Proposed laws that increase government intervention into family life do not address underlying issues placing families under pressure and should be scrapped, a coalition of Northern Territory legal services warns.
They are also replications of models that other jurisdictions have stepped away from because they didn’t work, pointing to a poorly designed, under-resourced, set-up-to-fail Bill that will only serve to increase harm and waste taxpayer dollars.
North Australian Aboriginal Justic Agency (NAAJA), the North Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Services (NAAFLS), Central Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Service (CAAFLU), Legal Aid NT (LANT), Top End Women’s Legal Service (TEWLS), Katherine Women’s Information and Legal Service (KWILS), Central Australian Women’s Legal Sercice (CAWLS) and the Darwin Community Legal Centre (DCLS) say ALL Territory families should be worried about the proposed laws and the effects they will have on them at home, school and in society.
The Care and Protection of Children Legislation Amendment (Every Child Matters) Bill 2026 was tabled in parliament this week and represents one of the most substantial and dangerous changes to the NT’s child protection system.
The Bill proposes major reforms including:
- new “family responsibility agreements” and “family responsibility orders”;
- broader powers for the Department of Children and Families to intervene earlier in family life;
- tighter timeframes for reunification after child removal;
- stronger emphasis on permanency and long-term care orders;
- increased links between child protection, housing, policing and welfare systems.
The services say they are particularly concerned that the proposed laws make it easier for the Government to intervene in family life.
Under the Bill, involvement may occur where there are concerns about a child’s “wellbeing”, anti-social behaviour, school attendance or family circumstances that may contribute to adverse outcomes.
The coalition says these concepts are broad and risk drawing vulnerable families into coercive systems before meaningful support has been provided.
Quote attributable to NAAJA CEO, Ben Grimes:
“All children deserve safety and stability. Our concern is that these laws expand the state’s intervention powers without ensuring families can actually access the supports they need to safely care for their children. These reforms will affect all Territory families. When it becomes easier for the Government to step into family life without clear concerns about immediate harm, every parent should understand how significant these changes are.”
Housing concerns
DCLS said stable hosing is fundamental to child safety and reunification.
Quote attributable to DCLS CEO, Rachel Bowker:
“Families are unable to reunify with their children if there isn’t safe and stable housing available. We are particularly concerned about how these reforms will impact families already experiencing the pressures of years’-long housing wait lists, a tight rental market and rising cost of living pressures. The Bill also links child protection with public housing rules, which could have serious consequences for families already struggling.”
Domestic and family violence concerns
Quote attributable to TEWLS CEO and Principal Lawyer Caitlin Weatherby-Fell:
“The Bill recognises domestic and family violence as a risk factor, but it does not clearly distinguish between people using violence and victim-survivors experiencing violence, and the recent budget has in fact reduced the capacity of the Domestic and Family Violence system.”
Quote attributable to KWILS CEO, Hannah George:
“We are specifically worried about how these laws may impact women attempting to leave violence, particularly where systems responses continue to fail to properly recognise coercive control, misidentification and the realities facing non-offending parents.”
Quote attributable to CAWLS CEO, Anna Ryan:
“Systems that increase surveillance and compliance obligations can unintentionally increase risk for victim-survivors if they are not carefully designed and properly supported.”
Concerns about permanency and long-term removal
The coalition also raised concerns about the Bill’s increased focus on permanency and long-term care orders.
Under the proposed reforms, the Court’s ability to make repeated short-term parental responsibility orders will be significantly limited. The legislation creates strong pressure toward long-term orders where reunification is not achieved within strict timeframes.
The services say this planned approach risks decisions being driven by timelines rather than the individual circumstances and the best interests of each child which is what the current system prioritises.
Quote attributable to NAAFLS CEO, Cindy Torrens
“Every child and every family is different. Decisions about whether a child can safely return home should be based on that child’s individual circumstances, relationships, culture and support needs – not an arbitrary clock. We are concerned these reforms will result in more children being permanently separated from their families and culture before families have had a genuine opportunity to access the support needed to safely reunify.”
The coalition noted the Victorian Government is currently repealing a substantially similar permanency model after evidence it was too rigid, reduced reunification opportunities and did not adequately support the best interests of children.
The services say the Northern Territory risks repeating mistakes that other jurisdictions are now moving away from.
The coalition acknowledged the importance of protecting children from harm but said child safety outcomes are strongest when families can access stable housing, therapeutic support, culturally safe services and early intervention before crises escalate.
Experts from across the legal and community sectors are calling on the Northern Territory Government to scrap the Bill.
The coalition says that with no genuine consultation with Aboriginal organisations, legal services, family violence experts and community-controlled sectors to develop reforms that keep children safe, and no investment in the services required, the Bill will hurt Territory families and children.
Ends.
Media contacts:
Emily Murphy-O’Neill
Media Strategy & Communications Officer
North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency
0455 556 412
[email protected]
Joe Horner
Communications Officer
North Australian Aboriginal Family Legal service
0457 488 613
[email protected]
