NT Independent

Chief Minister misled Parliament about senior police response to major integrity failures

EXCLUSIVE: Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has refused to explain why she misled Estimates hearings about what action the NT Police executive leadership team has taken to address the serious integrity failures identified in the Justice Alan Blow report into senior police promotion and recruitment processes.

Toddler, pregnant woman assaulted at Alice Springs footy match

A pregnant woman and her two-year-old child were allegedly assaulted at an Alice Springs football game on Sunday afternoon, NT Police said, after a group of women attending the match started fighting, leading to a “large disturbance” that saw another woman suffer head injuries from an “edged weapon”.

Senior bureaucrat sues government over ‘one-minute’ termination reversal

A former Northern Territory deputy chief executive has taken the government to court, alleging she was unfairly sacked after allegedly speaking disrespectfully about Education Minister Jo Hersey, and claiming a later “loss of confidence” reason for her dismissal was a pretext, issued one minute after an earlier misconduct-based termination was withdrawn and just two days after she asserted her natural justice rights.

Negotiations between Inpex, striking workers to resume after Fair Work Commission rejects company’s request

Inpex’s legal move to stop strike action at its Darwin facility after unions rejected the company’s latest pay hike proposal, arguing any work stoppage would damage the nation’s economy, has been rejected by the Fair Work Commission, with the union stating protected industrial action will continue until the dispute is resolved.

Industry to pay for expanded air quality monitoring

The Finocchiaro Government has announced it will monitor air pollutants from gas production in Darwin for the first time, which follows a 2023 review that found Inpex had “systematically underestimated” emissions from its Darwin LNG project for years, while a Darwin paediatrician welcomed the move but said it was concerning the pollutants had never previously been monitored.

NT builders warned about ‘suicide crisis’ as new data reveals stark toll

Male construction workers in the Northern Territory have a suicide rate close to double that of other employed men, national coronial data shows, with a support platform founder warning the industry can no longer treat bullying, isolation and psychological pressure as secondary workplace issues.

NT Police spent $400k on BMWs for police college, $10k on anti-racism ‘merchandise’ amid budget blowout

The director of the NT Police college authorised nearly $400,000 for the supply and delivery of four BMW 330is from Melbourne despite Subarus used as official police vehicles, newly released police expenditure records show, while the NT Police executive team also spent nearly $10,000 at local shop ‘Stickers and Stuff’ on “promotional merchandise” for its anti-racism program in a year that saw its budget blow-out by more than $14 million.

Partner allegedly run down in Alice Springs

A man has been charged with intending to cause serious harm in Alice Springs after allegedly hitting his partner with a vehicle on the Stuart Highway, NT Police said.

Kids’ cat food theft ring swapped kitty snacks for Scooby snacks, police say

A 45-year-old woman has been arrested and charged following a drug and weapons raid in Gray, where police allege part of her supply operation involved youths stealing cat food from a supermarket in exchange for marijuana, with officers later seizing drugs, cash and a range of weapons including batons, tasers, knives and samurai swords.