The Commonwealth Department of Prosecutions has laid charges against the Defence Department over the death of a young solder during a live-firing exercise at Mount Bundey in the Northern Territory.

Key points: The Defence Department has been charged with three breaches of work health and safety laws following an investigation

The Defence Department has been charged with three breaches of work health and safety laws following an investigation Private Jason Challis lost his life during a live fire exercise which the NT coroner described as "shambolic"

Private Jason Challis lost his life during a live fire exercise which the NT coroner described as "shambolic" A Defence spokesman said the department was providing support to Private Challis's family

Victorian soldier Jason Challis, 25, died after he was shot in the head during the urban firing exercise during Exercise Tigers Run on May 10, 2017, at the training facility about 130 kilometres south-east of Darwin.

An inquest into the death last year found he had no way of knowing that he was standing behind a target contained in a plywood building.

It heard that the Geelong man had been in the Defence Force for 10 months and although he had "field firing" experience, the exercise was his first live-fire urban attack scenario.

The Coroner said the training exercise was "shambolic" and the soldiers had not been given the opportunity to do a dummy run with blank ammunition.

During the inquest, counsel assisting the coroner Kelvin Currie told the inquest the Army's training systems appeared to have "monumentally failed" Private Challis.

"The level of training of Private Challis and other members of the team for the complexity of the urban operation is an issue for this inquest," he said.

"There was no walk-through of the 'village' by soldiers in Private Challis's section.

"There were no dry practice runs … so Private Challis didn't know what he was coming across."

Defence Department responds to charges

The Defence Department has now been charged with three breaches of work health and safety laws following an investigation by the regulator Comcare.

They carry a penalty of $1.5 million each, and, according to Comcare, "relate to alleged failures including an unsafe work environment, unsafe system of work and inadequate training".

In a statement issued on Wednesday night, the department said the "Defence community remains saddened by the tragic loss of Private Challis and we offer our deepest condolences to Private Challis's family, friends and colleagues".

"Defence continues to provide support to Private Challis's family and those personnel involved in the incident," a Defence spokesman said.

"This support is provided by the chain of command, their peers and appropriate welfare services, both internal and external to Defence."

The spokesman said the Defence Force took "all work health and safety incidents seriously".

"The safety of our people is critical for Defence to achieve its mission of defending Australia and its national interests," they said.

The case will be heard in the Darwin Local Court on June 11.