ASU lodges submission opposing NT child protection reforms

22 May 2026

The Australian Services Union SA + NT has lodged a submission opposing the Northern Territory Government’s proposed Care and Protection of Children Legislation Amendment (Every Child Matters) Bill 2026, warning the reforms risk expanding family separation and child removal while failing to address the underlying causes driving child protection involvement.

The submission was informed by the experiences and expertise of ASU members working across community services, family support, domestic and family violence, homelessness, disability, youth, mental health and related sectors throughout the Northern Territory.

Throughout the consultation process, members shared serious concerns about proposals that lower the threshold for government intervention into family life, expand compliance and reporting obligations, increase pathways into long-term care and weaken protections designed to keep Aboriginal children connected to family, community and culture.

Members highlighted that families across the Northern Territory are already struggling to access stable housing, counselling, rehabilitation, therapeutic supports and culturally safe services, particularly in regional and remote communities.

The submission argues that expanding statutory intervention without substantial investment in prevention, early intervention and community-based supports will not improve outcomes for children and families.

Instead, the ASU warns the reforms risk:
  • drawing more families into the child protection system;
  • increasing pressure on already overstretched frontline services;
  • deepening distrust of services and government systems; and
  • increasing long-term family separation without addressing the conditions driving family crisis in the first place.
The submission also raises significant concerns about the removal of the standalone Aboriginal Child Placement Principle framework, warning that weakening protections designed to keep Aboriginal children connected to family, community, Country and culture risks repeating the failures of earlier interventionist policies.

ASU members repeatedly stressed that frontline workers are already operating in systems stretched beyond capacity, with growing demand, workforce shortages, burnout and increasing barriers preventing families from accessing support before circumstances escalate into crisis.

The ASU submission calls on the Northern Territory Government to withdraw the Bill and undertake genuine consultation with Aboriginal organisations, community services, legal services, frontline workers and affected communities to develop evidence-based reforms focused on prevention, family support and community wellbeing.

The submission makes clear that keeping children safe requires governments to invest in the supports families and communities actually need, including stable housing, culturally safe services, early intervention and long-term community-based support, rather than relying on increasingly punitive and compliance-driven approaches.

The ASU thanks all members who contributed their experiences, expertise and frontline insights to the submission.

You can read the full submission here .