New Zealand Police Commissioner Richard Chambers has conceded he cannot compete with the salaries and incentives being offered by Australian police forces, as fresh figures reveal hundreds of Kiwi officers are continuing to head across the Tasman.
1News can reveal at least 144 New Zealand police officers left for Australia in the past year, with nearly one in three police resignations now linked to the move.
The figures, obtained through the Official Information Act, come as police grapple with mounting pressure around recruitment, retention, morale, and an ageing workforce.
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Chambers described the situation as “frustrating”, accusing Australian jurisdictions of aggressively targeting New Zealand officers.
"I’ve told my police commissioner colleagues across Australia that I would rather they didn’t come to New Zealand and poach my people," he said. "They’ve been quite aggressive in their approach."
Watch the 1 News Special: You, Me & Aussie on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+ on May 11 at 8.40pm
The latest OIA figures show police across Australia made 268 vetting requests for New Zealand officers between January 2025 and March 2026.
Queensland remained the biggest recruiter, accounting for 97 requests. Western Australia followed with 33, Victoria with 25, and New South Wales with 22.
But it is the Northern Territory where recruitment activity appears to be accelerating most rapidly.
Police figures show the Northern Territory made 91 vetting requests in the past year, a sharp increase on previous years.
The territory’s recruitment efforts have already become a source of tension between Chambers and Northern Territory Police.
When 1News met with the Northern Territory force in September last year to cover one of the recruitment drives on New Zealand soil, Police Acting Superintendent Serge Bouma defended the strategy.
"I'm not doing anything different to what any other recruiter around the world does for any other industry," Bouma said at the time.
Chambers publicly pushed back.
"I just wish you'd put a little more effort into growing your own maybe over there," he said.
'They’ve offered a lot more money'
Despite the frustration, Chambers acknowledged he understands why Australian jurisdictions are recruiting in New Zealand.
"Northern Territory police is quite a small force, and they have really struggled to recruit from their own territory," he said. "So yes, they’ve come to New Zealand. They’ve offered a lot more money."
And that strategy appears to be working.
Northern Territory Police employed 20 former New Zealand officers in its latest graduating class in April. Its lead recruiter has also said they intend to return to New Zealand in coming months for another recruitment push.
For many officers, the biggest draw card remains pay.
A New Zealand constable with five years’ experience can earn up to around NZ$95,000.
In the Northern Territory, police packages can exceed NZ$160,000 once incentives and allowances are included.
Asked whether New Zealand Police could realistically compete with those figures, Chambers was blunt.
"Well, not at that level, no," he said.
Police Association president Steve Watt agrees.
"We simply cannot match the pay here in New Zealand to what they get in Australia," Watt said. "There's no way we can compete."
"We’re talking $20,000 incentives to move, and in many jurisdictions over there, upwards of $30,000 Australian uplift in pay. That’s bloomin’ hard to compete with."
Chambers confirmed police are preparing to enter another pay negotiation round.
"The finances is, without a doubt, a key consideration," he said.
But both Chambers and Watt say the issue goes beyond salary alone.
‘It’s not just about the money’
Chambers himself understands the appeal of working overseas.
Before becoming Commissioner, he spent time living in France while working for Interpol.
"I was very, very lucky to live in Lyon and work at Interpol," he said.
"Through that experience, I travelled to many countries. We were focused on the world's worst criminal networks, cartels, mafia, and leading missions in countries I never thought I would visit."
Asked whether he understood the value officers saw in going overseas, Chambers said he did.
"I do speak to some colleagues who are heading offshore, and I’ve always said I think you'll get a lot out of going to police somewhere else," he said.
"Most of those have been going to Australia. And I’ve said, just don’t forget that I’d love you to come home."
That message formed the basis of a recent New Zealand Police campaign aimed at bringing officers back from Australia.
Police spent around $35,000 on the campaign, which featured Chambers speaking directly to Kiwi officers overseas.
So far, Chambers said he had spoken to around 16 officers through the initiative. Only four have returned.
One of them was Constable Teagan Turner.
'We weren't allowed to wear our pounamu'
Turner and her husband Dan had already built a life around policing adventure before Australia entered the picture.
The pair had previously worked in the Chatham Islands, something Turner still describes as one of the highlights of her time in policing.
