The new Guardianship of Adults Act commences today with the appointment of the inaugural Public Guardian who will head up a new independent statutory office.

Department of Health Chief Executive, Professor Len Notaras, said he was pleased to announce that following a competitive recruitment process, Ms Beth Walker has been appointed as the inaugural Public Guardian of the Northern Territory. 

Ms Walker brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this significant role, Prof Notaras said.  

She has a strong background in the human services sector in the Northern Territory, and has held management positions in both government and non-government services.

Prof Notaras said Ms Walker would provide strong leadership in establishing the new independent statutory office of the Public Guardian over the next four months as a national recruitment exercise is undertaken to fill the position on a longer-term basis.

The new Guardianship of Adults Act, recently passed by the NT Legislative Assembly, affords an increased level of protection for some of the Territory’s most vulnerable residents, and has been enthusiastically welcomed by key stakeholders and the wider community. 

The Office of the Public Guardian in Casuarina Plaza will continue to be the main office for client contact. A temporary office nearby, located at Ethos House on Trower Road, will accommodate new and transferring staff until a property is available to bring all staff together. 

The Public Guardian will work closely with the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal to ensure a smooth transfer of review responsibility from the Local Court to the Tribunal, as provided under the new Act.  There will be a particular focus on ensuring that clients and other stakeholders are informed of the new processes to be followed for applications and re-assessments. Some matters may continue to be dealt with by the Local Court as part of the necessary legislative transitional arrangements.

A comprehensive community education and awareness campaign on the new legislation will be undertaken over coming months to ensure that guardians, services, advocates and the general public are aware of and understand the new contemporary decision-making framework. 

A new centralised email address and advice line has been created for all enquiries relating to the Public Guardian:

                                The contact number is 1800 810 979 (free call)                 

The contact email is Public.guardian@nt.gov.au

Media contact Fred McCue 0401 119 792