

## Aftermath

The Alice Springs mayoral election was decided by just two votes, the closest result that Northern Territory Electoral Commissioner Iain Loganathan said he had ever seen. Unsuccessful candidate Jimmy Cocking requested a new recount, but it was rejected by the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal in October 2021.

## By-elections

| Council | Ward | Before | Before | Before | Change | Change | Result after preference distribution | Result after preference distribution | Result after preference distribution | Result after preference distribution | Result after preference distribution |
| Council | Ward | Councillor | Party | Party | Cause | Date | Date | Party | Party | Candidate | % |
| Coomalie | Batchelor Township | | | | | | 20 November 2021 | | Independent | Richard Luxton | 60.00 |
| Coomalie | Batchelor Township | | | | | | 20 November 2021 | | Independent | Bill Baldwin | 26.15 |
| Central Desert | Akityarre | | | | | | 10 February 2022 | | Independent | Rosslyn Campbell | N/A |
| Central Desert | Akityarre | | | | | | 10 February 2022 | | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed |
| West Daly | Nganmarriyanga | | | | | | 10 February 2022 | | Independent | Terry Sams | N/A |
| West Daly | Nganmarriyanga | | | | | | 10 February 2022 | | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed |
| East Arnhem | Gumurr Gattjirrk | | | | | | 17 February 2022 | | Independent | Joe Djakala | N/A |
| East Arnhem | Gumurr Gattjirrk | | | | | | 17 February 2022 | | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed |
| East Arnhem | Gumurr Miyarkka | | | | | | 17 February 2022 | | Independent | Wesley Bandi Bandi Wunungmurra | N/A |
| East Arnhem | Gumurr Miyarkka | | | | | | 17 February 2022 | | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed |
| Roper Gulf | Numbulwar Numburindi | | | | | | 17 February 2022 | | Independent | Kathy-Anne Numamurdirdi | N/A |
| Roper Gulf | Numbulwar Numburindi | | | | | | 17 February 2022 | | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed |
| East Arnhem | Gumurr Miwatj | | | | | | 7 July 2022 | | Independent | Marrpalawuy Marika | 61.74 |
| East Arnhem | Gumurr Miwatj | | | | | | 7 July 2022 | | Independent | Wesley Dhamarrandji | 18.79 |
| East Arnhem | Anindilyakwa | | | | | | 22 July 2022 | | Independent | Lionel Jaragba | N/A |
| East Arnhem | Anindilyakwa | | | | | | 22 July 2022 | | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed |
| East Arnhem | Gumurr Miyarkka | | | | | | 22 July 2022 | | Independent | Bobby Wunungmurra | N/A |
| East Arnhem | Gumurr Miyarkka | | | | | | 22 July 2022 | | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed |
| Darwin | Waters | Justine Glover | | Independent | Resignation | 3 May 2022 | 7 July 2022 | | Independent | Kim Farrar | 51.20 |
| Darwin | Waters | Justine Glover | | Independent | Resignation | 3 May 2022 | 7 July 2022 | | Country Liberal | Gary Haslett | 24.45 |
| Central Desert | Anmatjere | | | | | | 4 November 2022 | No nominations received |
| Alice Springs | Unsubdivided | Jimmy Cocking | | Independent | Resignation | 2022 | 29 October 2022 | | Independent | Gavin Morris | 56.77 |
| Alice Springs | Unsubdivided | Jimmy Cocking | | Independent | Resignation | 2022 | 29 October 2022 | | Country Liberal | Sean Heenan | 43.23 |
| West Arnhem | Gunbalanya | | | | | | 18 March 2023 | | Independent | Gabby Gumurdul | 70.80 |
| West Arnhem | Gunbalanya | | | | | | 18 March 2023 | | Independent | Owen Naborlhborlh | 29.20 |
| Barkly | Alyawarr | | | | | | 6 April 2023 | | Independent | Lucy Jackson | N/A |
