Katherine Local Court will be open and sitting on the previously listed circuit court days.

At this stage circuit court services will resume on May 1 as per the current court calendars, and additional days may be required.

These measures will not affect Tennant Creek Local Court dates.

Matters affected by these measures will be heard in their base jurisdiction in order to be adjourned. i.e. all Lajamanu Local Court matters listed on March 17 will be heard at Katherine Local Court on March 17.

For circuits which involve multiple sitting days all matters will be heard in the base jurisdiction on the first day of the sitting in order to be adjourned. i.e. all Alyangula Local Court matters listed March 17-19 will be heard in Darwin Local Court on March 17.

Custody matters will be dealt with in the base jurisdiction with defendants appearing by AVL from correctional facilities at first instance. Where possible, matters will proceed from the base jurisdiction.

Until further notice all applications made for video and audio link will be fast-tracked. As usual, urgent domestic violence orders can be dealt by audio link.

Meanwhile, the Northern Land Council has announced the suspension of all permits to enter Aboriginal Land for non-essential travel in response to COVID-19.

Following earlier advice last week, the NLC that all non-essential travel to Aboriginal communities should be avoided, at its meeting on Saturday the NLC Executive Council determined that all existing non-essential permits will be suspended and no new non-essential travel permits will be granted until further notice.

NLC CEO Marion Scrymgour said: "The NLC has received many calls from community members asking that we do all we can to ensure the safety and protection of Aboriginal people in their communities who are very concerned about the spread of COVID-19."

"To be clear, this decision will not affect the permits issued to those people - the doctors, nurses, teachers, police officers, council workers and others - that provide essential services for Aboriginal people out bush," Ms Scrymgour said.

The NLC Executive Council has further directed the NLC CEO to raise with the Commonwealth the concerns held by the traditional Aboriginal owners of the Kakadu National Park about continuing park access arrangements.

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