PRESS RELEASE: CREATE Foundation expresses serious concerns over proposed changes to Northern Territory child protection legislation

CREATE Foundation has expressed deep concern at the CLP Government’s planned amendments to the Care and Protection of Children Act that will weaken the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle (ATSICPP).

The latest data shows the Northern Territory has Australia’s lowest rate of kin placements for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, with only 17.5% placed with Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander kin, well below the national average of 28%.

CREATE Foundation acknowledges and supports the concerns raised by the Northern Territory Children’s Commissioner, Shahleena Musk, and National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, Sue-Anne Hunter.

CREATE Foundation is particularly alarmed that the Government is proceeding with legislative changes before completing a proper review and without meaningful consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and young people.

CREATE Foundation CEO Imogen Edeson said, “Children and young people with care experience are clear. Kin, culture, language and Country are not optional — they are essential to their safety, identity and wellbeing. Weakening the ATSICPP will not improve outcomes for Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory.”

CREATE Foundation calls on the Northern Territory Government to:
• Immediately pause the amendments and maintain the ATSICPP as a binding principle.
• Work with the Office of the Children’s Commissioner, Aboriginal community leaders and young people to establish an independent, system-wide Board of Inquiry as a priority.
• Invest in family preservation, kinship care and culturally appropriate services.
• Ensure genuine consultation with children and young people with lived experience on any changes.

CREATE remains committed to working constructively with the Northern Territory Government on system changes that genuinely improve wellbeing, safety and long-term outcomes for children in care, prioritising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who remain significantly over-represented.