Bulletin 8 - Ballot open – Have your say - issued October 2026
The ballot for the proposed Northern Territory Public Sector 2026 – 2030 Dental Officers’ Enterprise Agreement (the Agreement) has now opened.
It is important that you have your say by voting on the proposed Agreement.
Your vote needs to be received prior to the ballot closing at 10am on Monday 2 November 2026.
All employees who will be covered by the proposed Agreementare eligible to vote. You do not need to be a union member to participate in the ballot.
Your pay, your future
Find out the details of the full improved offer PDF (760.2 KB).
Details of the ballot process and timeline can be found in Bulletin 5.
Key benefits
I encourage you to give favourable consideration as this offer which maintains your competitive package of allowances and other entitlements, and a range of improvements such as:
- Salary and allowance increase of 3% per annum, providing an overall compounding increase of 12.55% over 4 years.
- Improvements to Professional Development Reimbursement Payment by allowing Graduate Dentists to be eligible after 6 months and enabling advance payments to be claimed where a dental officer is required to meet substantial costs in advance of an approved professional development activity.
- A new entitlement which provides dental officers with time off in lieu, where dental officers undertake approved travel to remote communities in the course of their duties.
- Improvements to Higher Duties Allowance to allow Dental Officers who perform higher duties to be paid the allowance upon the completion of one day.
- A new Correctional Facility Allowance of 6.5% of the employee’s base salary paid for hours of duty performed in a Correctional Facility.
- New leave provisions for Organ Donor Leave and Recreation Leave at Half Pay and improvements to Personal Leave, Compassionate Leave, Plasma Donor Leave and Leave to Engage in Voluntary Emergency Management Activities.
- A more streamlined payment process for the retention and remote service allowance.
- Improvements to Allowance in lieu of Private Practice, removing the requirement for dental officers working a minimum of 0.8 FTE per week to have approved outside employment to be eligible for payment.
This offer will maintain the Northern Territory Dental Officers position among the highest remunerated Dental Officers in Australia.
Back pay has been included as part of this offer in recognition that employees have not yet had the opportunity to formally consider and vote on the proposed agreement. Employees should be aware that any potential future offers will be in accordance with the Wages Policy.
How to vote
Today, Monday 26 October 2026, you will receive an email link from Vero Engagement and Voting Solutions (Vero), providing you with your unique login credentials and details about how to cast your confidential vote.
If you do not receive this email or require assistance with how to vote, contact Vero by emailing Support@verovoting.com.au or by calling 1300 702 898.
Vero Engagement and Voting Solutions
Vero is an independent third-party provider, delivering impartial voting services Australia wide.
The Vero ballot process ensures all employee personal details, and their vote remain confidential with end-to-end encryption and anonymity to ensure integrity of the ballot process.
Make your vote count
Every vote is important and can make a difference. I encourage you to give favourable consideration to this offer however they way you vote is your choice and will be confidential.
More information
Links to the proposed agreement, explanatory notes and relevant documents referenced in the proposed agreement are available in Bulletin 6. There should also be hard copies of the proposed agreement and explanatory notes in your workplace.
For further information on the proposed agreement, the explanatory notes or the ballot process, please contact OCPE by email at enquiries.ocpe@nt.gov.au or call 08 8999 4282.
Regular updates in relation to the bargaining process will be posted on the OCPE webpage dedicated to the Dental Officers Enterprise Agreement.
Nicole Hurwood
Commissioner for Public Employment
October 2026