Northern Territory Chief Minister Paul Henderson last night called the Territory election too close to call after voters delivered a massive blow to his Labor Government with swings against it of up to 18pc.

Mr Henderson said postal and absentee votes in four seats would determine his Government's fate.

"Territorians have spoken tonight. I will listen to their concerns," Mr Henderson said.

"But it's too close to call the election."

At the close of counting last night, Labor appeared to have lost at least six seats to the Country Liberals opposition, which would give it only a one seat majority in Parliament.

But there was a possibility of a hung Parliament with the balance of power in the hands of blunt speaking and popular independent Gerry Wood.

Mr Wood declined to say which party he would support in the event of a hung Parliament.

"If I held the balance of power, I would have to give serious consideration to what I would do," he said.

Mr Wood has been strongly critical of the Labor Government's planning policies.

Labor was grimly hanging on to the Darwin seat of Fannie Bay, which was held for 13 years by retiring former chief minister Clare Martin.

Postal votes will determine whether Labor's Michael Gunner can retain the seat for Labor against the Country Liberals' Garry Lambert, a former Darwin mayor.

Mr Gunner was ahead by 57 votes.

The result may not be known for days.

Opposition Leader Terry Mills told cheering supporters his party did so well because "we listened to what people have said … we know they are concerned and we have responded to those concerns with a comprehensive plan."

Mr Mills campaigned strongly on law and order issues, declaring that if elected his government would introduce mandatory sentencing for violent crimes.

Labor MPs were shattered by the result.

Ms Martin said the party she led to victories in 2001 and 2005 "needs to do some kind of hard looking at the timing of this election.

"This was an extraordinary result that nobody predicted," she said.