Bulletin 1 - Consent Agreement Offer made - issued 28 April 2025
A strong offer to support Police: Fair and focused retention
The Northern Territory Government has made a formal offer to the Northern Territory Police Association (NTPA) as part of the current Enterprise Agreement (EA) negotiations.
This offer supports a stronger NT Police Force and recognises the vital work of officers across the Territory.
The package delivers real benefits for members and strengthens our ability to attract and retain skilled police officers.
Key Improvements
Four-year agreement for stability
Agreement runs to 12 months after the last salary increase, offering job certainty and secured
conditions.
Annual pay increases above CPI
- 3% salary increase per year over four years (starting 30 June 2025).
- Salaries to remain ahead of Darwin CPI for the life of the agreement,
$6,500 retention incentive payment
- Paid in the fourth year to members with 4+ years continuous service by 31 December 2028.
- Pro-rata for 1-3 years' service ($1,625-$4,875).
Frontline and remote service recognised
- 1% increase to General Policing Allowance (from 5% to 6%).
- 1% increase to Remote Incentive Allowance (Group A & B).
- Remote Sergeants keep base pay rate when transferring back to an urban centre after 2+ years of remote service.
Better overtime and higher duties conditions
- 'Overtime with notice' increased from time and a half to double time.
- Higher duties paid from day one (after one shift), down from 40 hours.
What's in the offer?
Terms of Agreement
The new Agreement to have a four-year term. This will provide certainty and secured terms and conditions over the period.
Annual salary and income related increases
3% per annum salary increase with the first increase to apply from 30 June 2025. This provides compounding salary increases of 12.56% over the life of the Agreement. This increase would continue to deliver above inflation pay rises.
Retention Incentive Payment
Separate to the 2025 retention incentive committed to by Government outside this Agreement, a Retention Incentive Payment of $6,500 to all officers who have more than 4 years continuous service as at 31 December 2028 (pro-rata for lesser years at $4,875 - 3 years; $3,250 - 2 years; $1,625 - 1 year) to recognise and encourage retention.
To avoid duplication, this payment would be reduced by any retention incentive payment paid to an officer in 2025 under the Government's separate retention commitment.
Increase to General Policing Allowance (clause 17)
To incentivise officers to remain in frontline roles, a 1% increase to the General Policing Allowance from 5% to 6% to apply from 30 June 2025.
Increase to Consolidated Remote Incentive Allowance (clause 15)
To incentivise officers to undertake remote service, a 1% annual increase would be applied to the Consolidated Remote Incentive Allowance for Group A locations, and a 1% increase to the Allowance for Group B locations in the first year, with increases to apply from 30 June 2025.
Salary increment for Sergeants in remote locations (new clause)
To incentivise remote service retention, an officer who performs the duties of a Remote Sergeant for a gazetted period of 2 or more continuous years to retain the base Remote Sergeant wage point when they leave the remote locality and until they are promoted to the rank of Sergeant.
Higher Duties (clause 16(a))
To recognise that acting roles require immediate delegation and decisions to be made, the time before higher duties can be paid to reduce from a minimum of 40 hours to one shift.
Overtime rates (clause 31(f) to (h))
Increase the 'overtime with prior notice' rate from time and a half to double time.
Long service leave -prior service (clause 43)
Designate New Zealand (NZ) Police as a recognised employer for the purposes of recognition of prior service for long service leave purposes and to recognise any NZ LSL credits at the NZ rate of LSL accrual (i.e. 3 weeks per 10 years of service).
Workers compensation leave and entitlements (clause 46)
Amend to require an officer to apply to the Commissioner of Police to receive the normal weekly earnings top up and leave accrual after 6 months (rather than 12 months) on workers compensation to support improved engagement with return to work processes. This will provide better alignment with the broader NTPS approach, and a policy will be developed to clearly describe this process.
The amount of recreation leave that can be accrued while an officer is on workers compensation will be limited to 2 years, after which the recreation leave accrual would be automatically cashed out.
Personal leave (clause 45(m)).
Access to personal leave during periods of approved long service leave at half pay will also be at half pay.
Eligibility for certain allowances while on personal leave
The following eligibility entitlement provisions would be amended for consistency of application (some state two days 'in any calendar year' and others two days 'in any year'): General Policing Allowance (cl. 17(f)), Detectives Allowance (cl. 18(f)), Tactical Operators Allowance (cl. 19(d)) and School Based Policing Allowance (cl. 28(c)).
Update common clauses to be consistent with NTPS
Update the following clauses to be consistent with the provisions in the NTPS General Enterprise Agreement: Kinship Obligation leave (cl. 49), NAIDOC week leave (cl. 51), Health Screening leave (cl. 52) and Blood Donor leave (cl. 55).
Offer value
This total offer is valued at an estimated $95.06 million and provides an average 3.4% per annum total package improvement, with a compounding package value of 14.2% over the term of the Agreement.
The offer is $16.501 million above the Wages Policy. It is therefore made on the basis that it is agreed that an amendment be made to the Accommodation Entitlements clause 91 of Police Arbitral Tribunal Determination 1 of 2011 to exclude residences in Darwin. This would result in approximately 177 officers who currently receive the Accommodation Entitlement transitioning to the housing allowance by 1 July 2026.
The date of effect of the increases set out in the offer above is dependent on agreement being reached with the NTPA prior to 30 June 2025.
Why this offer matters?
- Jurisdictional comparisons show NT Police salaries remain among the highest nationally
- Keeps salary increases above predicted inflation over the life of the agreement.
- Recruitment and retention are improving, with falling attrition rates and rising officer numbers.
Australian Police Salary Comparison July 2025
NOTE: Salary has been calculated based on the average/mid-point salary for each rank and includes either a consolidated allowance in lieu of shift penalties or an average of applicable shift penalties relevant to each jurisdiction, based on the same number and types of shifts.
There is no equivalent rank in Tasmania for Senior Constable, Senior Sergeant and Superintendent ranks.
NT figures include the 3% wage increase from 30 June 2025.
NTPF FTE vs Attrition Rate 2013 – 2025 Projected
What happens next?
The current consent agreement nominally expires on 29 June 2025.
We have formally written to the NTPA with details of the above offer and are hopeful that through discussions we will be able to reach an agreement so that the increases can be paid from 30 June 2025.
What we're aiming for
This agreement is about long-term certainty, keeping NT Police competitive in the market, and supporting the professional work of NT Police members across the Territory.
We thank all members for your ongoing dedication to serving and protecting our communities.
More information
The NTPS Enterprise Bargaining Policy 2025-2028 (Wages Policy) can be accessed at: NTPS Enterprise Bargaining Policy 2025-2028 {Wages Policy) PDF (133.0 KB)
If you have any queries regarding the bargaining process please contact: employee.relations@nt.gov.au
Nicole Hurwood
Commissioner for Public Employment
28 April 2025
Martin Dole
Acting Commissioner for Police
28 April 2025