JOINT MEDIA RELEASE
Broad condemnation of NT Government's intention to amend child protection legislation
More than 330 organisations from across the Northern Territory and Australia are united in condemning the NT
Government's intention to amend the Care and Protection of Children Act 2007.
“We strongly reject the NT Government's deliberate portrayal of Aboriginal families, communities, and culture
as a risk to children's safety,” Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory (APONT) chair Theresa Roe said.
“This narrative is dangerous, ignorant, and wrong. It erases the love, strength, and protection that Aboriginal
families, communities, country and culture provide every day.”
Numerous studies confirm that culture and connection to Country are protective factors for children. This
is consistent with the daily experience of frontline workers and organisations.
The current crisis
The NT already faces a devastating child removal crisis: 90% of children in out-of-home care are Aboriginal, yet
only 16.7% are placed with relatives or kin. This is the lowest rate of kinship placement in Australia.
The problem is not the legislation. It is a failure of NT Government implementation, investment, and accountability.
Legislative amendments will make things worse.
We oppose changes to legislation that:
• Removes or dilutes the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle;
• Removes or dilutes Aboriginal concepts of kinship;
• Makes it easier for the department to remove children from families;
• Makes it more difficult for children to be placed in, or remain in, kinship care;
• Makes it more difficult for Aboriginal children to be re-unified with family and returned to Country.
Lowering the threshold for child removal and fast-tracking long-term placements will deepen an already
devastating crisis, with consequences for generations of Aboriginal Territorians. Removing children does
not necessarily make them safer. Countless people carry life-long damage from out-of-home care
experiences, particularly when cut off from family, culture, and Country.
Abolishing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle, which the NT Government is
already failing to uphold, is a race-based attempt to blame Aboriginal families for conditions created by
government failure and moves us further from Closing the Gap targets.
On 12 May 2026, the Northern Territory Children’s Commissioner, Shahleena Musk, and the National
Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, Sue-Anne Hunter,
urgently called on the Northern Territory Government to immediately halt proposed legislative reforms that will
affect the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle.
Ignoring the collective voices of Commissioners, community leaders and frontline organisations is not good
governance or law reform.
What is actually needed
If the NT Government is serious about child safety, it must invest in what keeps children safe: adequate housing,
early intervention and family support, family violence responses, mental health and alcohol and other drug
support, and culturally safe services. Giving the Department of Child and Family more power to remove children
is not a substitute for supporting families to stay together.
“The priority must be genuine partnership with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, leaders and
Commissioners who understand the realities facing children and families on the ground,” Catherine Liddle,
SNAICC CEO says.
These 330 organisations call on the NT Government to abandon these amendments and invest in the supports
Aboriginal families urgently need.
Ends/…
Media contacts: NAAJA Emily Murphy-O’Neill
Media Strategy & Communications Officer
Phone: 0455 556 412
Email: emily.murphyoneill@naaja.org.au
Website: https://www.naaja.org.au/
WE ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING MEMBERSHIP AND EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST TO BE A NTAECC DIRECTOR
ABORIGINAL PEARK ORGANISATIONS OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY - APONT
NTAECC
After years of lobbying and implementation of a funding agreement administered by the education departments of NT Labor and CLP governments’ the Aboriginal Peak Organisations NT Aboriginal Corporation (APONT) has established a peak representative body for education for the NT.
The name of the legal entity is the NT Aboriginal Education Consultative Council Aboriginal Corporation ICN 11857.
The corporation will be known as NTAECC for consistency and alignment with the names of Indigenous peak bodies for education around Australia.
NTAECC was incorporated as a legal entity under the CATSI Act in April 2026. NTAECC will be an advisory body to governments to ensure our voice is heard when it comes to education for Aboriginal people in the NT.
Objectives
1. Enter into a partnership agreement with the NT Department of Education and Training and become a member of NATSIEC
2. Establish partnership approaches and advocate to ensure all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Northern Territory receive quality, culturally appropriate and accessible education at all levels
3. Support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to lead education initiatives which transmit their histories, languages, traditions and culture through education, training and learning
4. Build education and learning into community values, norms and practices as the basis of building knowledge, skills and capabilities to improve economic and social prosperity in Aboriginal communities.
5. Support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educators, staff and students in their education, training and learning aspirations, including the provision of appropriate career pathways and pathways for further education and training.
6. Advance Commonwealth and Northern Territory Government commitments to Closing the Gap Priority Reform 1—Formal partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
7. Advance Commonwealth and Northern Territory Government commitments to Closing the Gap priority reforms and socio-economic outcome areas that target education.
8. Ensure free, prior and informed consent in decision making and when engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities regarding decisions about education, training and learning issues
Governance.
In the first three months after incorporation the corporation will be governed by an interim board of directors with up to 12 members. The interim board of directors will:
1. Develop strategies to attract membership of the corporation
2. Represent NAETECC at Territory and National education forums, and
3. Act as an advisory body to Territory and Commonwealth governments
The term of the interim board of directors will end at the first general meeting due three months after the date of incorporation. At the first general meeting the term of the interim board of directors will end and the positions will be declared vacant. The members in attendance at the meeting will elect and appoint a new board of directors for a term of 2 years.
The corporation will ask members to appoint directors who are resident in regions throughout the NT.
The appointed directors will have experience and/or qualifications in specialist areas of education and have:
• current or previous employment in the NT education system
• cultural knowledge and authority
Together, the directors will have experience and/or qualifications in early childhood education, primary education, secondary education, vocational education and training, higher education and homeland schooling.
Membership
The corporation will have two classes of membership
A Full Member must be:
• at least 15 years old
• an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person that permanently resides in the Northern Territory
An Associate Member must be:
• at least 18 years old
• a person who is not eligible to be a full member
• a permanent resident in the Northern Territory
Directors:
There will be a maximum of 12 directors
A director must be:
• at least 18 years old
• be a Full Member
IF THIS IS YOU - WE ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING MEMBERSHIP AND EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST TO BE A NTAECC DIRECTOR
Please complete the membership form and the director nomination if you would like to be appointed as a director.
Application for membership form and
Board MemberNomination form
Please send forms or if you have questions please see contact details below:
education@apont.org.au
Phone: 08 7936 8620
9A Rowling Street, Casuarina NT 0810
