Retired top NSW cop to lead child protection review after NT girl’s death – Image for illustrative purposes only (Image credits: Pexels)
The death of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby in Alice Springs has prompted the Northern Territory government to commission a fresh examination of its child protection practices. Retired NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb will lead the review alongside long-serving NT public servant Greg Shanahan. Their appointment signals an intent to examine both specific decisions made before the child’s disappearance and wider questions about how safety obligations are interpreted in practice.
Focus on Past Decisions and Systemic Shortfalls
The review will scrutinise the steps taken by child protection authorities in the period leading up to the girl’s disappearance. Officials want to identify what actions were completed, what steps may have been overlooked, and what additional measures could have been pursued. Minister for Child Protection Robyn Cahill described the goal as clarifying whether investigations advanced in line with community expectations.
Beyond the immediate case, the inquiry will assess whether existing processes allowed risk assessments to stall. This broader lens aims to prevent similar gaps from recurring in other families under scrutiny. The government has framed the exercise as a direct response to an ongoing pattern of harm that has affected too many children in the territory.
Legislative Changes Introduced Alongside the Review
At the same time the review was announced, the government tabled new child protection legislation in parliament. The centrepiece is a “universal principle” that places child safety above all other considerations when decisions about a child’s care are made. Cahill stated that this shift is necessary to break the cycle of risk and uncertainty that has persisted for too long.
Additional measures include capping short-term protection orders at two years and introducing stricter requirements that must be satisfied before any child assessed as at risk can be removed from their family. Supporters argue these rules will deliver more consistent support and clearer outcomes for both children and parents. The changes are expected to take effect once the bill passes.
Concerns Raised by Indigenous Peak Bodies
Indigenous organisations have voiced strong reservations about the proposed legislation. The Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory (APONT) contends that the reforms risk weakening the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle, which prioritises keeping children connected to family, community and Country. APONT chair Theresa Roe described the government’s portrayal of Aboriginal families as inherently risky as both inaccurate and harmful.
Statistics show Indigenous children in the territory are already more than eleven times more likely than non-Indigenous children to enter out-of-home care. Critics fear the new emphasis on safety as the sole priority could accelerate removals without sufficient regard for cultural connections that have historically supported children’s wellbeing.
Community Voices Call for Greater Accountability
NT senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who is also the child’s aunt, addressed parliament yesterday and urged an end to what she called a “hands-off culture” within parts of the child protection system. She argued that political sensitivities and ideological concerns have at times taken precedence over immediate welfare needs. Price described the silence surrounding conditions in many town camps and remote communities as a factor that continues to endanger children.
Her remarks highlighted the human cost of prolonged inaction. Families across the territory are watching to see whether the new review and accompanying legislation can translate into tangible improvements in how risk is identified and addressed. The appointments of Webb and Shanahan mark the first concrete step in that direction, yet the effectiveness of the changes will ultimately be measured by outcomes for children still living in vulnerable circumstances.
