NT Correction Commissioner Matthew Varley says he doesn’t want corrections officers to walk off the job, encouraging them to persevere through the emergency situation, commending them for their hard work.

He told Katie Woolf he was yesterday served a notice to appear before the Fair Work Commission, with the United Workers Union concerned he has misapplied his powers in regard to enterprise bargaining agreements.

The Commissioner says the new Darwin youth corrections centre is due to open next Monday, with male prisoners expected to move into Don Dale in early December, helping ease pressure on the system and free up watch houses for police.

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