Northern Territory Chief Minister, Lia Finocchiaro, has saluted the outstanding work of Territory public servants at the prestigious 2026 Chief Minister’s Awards for Excellence in the Public Sector at the Darwin Convention Centre overnight.
The final gong of the night – for the Northern Territory Public Sector Agency of the Year – was awarded to the Department of Corrections.
Other awards included Chief Minister’s Medals for outstanding public service, including Aboriginal Leadership; awards for 50+ years of public service; and eight Major Awards for outstanding programs delivered across a range of agencies.
Chief Minister Finocchiaro congratulated all award recipients, and paid tribute to their efforts to deliver meaningful and lasting benefits for the Northern Territory community.
“These awards are an opportunity to recognise the people, teams, and projects making a real difference to Territorians every day,” the Chief Minister said.
“And it is an opportunity to say thank you – thank you for your hard work, your dedication and your commitment to making the Territory an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.
“We have all put our hand up to serve the community, and so we must never forget that public service is about working to improve the lives of Territorians every single day.
“As the daughter of a veteran public servant, I have a deep respect for and understanding of what you do, how important your work is, and the pride and purpose you derive from that service.”
Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Corrections, Gerard Maley congratulated the Department of Corrections for winning the top honour, saying he was proud to work with a team of people so focused on delivering positive outcomes for Territorians.
“We are so lucky to have such a driven and hard-working team in NT Corrections,” Minister Maley said.
“I want to congratulate each person who contributed to this win as I know the amount of work they have put into making a difference for our communities.”
Recipients of the 2026 Chief Minister’s Awards for Excellence in the Public Sector include:
• Northern Territory Public Sector Agency of the Year:
– Department of Corrections
• Recognition of 50+ years of service awards:
– Arthur Cameron, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
– Debby Gribben, Department of Education and Training
– Josephine Bremner, NT Health
– Arthur Hart, Power and Water Corporation
• Chief Minister’s Medal – recognising outstanding and meritorious public service, including Aboriginal leadership medals:
– Alexander McInnes, Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet
– Diane Napier, Department of Lands, Planning and Environment
– Leon Rotumah, Department of Corrections
– Ricci McDonald, Department of People, Sport and Culture
– Carolyn Whyte, Attorney-General’s Department
– (Aboriginal Leadership Medal) Juanita Jones, Department of Corrections
– (Aboriginal Leadership Medal) Deanna Willetts, Attorney-General’s Department
Major Awards
• Restoring the Territory Lifestyle award:
– Community Service Work Program – Rehabilitation in Action, Department of Corrections
• Rebuilding the Territory’s Economy award:
– Growing Territory Doctors: Building a Sustainable Medical Workforce to Meet the Healthcare Needs of Territorians, NT Health
• Excellence in Frontline Service award:
– Strike Force Trident: Reducing Property Crime and Recidivist Offending, Northern Territory Police Force
• Safer Territory award:
– Highly Commended
Meningococcal B Vaccination Program, NT Health
– Winner
OC Spray Trial, Northern Territory Police Force
• Inspiring Innovation award:
– Boost Literacy and Numeracy: Building Capability and Consistency Across the NT through Explicit Instruction, Department of Education and Training
• Northern Territory Public Service Spirit award:
– NT Health Responding Together: Territory-wide Care Through Extreme Weather Event, NT Health
• Together For The Territory award:
– EmplyAbility Work Experience Program, Department of Corporate and Digital Development partnering with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment
