22 August 2026
Good morning, and welcome to the 2026 Northern Territory Police Association Annual Conference, proudly sponsored by BankVic, a trusted Corporate Partner of the NTPA.
It is my privilege to welcome and acknowledge our distinguished guests: Chief Minister of the Northern Territory and Minister for Police, the Honourable Lia Finocchiaro MLA, Acting Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Police, Mr. Ed Smelt MLA, Commissioner of the Northern Territory Police Force, Mr. Martin Dole APM, Police Federation of Australia Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Scott Weber APM, President Garda Representative Association, Mr. Niall Hodgins, and Presidents and representatives of Police Associations and Unions from across Australia and New Zealand.
Most importantly, I welcome our NTPA Delegates, Executive Members and staff, the people whose commitment and service give this Association its strength.
This year marks 87 years since the Northern Territory Police Association was formed. Across those decades, governments, Commissioners and circumstances have changed, but our purpose has not: to stand beside our members, protect their rights, advance their employment conditions, and ensure their voice is heard wherever decisions affecting policing are made.
That purpose is as important today as it has ever been. The NTPA enters this Conference determined to work with our members, our partners and the Northern Territory Police Force to shape meaningful change - change that strengthens policing and, above all, delivers better outcomes for the people we represent.
A YEAR OF TRANSITION AND THE NEED FOR TRUST
Last year, I stood before you and spoke of a Police Force in limbo. Our members had endured another period of instability at the very top of the organisation, at a time when certainty, direction and confidence were desperately needed.
Since then, Martin Dole APM has been appointed as the 15th Commissioner of the Northern Territory Police Force. Commissioner, we acknowledge the responsibility you have accepted and the importance of providing our members with stable, accountable and consistent leadership.
Yet instability has not disappeared. Delays in filling key Senior Executive positions have prolonged uncertainty in an organisation that has already experienced far too much turbulence in recent years.
We look forward to the vacant Deputy Commissioner positions being finalised as soon as possible, and to the flow-on appointments that should bring much-needed certainty throughout the leadership structure.
Our members have had enough of prolonged acting arrangements. They want leaders who can take ownership of their roles, make decisions with confidence and be accountable to them. They deserve to know who the future leaders of the Northern Territory Police Force are - and to have confidence that those leaders will provide the strength, consistency and stability the organisation needs.
Appointments may resolve the immediate question of who occupies a position. They do not, by themselves, restore confidence. The broader lesson of recent years must not be forgotten: trust is hard-won and easily lost.
Recruitment, promotion and executive decision-making must therefore be transparent, merit-based and capable of withstanding scrutiny. Our members must be confident that the standards expected of them are applied equally - from the newest recruit to the most senior levels of the organisation.
That is the only way that our members and, for that matter, the NT community will have faith, confidence, and trust in the leadership of the NT Police Force.
Stability is not simply about having names beside positions on an organisational chart. Real stability comes from confidence in the people who lead, the processes they follow, and the decisions that shape our workplace.
The NTPA’s position is clear. We will work constructively with the Commissioner and the Police Force Executive whenever that work advances the interests, safety and protection of our members. Equally, where decisions fall short, we will say so. We will ask the difficult questions, we will challenge where necessary, and we will do so without apology. I suspect the Police Force Executive can already attest to that.
OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOVERNMENT
Chief Minister, your government was elected on a strong law-and-order platform. Northern Territory police officers have carried a significant share of the responsibility for delivering that agenda. I acknowledge and thank our members for the work they have done - and continue to do every day - to make the Northern Territory safer.
Over the past two years, the relationship between Government and the NTPA has, at times, been difficult. We have disagreed strongly on pay, retention, consultation, workforce reform and the manner in which significant policy decisions have been announced.
But disagreement need not prevent progress. When both sides engage genuinely, listen carefully and negotiate in good faith, meaningful outcomes are possible. The 2025 Consent Agreement negotiations demonstrated exactly that - our members stood together, and Government ultimately listened.
The NTPA will continue to be direct. We will continue to advocate strongly. And we will continue to expect Government to consult the Association before decisions are made that materially affect the working lives, safety and employment conditions of our police officers. Consultation after the decision is not consultation.
One continuing concern is the practical impact of current workforce arrangements. DCDD Workforce Services now holds responsibility for key HR records and processes, with NT Police relying on DCDD systems and the agency Workforce Business Partner.
For the NTPA, this is not simply opposition to a machinery-of-government change. The real question is whether centralising HR has created too much distance between police members and those responsible for administering employment decisions. We have seen slower and less responsive case management, uncertainty about accountability between NTPF and DCDD, and processes that do not always reflect the unique operational and industrial environment of policing.
We confront these consequences every day on behalf of members: delays in Respect, Equity and Diversity complaints being investigated or resolved; delays in payroll updates; and delays to electronic allowance claiming. Members have been forced to submit manual claims because MyPaysheet has not been updated to align with the 2025 Northern Territory Police Force Consent Agreement. An agreement that was finalised and filed with the Police Arbitral Tribunal on 12 November 2025 – almost one year ago.
Corporate efficiency must never come at the expense of effective workforce support for police officers. Government must be prepared to ask whether the DCDD model is genuinely delivering better outcomes for members - or whether an essential workforce function has simply been moved away from the agency while Police and its members are left to manage the consequences.
Our relationship with Government is not defined only by disagreement. We acknowledge support when it is provided. A recent example is the disease-testing provisions under the Police Administration Act, together with assurances that Government will prioritise our request for further measures to protect and support members exposed to biological hazards.
Where Government acts to strengthen member safety, the NTPA will recognise it.
THE 2025 CONSENT AGREEMENT - WHAT UNITY ACHIEVED
The 2025 Consent Agreement negotiations were among the most difficult our Association has faced in recent years. The initial offers did not reflect the realities of policing in the Northern Territory, and the NTPA - backed by our members - made that position unmistakably clear.
Throughout that process, our membership demonstrated something powerful:
Our membership is united and will not be ignored.
Further negotiations delivered a substantially improved final package: salary increases of 5 per cent, 4 per cent, 3 per cent and 3 per cent across the agreement; a CPI protection mechanism in the fourth year; retention of existing housing entitlements; improved overtime provisions; and additional recognition for Aboriginal Community Police Officers.
The final offer was supported by the NTPA and overwhelmingly endorsed by our members.
Those outcomes were not handed to us. They were achieved because members participated, voted, stood behind their Association and placed their trust in the NTPA Consent Agreement negotiating team to pursue the strongest possible outcome. That unity mattered. It gave our position authority, and it delivered results.
The agreement gives us a stronger platform, but it does not remove the ongoing pressure on attraction and retention. Northern Territory pay and conditions must remain competitive with - and where necessary ahead of - other jurisdictions. The experience, resilience and professional value of Northern Territory police officers must continue to be recognised.
I thank the Northern Territory Government for listening and for supporting an outcome the NTPA regards as one of the strongest agreements delivered for our members in the past 20 years.
RETENTION - EXPERIENCE MUST BE VALUED
Retention cannot be reduced to a single payment, a single initiative or a single year. The real question is whether an experienced officer can look at a career in the Northern Territory and see a future worth staying for.
That requires remuneration and conditions that recognise the demands our members face every day. It requires secure housing, fair access to promotion and professional development, manageable workloads and safe workplaces. And it requires something just as important: respect - from the organisation and from the Government our members serve.
Last year, we raised serious concerns about the structure of Government’s milestone-based retention payments and the divisions they created between members performing the same work. Our position remains unchanged: retention measures must be fair, transparent and genuinely designed to keep experienced officers in the Territory.
Every retention initiative should be judged against one simple question: does it give an experienced member a stronger reason to stay? If the answer is no, then it is not a retention strategy.
POLICE PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS - FROM ANNOUNCEMENT TO REALITY
Last year, the Police Public Safety Officer model was still an announcement, surrounded by significant questions about consultation, industrial obligations, training, roles and its impact on frontline policing.
In 2026, the model moved from proposal to operation. The first PPSO squad commenced training in February, with officers beginning operational duties from 29 June.
The NTPA recognises the contribution these officers can make to visible policing and the response to antisocial behaviour. But commencement of the model is not the end of the conversation. We have an ongoing responsibility to scrutinise how it operates and to advocate for improvements that protect PPSOs, sworn officers and the broader workforce we represent.
We are closely watching the practical impact: whether duties are clearly defined; whether training and supervision are adequate; whether PPSOs are properly resourced; and, critically, whether the model genuinely relieves pressure on sworn constables rather than creating new gaps, risks or responsibilities.
Workforce reform must never become a substitute for recruiting and retaining enough fully trained constables. You do not strengthen the frontline by simply transferring pressure from one group of employees to another.
THE CONTINUED PRESSURE ON FRONTLINE POLICING
The fundamental challenge has not changed: policing in the Northern Territory is exceptionally demanding. Our members cover enormous distances, serve communities with vastly different needs, and work in circumstances that routinely expose them to violence, trauma, fatigue and complex social harm.
The scale of that task is difficult to overstate. Our Police Force serves a jurisdiction of approximately 1.35 million square kilometres. Ireland could fit within the Northern Territory roughly 16 times; Victoria roughly six times. That vast geography is not an abstract statistic - it shapes response times, staffing, logistics, relief, infrastructure and the daily reality of policing across the Territory.
The public rightly expects police to respond when things go wrong and when assistance is needed. Our members accept that responsibility. What they cannot be expected to accept is ever-increasing demand without the staffing, infrastructure and support required to perform that work safely and effectively.
Every new law, operational initiative and policy announcement carries a workforce consequence. Government and the Police Executive must assess that consequence before implementation — not after our members have been left to absorb it.
Consultation is not red tape. Consultation is how sound policy identifies risk, tests assumptions and avoids predictable failure.
