Bulletin 14 - improved offer following s.240 application to FWC - issued 12 May 2026

As advised in Bulletin 13, I approached the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to assist the parties to resolve the outstanding matters for a new NTFRS Enterprise Agreement.

During the week of 27 April 2026, extensive discussions were held during the s.240 conference process with unions and delegates before Commissioner Riordan. Throughout this process, my representatives actively participated in good faith and made a number of significant concessions, including on key union priority claims, in a genuine attempt to reach agreement.

Following these discussions, Commissioner Riordan handed down his recommendation to the parties. I have accepted his recommendation in full, which has been incorporated into this revised offer which has been put to the union and builds on the elements of the former offers made to the United Workers Union and matters agreed during the conference.

In doing so, I also note the Commissioner’s view that the agreement contains many benefits for firefighters, including a wage outcome above standard Northern Territory Public Sector (NTPS) Wages Policy parameters, supported by identifiable efficiency savings, as well as targeted improvements to allowances and conditions, some of which the Commissioner noted are the highest he has ever seen.

Key improvements as a result of this process include:

• a package that retains NT Firefighters amongst the highest paid nationally that includes a combined 15% in salary increases over the term of the agreement inclusive of a 3% uplift in the final year to the general fire fighting allowance
• salary increases backdated to 30 March 2026
• significant increases to oncall allowance for permanently based track station employees, in addition to the new retention allowance and priority transfer improvements in the previous offer
• substantial improvements to the Alice Springs allowance, including grandparented provisions for existing employees and indexation in the final year of the agreement
• strengthened workers compensation provisions for employees with occupational cancer
• increases to the accrual amount for programmed days off.

The summary below outlines the improvements. To view the full details of the offer, please see the revised full offer PDF (7.2 MB). I ask you take the time to review this offer in full and consider your position on the improvements incorporated.

Summary of improved offer

• Salary and allowance increases
  
  Providing this offer is accepted when put to a vote, I have agreed to offer salary increases to be backdated to 20 March 2026, to be applied as follows:
  • 3% from first full pay period commencing on or after 20 March 2026
  • 3% from first full pay period commencing on or after 7 November 2026
  • 3% from first full pay period commencing on or after 7 November 2027
  • 3% from first full pay period commencing on or after 7 November 2028.

• General fire fighting allowance (GFA)
  
  During bargaining, the Union revised its claim on the GFA to a 3% increase in the final year of the agreement. In order to agree to this, and consistent with the NTPS Wages Policy requirement for real, bankable productivity offsets and work practice reform initiatives for increases above standard parameters, a bankable efficiency was required.
  
  The uplift in the general fire fighting allowance is in receipt and acknowledgment of the work that NTFRS will undertake moving forward to diversify technical skill sets which may include CBRN, hazmat, confined space rescue.
  
  This will not impact existing allowances for specialist areas.

• Workers compensation
  
  As part of discussions, improvements to workers’ compensation — particularly for occupational cancers — were identified as a priority claim, and we have agreed to strengthen these provisions, building on NTFRS’s already generous arrangements which exceed the Return to Work Act 1986 and the provisions that apply to all other workforce groups.
  
  This includes providing the significant improvement to the clause, to provide up to 24 months of payments at 100% of NWE for occupational cancers. Through the conference, we also agreed to remove an earlier employer proposal relating to the cashing out of excess recreation leave during extended absences.


• Programmed days off (PDO)
  
  During the conference the employer was advised that one of the priority claims was to increase the PDO cap and as such we have agreed to increase the PDO cap from 90 to 104 hours for shift workers.


• Track station on-call
  
  Through bargaining and through the conference, we have listened to the challenges associated with living and working in a small community. In response, we have strengthened our offer by including the On Call provisions in the Enterprise Agreement, increasing the weekly payment from $400 to $1,000 for employees based at Track Stations. This is supported by the inclusion of a subclause confirming the allowance will be subject to review over the life of the agreement.


• Alice Springs allowance
  
  Through the conference, it was clear that a key challenge raised by the Union was the retention of experienced firefighters in Alice Springs, particularly at the A Class level and above. In response, we have restructured the Alice Springs allowance from a flat 5.2% to a targeted annual allowance (paid fortnightly) of:
  
  $10,000 for A Class and above, and
  $2,000 for B Class and below.
  
  To ensure fairness and continuity, employees currently receiving the 5.2% allowance under the 2021–2025 NTFRS Enterprise Agreement will be grandparented at their existing rate in accordance with schedule 3, until they become eligible for the A class and above quantum or otherwise cease to be eligible for the allowance.
  
  In line with Commissioner Riordan’s recommendation, the Alice Springs allowance will be indexed in line with salary adjustments from 2028.

• Alice Springs transfer
  
  Through bargaining, a key issue raised was the retention and attraction of firefighters to Alice Springs. In response, the parties have agreed to introduce a transfer provision for recruits posted to Alice Springs, allowing those who complete 4 years of service to transfer to a location of their choice.

• Shift duty - rosters
  
  Improvements have been incorporated into the proposed Shift Duty – Roster provisions to provide improvements for employees who transfer between shift work and day work to ensure adequate rest before recommencing duty.

• Shift swap
  
  Agreement was reached by the parties to incorporate elements of the general order to formalise provisions for shift swaps. This includes that shift swaps will be on a shift for shift basis and that they will be reciprocated within a period of 12 months.

• Higher duty allowance provisions
  
  Through the conference agreement was reached between the parties to ensure that internal qualification requirements for Higher Duties have been articulated in the proposed wording for the Higher Duties Allowance clause.

• Flexible lifestyle leave (purchased leave)
  
  It was agreed through the conference to include wording in the agreement to allow for applications to be made to the Commissioner for Public Employment, where a request above the existing provisions is required in exceptional circumstances. The purchased leave amounts for NT Firefighters are already significantly more generous than any other workforce groups.

• Personal leave to cover medical attendance
  
  Agreement was reached through the conference to allow for personal leave at half pay to be taken for periods of 1 day.

• Procedural fairness
  
  Through the conference, the Union maintained their claim for wording to be included in the agreement to restrict when an employee may be suspended without pay. The employer provided proposed wording to clarify when suspension without renumeration may be used however it was not agreed to fetter a delegate’s powers for matters that are progressed under the Public Sector Employment and Management Act 1993.

Employer initiatives

• Difficult to fill vacancies
  
  Through the conference, the parties made compromises with regards to the changes sought to the difficult to fill vacancies clause which will enable flexibility in recruitment of firefighters to declared positions, by expanding the list of recognised fire services and recognising the role of employee representatives in the challenge test.

Withdrawn employer initiatives

Through the conference the employer agreed to drop the claims regarding:

• Accelerated recruitment program
  
  The employer agreed to maintain the existing wording of the clause.

• Fair Work Act 2009 compliance
  
  Agreement was reached to exclude the NTPS common clause relating to fixed period employment from the NTFRS Agreement.

Other matters

• Alice Springs minimum staffing
  
  In relation to minimum safe staffing in Alice Springs a commitment has been made by the parties to review the OT general order to clarify that unforeseen vacancies will be filled using higher duties in the first instance and then utilise overtime where higher duties is not available.