NT inquiry reviews cultural NZ youth court

A New Zealand youth justice court based on traditional Pacific Island cultural practices has been examined by the Northern Territory's royal commission into juvenile detention.

Co-commissioners Mick Gooda and Margaret White toured NZ this week to research alternative approaches to youth protection and detention.

The Kiwi model emphasises a child-centred, trauma and culturally-informed system that focuses on family group conferencing, particularly in Maori and Pacific Island communities.

The Pasifika Youth Court has been in place for six years and is for young offenders from independent islands including Tonga, Samoa and the Cook Islands.

The same laws and consequences apply as a traditional court, but the similarities end there.

"The room is decorated with island artworks and floral cloth, the floor is covered with a 'tapa' - a traditional mat that now bears the signatures of children who have completed their plan successfully," the inquiry said in a statement.

"The judge is supported by a group of elders from each of the islands who offer young people and their family encouragement and guidance."

The royal commission is reviewing best-practice models in other jurisdictions as it prepares to release an interim report on March 31 and its final report on August 1.

New Zealand has 249 specialist police youth officers who work with low level youth offenders and provide diversionary options for police and the courts, which has led to the decriminalisation of thousands of children.

It comes after the NT government announced it will spend an extra $18.2 million annually on new youth diversion workers, a greater focus on victim conferencing and boot camps.

The cash injection is in response to the Don Dale Detention Centre abuse scandal and community anger over a school holiday youth crime spike.

The NT juvenile offender rate dropped by 40 per cent between the 2008-09 to 2015-16 period, the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show.