Outgoing NT Administrator Vicki O’Halloran has scheduled a “ceremonial farewell” for herself on Monday that will involve a marching band, a flag ceremony and a police motorcade in a government car that her office is encouraging Territorians to assemble for as she does “one final circuit around the State Square precinct”.

The cost to taxpayers of the ceremony was not disclosed.

Ms O’Halloran will conclude her term as the Northern Territory’s 22nd Administrator on Monday, January 30 after first being selected by former chief minister Michael Gunner in October 2017.

As Administrator – formerly the Queen’s and now the King’s representative in the Territory – Ms O’Halloran was paid an annual salary of $332,000, plus benefits, on top of free accommodation, a private chef and chauffeur covered by Territorians and will be entitled to some form of payment at the end of her term that has also not been disclosed.

A statement from her office on Friday said the “ceremonial farewell” will commence at 3:45pm and involve an “Honour Guard, the Australian Army Band, and the lowering and presentation of the Australian national flag and the Northern Territory flag to Her Honour”.

From there, Ms O’Halloran and her husband Craig will make one final victory lap in a vehicle called “NT1” with an NT Police “motorcycle escort” led past “prominent buildings in the CBD … beginning with the Darwin City Council Chambers, the Indonesian Consulate, around past the Northern Territory Local Court, NT House, the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly and lastly past Government House and the Offices of the Administrator”, the statement said.

“Members of the public can view the ceremonial farewell and bid their final farewell to Her Honour and Mr O’Halloran from outside on the front lawns of Government House as they officially complete their term in office,” the statement said.

“In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved indoors and not be visible to the public.”

The NT Independent understands the offer of a ceremonial farewell is made to all Administrators, however, many have not accepted it.

The pomp and ceremony for Ms O’Halloran comes amid ongoing unresolved pay disputes with police and other emergency workers, while the government is running record deficits and amid an ongoing crime crisis in Alice Springs that has made national headlines.

Concerns were first raised around the costs of the Administrator position in 2020, after the NT Independent revealed Ms O’Halloran charged Territory taxpayers nearly $100,000 for travel expenses in just over a year, that included a trip to meet the Queen in London and two annual trips to Hawaii at the request of Mr Gunner in 2018 and 2019.

The 2019 trip to London to visit the Queen was scheduled under the pretence of celebrating an assistant receiving an award, but Ms O’Halloran’s trip cost NT taxpayers 14 times more than the public servant being honoured.

The total for the 2018 and 2019 trips to Hawaii was $64,682, with the official reason for the trips to Hawaii listed as being at the “invitation” of Mr Gunner to attend “Veteran’s Day events”. Veteran’s Day is the American equivalent of Anzac Day with services contained to one day.

There is no tradition of Northern Territory officials attending the American Veteran’s Day service in Hawaii before Mr Gunner did in 2017.

Mr Gunner also previously said that Ms O’Halloran had done well “supporting our region’s interests overseas”, however that is not an official function of the role of the NT Administrator.

Ms O’Halloran, who has referred to herself as “the people’s Administrator” in the media, was reappointed for another two-year term ahead of the then-Gunner government going into caretaker mode before the 2020 general election. That term was extended slightly late last year.

Former NT chief health officer Hugh Heggie will take over as the Territory’s 23rd Administrator next week.