| Barkly | Alyawarr | | | | | | 6 April 2023 | | Independent | Mark Peterson | N/A |
| Barkly | Alyawarr | | | | | | 6 April 2023 | | Elected unopposed (two vacancies) | Elected unopposed (two vacancies) | Elected unopposed (two vacancies) |
| East Arnhem | Gumurr Miwatj | | | | | | 5 May 2023 | | Independent | Marrpalawuy Marika | 76.90 |
| East Arnhem | Gumurr Miwatj | | | | | | 5 May 2023 | | Independent | Ineke Wallis | 23.10 |
| Barkly | Patta | | | | | | 6 May 2023 | | Independent | Elliot McAdam | 33.83 |
| Barkly | Patta | | | | | | 6 May 2023 | | Independent | Sharon Lake | 25.30 |
| MacDonnell | Rodinga | | | | | | 19 May 2023 | | Independent | Andrew Davis | N/A |
| MacDonnell | Rodinga | | | | | | 19 May 2023 | | Independent | Aloyiscois Hayes | N/A |
| MacDonnell | Rodinga | | | | | | 19 May 2023 | | Elected unopposed (two vacancies) | Elected unopposed (two vacancies) | Elected unopposed (two vacancies) |
| Central Desert | Anmatjere | N/A | | N/A | No nominations received | 4 November 2022 | 16 June 2023 | | Independent | David McCormack | N/A |
| Central Desert | Anmatjere | N/A | | N/A | No nominations received | 4 November 2022 | 16 June 2023 | | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed |
| Central Desert | Southern Tanami | | | | | | 16 June 2023 | | Independent | Warren Williams | N/A |
| Central Desert | Southern Tanami | | | | | | 16 June 2023 | | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed |
| MacDonnell | Luritja Pintubi | | | | | | 16 June 2023 | | Independent | Tommy Jabanardi Conway | 58.90 |
| MacDonnell | Luritja Pintubi | | | | | | 16 June 2023 | | Independent | Amos Egan | 41.10 |
| Belyuen | Unsubdivided | | | | | | 13 July 2023 | No nominations received |
| Katherine | Unsubdivided | | | | | | 15 July 2023 | | Independent | Kerrie Mott | 27.39 |
| Katherine | Unsubdivided | | | | | | 15 July 2023 | | Independent | Peter McDougall | 27.28 |
| Victoria Daly | Timber Creek | | | | | | 27 July 2023 | | Independent | Deborah Jones | N/A |
| Victoria Daly | Timber Creek | | | | | | 27 July 2023 | | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed |
| Tiwi Islands | Bathurst Island | Peter Kantilla | | Independent | Resignation forced after not attending council meetings | 22 February 2023 | 3 August 2023 | | Independent | John Ross Pilakui | N/A |
| Tiwi Islands | Bathurst Island | Peter Kantilla | | Independent | Resignation forced after not attending council meetings | 22 February 2023 | 3 August 2023 | | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed |
| Roper Gulf | Never Never | | | | | | 1 September 2023 | No nominations received |
| Darwin | Lyons | Paul Arnold | | Independent | Resignation | 3 May 2023 | 2 September 2023 | | Independent | Sam Weston | 53.03 |
| Darwin | Lyons | Paul Arnold | | Independent | Resignation | 3 May 2023 | 2 September 2023 | | Greens | Suki Dorras-Walker | 46.97 |
| West Arnhem | Kakadu | | | | | | 9 September 2023 | | Independent | Mickitja Onus | 61.00 |
| West Arnhem | Kakadu | | | | | | 9 September 2023 | | Independent | Charlotte Meneer | 39.00 |
| Tiwi Islands | Bathurst Island | | | | | | 28 September 2023 | | Independent | Deanne Rioli | N/A |
| Tiwi Islands | Bathurst Island | | | | | | 28 September 2023 | | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed | Elected unopposed |
| Roper Gulf | Never Never | N/A | | N/A | No nominations received | 4 November 2022 | 9 September 2023 | | Independent | Edna Prescilla Iles | 56.93 |
| Roper Gulf | Never Never | N/A | | N/A | No nominations received | 4 November 2022 | 9 September 2023 | | Independent | Cecilia Lake | 43.07 |