Northern Territory to become Northern Australia? COAG supports statehood for NT by July 2018

The Northern Territory could become Australia's seventh state in less than three years with support for the move gathering at COAG.

A communique from the leader's retreat at the gathering said leaders supported the idea of Darwin becoming a state capital by July 1, 2018.

The NT Chief Minister is expected to report on progress of the change at the next meeting of COAG.

Despite a number of previous efforts from various parties to push for NT statehood, Territorians themselves voted against it in a 1998 referendum.

The 'Yes' vote was narrowly defeated 51.9 percent to 48.1 percent at the time.