In documents seen by AAP, the NT government wants to make amendments to child protection laws to give courts the power to override Aboriginal Placement Principles under a "special and exceptional circumstance" provision.
The changes will allow courts to override a section of the law that ensures all efforts are made to place Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with family or at least close to Country.
The Office of the Children's Commissioner saw the draft legislation for the first time on Friday after the wider family and child protection sector was briefed 24 hours earlier.
NT Children's Commissioner Shahleena Musk is 'alarmed' by a lack of consultation on reforms. ((A)manda Parkinson/AAP PHOTOS)
NT Children's Commissioner and Larrakia woman Shahleena Musk said "no evidence has been forthcoming" to explain the changes, or why they need to be introduced urgently.
"I am alarmed at the lack of consultation on the proposed amendments ... that will impact the basic rights of Aboriginal children," Ms Musk said.
"It is the birthright of Aboriginal children to be connected to their family, country, community, language and culture."
About 90 per cent of the 900 children in out-of-home care arrangements in the Northern Territory are Aboriginal.
Ms Musk said in 2022-23 only 23.8 per cent of Aboriginal children were placed with Aboriginal relatives or kin and recent reports show that figure is going backwards.
Data from her office also shows the NT notifies child protection authorities of alleged harm at six times the national average.
Last year, 81 per cent of harm notifications to child protection in the NT related to Aboriginal children, totalling 18,321 reports of neglect or abuse.
"Poor historical policy responses to child protection, high rates of poverty, lack of meaningful investment in community-led and controlled supports for families could be driving the high rate of notifications for Aboriginal children under mandatory reporting requirements," Ms Musk wrote in an annual report.
Opposition families and children spokesman Chansey Paech said the amendments appear to be "deliberately undermining" both the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse and related matters and the 1997 Bringing the Home Report.
"Aboriginal families love and care deeply for their children, and when issues arise, the system should focus on supporting ... not severing those vital connections," he wrote.
The Department of Children and Families said it remains "committed to the safety and wellbeing of children", but would not comment on why it had decided to amend the act.
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