Photo: 123RF
An advertising campaign and attractive relocation package could see New Zealand prison guards poached by Australia.
The Northern Territory government is offering individuals a A$25,000 package to cross the ditch, while families could get up to A$35,000.
As both countries are plagued by prison staff shortages, a sponsored social media campaign by the Northern Territory government is offering a one-way flight, two months' accommodation, two weeks' car hire and a two-year contract in Alice Springs. The starting salary is about NZ$10,000 higher, while the cost of living is dramatically lower.
Victoria University criminologist John Pratt said Corrections New Zealand would be worried.
"It takes an awful lot of time and resources to train each individual Corrections officer because it's such a difficult job, and when they see attractive packages like that being offered, they're obviously going to be worried about it."
New Zealand is still short 346 prison guards, despite Corrections' $4 million recruitment drive.
That could get worse under the new government, Pratt said, with National, ACT and New Zealand First all campaigning on harsher sentencing.
"They didn't say much about prison staff during the recent election campaign and if we're going to be losing staff to Northern Territory in this case, then there's going to be fewer staff to go around in the prisons."
The Northern Territory government would not reveal how many workers it was hoping for, but said so far 26 New Zealand Corrections officers had applied.
Corrections Association union organiser Alan Whitley said an Australian counterpart had told him the state was only 70 staff short - half the number needed at Mt Eden Corrections Facility alone. Prison guards were run off their feet, he said, and better working conditions might stop them leaving.
Mt Eden Prison. Photo: RNZ / Tim Watkin
"When you're working in the tight conditions that you're working in, you've got short staff, you're doing a lot more, you're busier, your day's full, you've got aggressive people in your face all of the time, and it all adds up to an unhappy workforce."
While the move to Alice Springs would not be for everyone, Western Australia's prisons were also desperate for staff and could be next to look at the New Zealand workforce, Whitley said.
JustSpeak executive director Aphiphany Forward-Taua said the shortage had flow-on effects for inmates - some of whom were being locked up for up to 23 hours a day. Prisons were currently unable to safely offer enough access to education programmes and family visits, she said, both of which were important for rehabilitation.
"They're also not getting good access to medical services, so that means if somebody's unwell in prison it's very, very hard for them to get attention from staff, let alone medical staff. So it has a knock-on effect."
Corrections acknowledged the pressure staffing shortages put on frontline workers, but said many organisations and businesses were facing similar problems.
Out of the more than 10,000 job applications in the last year, the department had hired just over 800 people. National commissioner Leigh Marsh said that was because of the rigorous selection process, and the high level of integrity expected of staff working in prisons.
"Our frontline staff deal with some of New Zealand's most difficult and challenging people daily and it is a job that not all New Zealanders would take on. Being a Corrections officer, no matter where you do it, is often challenging work, but it can also be deeply rewarding.
"Some of our staff may choose to move to Australia, and while we would be very sad to see them go, we wish them the best in all of their future endeavours."