“It was honestly the best time in my career,” she said.
“There’s no words to explain how incredible the community is. We covered the schools, we covered road policing, firearms licensing, we were the prosecutor in court."
She said the experience gave their young family a lifestyle they could never replicate on the mainland.
“The kids were outside riding bikes, climbing trees, shark tooth hunting,” she said. “It really slowed our life down.”
But after returning to the mainland and going through a difficult period involving the premature birth of their third daughter, the family began considering another major move.
In 2024, Turner was recruited by Queensland Police through its New Zealand recruitment drive, one of 19 Kiwis in the wing and 300 in the year.
“There was a $20,000 incentive to move,” she said. “They pay for you to get over there. So we thought, let’s go and do it.”
While Turner joined Queensland Police, her husband Dan stepped away from policing to become a stay-at-home father while the family settled into life in Australia.
At first, Turner said the move felt exciting, but within weeks concerns began to emerge.
One of the moments that shocked her most, she said, came during training when she was told she could not wear her pounamu.
“I personally wear a greenstone and I have done since I started in New Zealand Police,” she said. “We were told we weren’t allowed to wear our ponamu.”
Turner said several Kiwi recruits attempted to explain the cultural significance behind the taonga, but the rule remained.
“It was quite hurtful,” she said.
She said another New Zealand recruit was also instructed to cover her Māori tattoos.
For Turner, the experience became a turning point.
“Coming from New Zealand Police where we’re culturally sensitive and empathetic, it didn’t feel like that was shown within Queensland Police,” she said.
Beyond the cultural differences, Turner said policing itself felt different in Australia.
“There’s a lot more respect for police in New Zealand,” she said. “There isn’t that barrier between police and the community.”
Within five weeks, Turner decided she wanted to come home.
Asked whether any amount of money could have convinced her to stay, she was unequivocal: “No.
"No amount of money could make me accept not understanding that culture.”
Turner has since returned to New Zealand Police, joining the Family Harm team in Tūrangi, with her husband Dan also returning to policing.
“You cherish how well New Zealand Police actually treat our staff,” she said.
For others, however, Australia remains the better option.
Former New Zealand Police campaign officer Dion Nelson-Screen moved to Queensland in 2024 and has remained there ever since.
Once featured as part of New Zealand Police recruitment material, Nelson-Screen now works as a Queensland constable.
Police Association says some officers going to foodbanks
The Police Association warns the exodus is only one part of a much larger problem.
Its latest member survey found more than half of officers are considering leaving the force.
Watt described the situation as a "looming retention time bomb".
"We're in a cost of living crisis, and at the end of the day, the pay just simply isn't keeping up with inflation or CPI," he said.
"That's causing our members a lot of hardship. We've got members going to food banks and other support services simply in order to put food on the plate, and that's really distressing."
Asked what he would say to officers considering leaving, Chambers acknowledged the pressure many were under.
"I'm a human being too," he said. "There are times in my 30-year career where I have felt like, 'Am I up for this? Is it time for change?'"
But Chambers defended the overall health of the organisation, pointing to historically low attrition rates and record recruitment numbers.
"We've got the lowest attrition rate we've ever had. We've got record numbers joining," he said.
New Zealand Police currently has a workforce of around 10,475 staff, with attrition sitting at about 4.5%.
Still, Watt warned another challenge is rapidly approaching.
"There are currently over 5000 members that sit in the age group of 50 to 65. That’s almost half the constabulary workforce," he said.
"We're going to start to see those members leaving police, which is going to be a real issue when it comes to retaining."
For Chambers, the challenge now stretches across multiple fronts.
Balancing recruitment, retention, and growing competition from Australia, while still ensuring public safety here at home.
"To be our best, you've got to know you've got that support at home," Chambers said. "With the challenges we’re facing right now, that support is absolutely critical."
1 News Special: You, Me & Aussie
May 11, 8.40pm TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+
Thinking of moving across the Tasman? 1News: You, Me & Aussie hosted by Jack Tame dives into the real stories of Kiwis living in Australia – the highs, the lows, and everything in between. With over a million New Zealanders already calling Australia home, this special unpacks whether the money and lifestyle really add up, and helps answer the big question: Should you leave, or should you stay?
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