Teachers in the regional town of Katherine, which has been labelled one of the most difficult places to teach in the NT, will receive a new incentive to address high turnover rates and dire housing issues.
Education Minister Eva Lawler on Wednesday announced new and existing teachers will receive a yearly $3,500 "retention payment", which will be reviewed after 2025, "to subsidise their rent".
"We value our teachers and we have heard their concerns," Ms Lawler said.
"This support will make a considerable difference to those experiencing difficulties securing affordable housing and will help us to attract and retain high-quality teachers.
"From the government's point of view, hopefully there [are] savings for us because when you have teacher turnover, it's costly because you're having to recruit teachers [and] relocate teachers."
But a housing crisis in Katherine, which has seen the vacancy rate plummet to below 1 per cent this year, isn't expected to be alleviated any time soon.
The announcement comes three years after the government controversially cut a rental subsidy under "budget repair measures" to save $500,000 per year, which has widely been considered as damaging to teacher retention.
The district has faced enormous challenges in staffing its public schools since the incentive was cut.
In September, teachers in Katherine participated in strikes over a public service wage freeze, the housing crisis, and the government's refusal to reinstate the rental subsidy.
Ms Lawler said the original housing subsidy for those who remain on the grand-fathered scheme – of which there are about 28 teachers – would continue for now, but reasoned the change to the new support scheme was about fairness, as the subsidy varied depending on a teacher's level.
"The conversations I had with the union were around fairness and equity and people having the same amounts," Ms Lawler said.
Housing crisis is pushing teachers away
NT Education Union president Michelle Ayres said the additional financial support for teachers was a win and "a step in the right direction, but not the overall answer".
"It's not by any measure similar to the rental subsidy … it's definitely less money," she said.
Ms Ayres said a number of teachers were considering jobs interstate due to "stronger" pay offers, "incredible incentives" and bonuses, and better housing options.
"People could be living close to family, close to amenities that you simply don't get anywhere in the Northern Territory, let alone in Katherine," she said.
"We've seen some really concerning situations happening in Katherine, where teachers have been forced to share with people they're not comfortable sharing with.
"We had a person about to have a baby who was having to have a housemate in order to have a place to live.
"These aren't ideal situations, and we want to see a change there."
Ms Lawler said the government was committed to making sure teachers have access to homes in Katherine, and pointed to the federal government's target of 1 million affordable rental homes — unveiled in the federal budget – as "good news for places like Katherine".
However, building these new homes will likely take years.
And even the budget documents call the 1 million dwellings an "aspirational" target, with the federal government itself only locked in for an extra 10,000 homes, which are not scheduled to start until mid-2024.