WATCH HOUSES AND CUSTODY
Last year, we highlighted the unacceptable pressure created when police watch houses were used to hold correctional prisoners because of capacity pressures elsewhere in the justice system.
Custody environments are inherently high-risk workplaces. Overcrowding, extended detention, inadequate infrastructure and staffing shortages increase the risk to police, corrections staff and prisoners alike.
The NTPA will continue to insist that police watch houses are properly staffed, properly resourced and used for the policing purpose for which they are designed. Pressure in one part of the justice system cannot simply be transferred to police and relabelled as somebody else’s workload.
REMOTE POLICING
Remote policing remains one of the most significant workforce challenges we face.
Our members serving remote communities undertake some of the most demanding policing in Australia. They work far from specialist support, often with limited relief, and depend on housing, communications, vehicles and station infrastructure that must be reliable and fit for purpose.
The case for investment is straightforward. If Government expects experienced police officers to move their families, commit to remote communities and remain there for meaningful periods, it must provide safe housing, adequate staffing, reliable infrastructure and incentives that recognise the genuine demands of remote service.
Funding announcements are welcome, but our members measure investment by what changes on the ground: whether the house is liveable, whether the station is safe, whether the roster can be filled, and whether assistance arrives when it is needed.
Remote policing cannot be sustained on goodwill alone. It requires deliberate, sustained investment in the people who serve there and the conditions in which they serve.
WELLBEING - ACTION, NOT SLOGANS
The wellbeing of our members remains the number one priority of the Northern Territory Police Association.
Police officers are repeatedly exposed to traumatic incidents, assaults, violence and human suffering. That exposure is cumulative. Its effects are carried not only by officers, but by their colleagues and their families.
Wellbeing cannot be reduced to a campaign, a poster or a box-ticking exercise. It must be embedded in staffing models, rosters, supervision, injury management, fatigue management, rehabilitation and the everyday decisions made by leaders.
An early-warning system has value only if a warning leads to action. A welfare service has value only if members can access it when they need it. A policy has value only if it is applied consistently, practically and with compassion.
The NTPA will continue to press for properly resourced, evidence-based support, stronger early intervention and a workplace culture in which member health is treated as an operational priority - not an afterthought.
A STRONGER ASSOCIATION
The past year has again demonstrated why a strong Police Association matters.
Whether the issue is an industrial agreement, a disciplinary matter, a workplace injury, a remote posting, a policy change, or simply a member who needs someone in their corner, the NTPA exists to provide representation, advocacy and support.
Our strength comes from the trust of our members and from the work of our Delegates, Executive and staff across the Territory. That trust is earned, and it must never be taken for granted.
For 87 years, this Association has stood with the Northern Territory Police Force. Governments change. Commissioners change. Policies change. But one responsibility endures: the NTPA will stand up for its members.
THANK YOU
In closing, I want to express my sincere thanks to our small, deeply committed NTPA team. Your dedication to protecting and advancing the interests of our members is exceptional. Conference week is a major undertaking on top of the demanding work you perform throughout the year, and this Association is stronger because of your professionalism and commitment.
To our Executive, past and present: thank you for giving your time, experience and judgment to this Association. Your leadership ensures our members have a strong voice — in the workplace, with Government and at the highest levels of the Police Force.
To our Regional Delegates: you are the eyes, ears and voice of the NTPA in workplaces across the Territory. You are often the first person a member turns to when something goes wrong. That responsibility is significant, and the contribution you make is deeply valued.
To our corporate and legal partners: thank you for your continuing support of the Association and our members. I acknowledge our Conference Sponsor and Corporate Partner, BankVic, together with Police Health, Fleet Network, Australian Financial Advisers, Smith Real Estate, Basso Newman Accountants and Tindal Gask & Bentley.
And finally - but most importantly - to the members of the Northern Territory Police Force.
Every day, you confront adversity, uncertainty and pressure that most people will never see. Yet you continue to serve the Northern Territory community with courage, professionalism and resilience. You are the backbone of this Association. You are the reason we are here, and the reason we do what we do.
I make no apology for the passion with which the NTPA takes up your fights, asks difficult questions and demands answers. That passion comes from one place: an unwavering commitment to our members.
Our message for 2026 is clear: progress will not be measured by announcements, promises or organisational charts. It will be measured by what our members experience on the ground - safer workplaces, stronger staffing, fair conditions, genuine consultation, accountable leadership and support when it is needed. That is the standard NTPA will continue to demand, because protecting our members - now and into the future - is our enduring responsibility.
It is now my great privilege, as President of the Northern Territory Police Association, to officially open the 2026 NTPA Annual Conference.
Please join me in welcoming the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory and Minister for Police, the Honourable Lia Finocchiaro MLA, to address the Conference.
ENDS
Please direct all media enquiries to NTPA Communications Officer +61 (0) 499 017 654 or media@ntpa.com.au
The Northern Territory Police Association (NTPA) is the industrial voice of all members of the Northern Territory Police Force.
