Petitions
Petitions for the change you want
COTA NT and its branches undertake petitions as the results of our research, conversations, networking and meetings indicate what senior Territorians want to see change. For more information on our advocacy and surveys, please contact the organisation’s CEO.
Active Petitions
COTA NT – Sept 2025: Time to Write This Law: Voluntary Assisted Dying Choice for the NT
Petition to pass a voluntary assisted dying law in the Northern Territory without delay.
You can sign or pick up petition pages to share at COTA NT’s head office at 65 Smith Street, Darwin during normal opening hours or download a Petition-Time to Write This Law page. This must be returned to COTA NT at your own cost. If you wish, you can sign the same petition online here instead (n.b. the petition is hosted on the change.org platform). DO NOT SIGN A PRINT AND DIGITAL VERSION.
Past Petitions
Update from the Office of the Chief Minister: July 2024 VAD-report-2024
[Extract from Page 5 of the Report, Letter to the Chief Minister]
“…Although it is not within the Panel’s Terms of Reference we believe we should convey to you a strong body of opinion that has been expressed during the consultation period, that there should be legislation to enable a person, whilst they still have capacity to express in an advance personal plan/health directive, a wish to access voluntary assisted dying in preparation for their end-of-life. Panel members have always explained this matter does not directly form part of our Terms of Reference but feel that it is important to bring to your attention what we have heard when it is of a consistent nature during engagement.”
The VAD-report-2024 into developing a framework for voluntary assisted dying in the Northern Territory has been released. The report was developed by an independent expert advisory panel, co-chaired by the Hon Vicki O’Halloran AO CVO and Duncan McConnel SC. The panel undertook a wide range of public consultation for voluntary assisted dying from August 2023 to May 2024. During this period, the panel visited Darwin, Palmerston, Katherine, Alice Springs, Nhulunbuy, Jabiru, Tennant Creek and Wadeye.
Members heard from over 350 individual participants through public forums and meetings, met with around 60 organisations, received 98 written submissions and almost 1,400 survey responses. The report details 22 recommendations which government will now consider, and if supported, will inform draft legislation for voluntary assisted dying in the Northern Territory.
COTA NT – Repeal Section 50A of the Northern Territory (Self Government) Act 1978 to allow the NT to enact laws dealing with voluntary assisted dying
COTA NT – July 2016: Immediate and Urgent Review of the Seniors Concession Scheme in the Northern Territory
Read more including updates.
COTA Coomalie Branch Petition – July 2016: Provide Fair Access to Hospital Treatment in Darwin for Coomalie Residents
Read more including updates.
Page updated: 16 September 2025
