Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment

Bulletin 4 - Offer for a new Enterprise Agreement - issued 7 August 2026

I am pleased to advise that on 6 August 2026, I made an offer for a new Agreement that provides a comprehensive package of contemporary improvements designed to support and recognise our nurses and midwives. The offer achieves a balanced approach to job security and enhanced employment conditions, while maintaining national competitiveness and supporting a strong, sustainable workforce.

The ANMF NT and their delegates, the NPAA bargaining representatives, representatives from Department of Health, Department of Corporate and Digital Development, and my office have worked hard to negotiate improved salaries and conditions for a new agreement that address key priorities for both the agency and employees.

Key improvements build on the current agreement and include:

  • Salary and allowance increases of 3% per annum, providing an overall uplift of 12.55% over four years.
  • Remuneration restructure of the Nurse 2 classification, to insure a nationally competitive wage offer.
  • Continuation of the current Attraction and Retention Allowance for new employees, with further enhancements to deliver additional payments for those working in regional and remote locations.
  • Enhanced provisions for Senior Nurses that better recognise their expertise and contribution through improvements to overtime, shift penalties and restrictive duty arrangements.
  • Improved leave entitlements to support employee wellbeing and work-life balance
  • Strengthened health and safety provisions to further protect employees and promote a safe, healthy and supportive workplace.

The offer summarised below reflects the significant progress made during the negotiation meetings, and addresses a range of Union, the bargaining representatives, and employer proposals. To read the details of the full offer, you can review the Information Sheet. PDF (199.2 KB)

Summary of the offer

4 year agreement

  • The new agreement will have a four-year term that will provide employees with job certainty and secure terms and conditions over this period, including employment security provisions whereby there are no involuntary redundancies for the term of the Agreement.

Salary increases each year:

3% - Year 1 to 4

  • Total salary increase of 12% over 4 years (or 12.55% compounding over the term of the Agreement).
  • Payment of the first increase from 13 August 2026, on the proviso the offer is approved through a ballot of employees.
  • Allowances will continue to be adjusted in line with Darwin Consumer Price Index (CPI) or by the respective salary increase with no reduction to any current allowances.

Nurse 2 Remuneration Restructure

  • A restructure of the N2classification salaries introduces a modest increase across the   classification range, benefiting more than half of employees. A slight increase has also been applied to the first level of the N3 classification.
Current Rates $ p.a. Restructure rate $ p.a.
Nurse 2 (Registered Nurse / Registered Midwife)
2.1 81,479 81,479
2.2 85,008 85,553
2.3 89,350 89,831
2.4 93,693 94,322
2.5 98,754 99,038
2.6 102,554 103,000
2.7 106,722 107,120
2.8 107,800 110,334
Nurse 3 (Registered Nurse / Registered Midwife)
3.1 111,174 113,092

Attraction & Retention Payments

  • The current Attraction and Retention Allowance will be retained in the new agreement and will be enhanced to provide further payments for employees located outside the Darwin/Palmerston area.
Darwin/ Palmerston Katherine/ Gove Central Australia/ BarklyRemote
Attraction – 3 months $1,000 $1,000 $1,500 $2,000
Retention – 12 months $1,500 $2,000 $3,000 $3,500
Retention – 24 months $1,500 $2,000 $3,000 $3,500
Retention – ongoing every 24 months thereafter N/A $1,000 $1,500 $2,000

NEW - Lead Apron Allowance

  • New Lead Apron Allowance for employees required to wear a lead apron for more than one hour without a 10-minute rest break.

Increased casual loading

  • Casual employees will receive an increase to the casual loading from 22% to 25%.

Part-time Employment

  • Removal of the restriction limiting part-time employees to a maximum of 64 hours per fortnight.

Midwifery Composite Allowance

  • Clause will be updated to improve clarity.

Professional Development Allowance

  • Enhancements to the Professional Development Allowance provisions will entitle new employees who have 6 months or more continuous service in their first year to claim 50% of the PDA allowance.
  • The limits on claiming air travel and accommodation when attending professional development activities will be removed.

Strengthen Safe & Healthy Work Environment

  • The work health and safety provisions will be strengthened consistent with the Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Act 2011, and improved measures will be included for   all parties to:
    • to take reasonable and practicable steps to prevent and address   psychosocial risks in the workplace; and
    • support the establishment of committees and/or workgroups including   health and safety representatives.
  • Department of Health will commit to working with ANMF through established forums, such as the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) and WHS committees to address workplace violence and aggression.

Hours of Work & Restrictive Duty

  • Improvements to fatigue related provisions will include:
    • employees working in remote community health centres may request   payment in lieu of PDOs. Payment will be at single time.
    • nurses will ordinarily not be rostered for more than 3 consecutive days, and where not operationally practicable, not more than 5 consecutive days.
  • New provisions that will allow the CEO to approve overtime and restrictive duty for employees above the N6 level, subject to exceptional circumstances being demonstrated.
  • N6 employees who are required to perform ordinary duty on a rotating roster includes day, afternoon and night shifts will be entitled to shift penalties.
  • Excess travel time will be enhanced to provide Time off in Lieu (TOIL) for employees at the N4 level or below when they are required to travel to and from remote communities.

Remote Locality Review

  • The Agreement will acknowledge the commitment of the parties to conduct a remote locality review, in line with the NTPS General Enterprise Agreement.

Disability & Diversity

  • A new clause committing to support and accommodate a diverse and inclusive workplace which values the identities, skills and capabilities of all people including those   with a disability, from culturally and linguistically diverse background, senior and female workforce.

Inclusion of PSEM By-laws & Determinations

  • The current long service leave provisions contained in By-Law 8 will be enshrined in the new agreement, (consistent with all leave entitlements being included in the agreement).
  • The following Determination provisions will be incorporated into the new Agreement: Community Language Allowance; minimum superannuation contributions of 3 hours per engagement for casual employees; broaden Enrolled Nurses in Training conditions; Overtime and On-call provisions for senior nurses.

Fair Work Compliance

  • Updated or new clauses to reflect recent changes to the Fair Work Act 2009 include Management of Change, Dispute Settling Procedures, Individual Flexibility Arrangements, Casual employment (Employee Choice Pathway), Right to Disconnect, Union Rights and Fixed Period employment.

Improved leave provisions

  • Personal leave to cover medical attendance for preventative health matters
  • Recredit of recreation leave if accessing compassionate leave
  • New Organ Donor Leave
  • Improved Blood Plasma Donor Leave
  • Incorporate leave to engage in Voluntary Emergency Management provisions
  • Improved access to flexible work arrangements
  • Attendance a  Employee Assistance Program appointments

Employer efficiencies

  • Removal of Accident Allowance clause as other provisions such as personal leave or workers compensation are available.
  • Strengthened administration and approval processes for the engagement of agency nurses combined with enhancement of the Attraction and Retention Allowance and nationally competitive wages and entitlements.

I consider this offer as a genuine package of contemporary improvements that addresses a number of union claims and strikes an appropriate balance between job security and enhanced conditions for  employees.

Have your say – your feedback is important

Should you wish to provide feedback or make a suggestion, you can do so by emailing enquiries.ocpe@nt.gov.au.

More information

Regular updates in relation to the bargaining process will be posted to the OCPE website.  Information on bargaining in general can be obtained on the Fair Work Commissioner website or you can call their information line on 1300 799 675.

Nicole Hurwood
Commissioner for Public Employment
7 August 2026