New Zealand Police Commissioner Richard Chambers has admitted that the domestic force cannot compete with the aggressive salaries and incentives currently offered by Australian police jurisdictions, as new data reveals a steady exodus of officers across the Tasman.
Official Information Act (OIA) figures show that at least 144 New Zealand police officers left for Australia in the past year. The impact on the force is significant, with nearly one in three police resignations now linked to this move.
The Financial Divide
The primary driver for the migration is a stark disparity in compensation. A New Zealand constable with five years of experience earns up to approximately NZ$95,000. In contrast, police packages in Australia’s Northern Territory can exceed NZ$160,000 when allowances and incentives are included.
Police Association president Steve Watt highlighted the difficulty of retaining staff when facing recruitment incentives of $20,000 to move and pay uplifts in some jurisdictions of upwards of $30,000 Australian. “We simply cannot match the pay here in New Zealand to what they get in Australia,” Watt stated. “There’s no way One can compete.”
Aggressive Recruitment and Institutional Tension
Commissioner Chambers described the recruitment tactics of Australian forces as “frustrating” and “aggressive.” Between January 2025 and March 2026, Australian police made 268 vetting requests for New Zealand officers. The breakdown includes:
- Queensland: 97 requests
- Northern Territory: 91 requests
- Western Australia: 33 requests
- Victoria: 25 requests
- New South Wales: 22 requests
The Northern Territory’s rapid acceleration in recruitment has caused specific tension. While Police Acting Superintendent Serge Bouma defended the strategy as standard recruitment, Chambers publicly urged the territory to put more effort into “growing your own” workforce.
Cultural Costs and the Return Home
While financial incentives are a powerful draw, some officers have found the transition culturally jarring. Constable Teagan Turner, who was recruited by Queensland Police with a $20,000 incentive, returned to New Zealand after five weeks. Turner cited a lack of cultural sensitivity, noting she was told she could not wear her pounamu and another recruit was told to cover Māori tattoos.
Turner observed that there is “a lot more respect for police in New Zealand” and a smaller barrier between officers and the community. She stated that “no amount of money” could make her accept a culture that did not understand those values.
In an effort to reverse the trend, New Zealand Police spent approximately $35,000 on a campaign to bring officers home. Since the start of 2025, 16 officers have returned, though only four did so specifically because of the September initiative.
A ‘Retention Time Bomb’
The exodus to Australia is part of a broader systemic crisis. The Police Association warns of a “looming retention time bomb,” noting that over 5,000 members—nearly half the constabulary workforce—are between the ages of 50 and 65.
Adding to the pressure is a cost-of-living crisis. Steve Watt reported that some members have been forced to use food banks and other support services because pay has not kept pace with inflation or CPI.
Despite these challenges, Commissioner Chambers defended the organization’s current health, citing record recruitment numbers and a workforce of approximately 10,475 staff with a historically low attrition rate of about 4.5%.
Looking Ahead
The New Zealand Police force is now navigating a complex landscape of recruitment and retention. A possible next step involves upcoming pay negotiation rounds, which Chambers confirmed are being prepared, as finances remain a “key consideration.”
The force may continue to struggle with the loss of experienced officers to higher-paying Australian jurisdictions, which could potentially impact domestic public safety. However, the organization may also see a gradual return of officers who find the cultural and community environment in New Zealand more rewarding than the financial gains offered abroad.
