NT Election 2024: Guide to Namatjira, Braitling and Araluen
In the past few years Alice Springs has been embattled with crime crises, curfews and bad press, leaving experts split on whether the turmoil will strengthen or threaten politicians’ sway in Central Australia.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The past few years have seen Alice Springs embattled with crime crises, curfews and bad press, leaving experts split on whether the turmoil will strengthen or threaten politicians’ sway in the Red Centre.
Braitling and Namatjira were narrowly won by the CLP at the last election – by just 117 and 22 votes respectively.
Rolf Gerritsen, a political analyst based in Central Australia, expected those margins to grow considerably at the NT election on Saturday, August 24.
“Namatjira is regarded as a bush seat – which are notionally friendly to Labor – but actually the biggest proportion of the electorate is in the suburbs of Alice Springs, so it’s increasingly a peri-urban seat, I think Bill Yan is safe there,” Professor Gerritsen said.
“Josh Burgoyne for Braitling will have a very big swing to him.
“Burgoyne’s worked the electorate hard, he’s benefited from the fact of the crime issue.”
Robyn Lambley has held Araluen since 2010 – first for the CLP, then as an independent, winning in 2020 for Territory Alliance before returning to her independent status shortly thereafter.
She saw a significant swing against her in 2020, holding by 0.5 per cent.
CDU academic Nathan Franklin said her affiliation with the failed Territory Alliance party likely hurt Ms Lambley at the last election, expecting her to win the seat for a fifth term this year despite “strong competition” in CLP candidate Sean Heenan.
If neither Labor nor the CLP win enough seats for a majority government, Ms Lambley could become kingmaker at the election; she would be a likely candidate for either party’s speaker in the case of a hung parliament.
Dr Franklin had doubts about the CLP’s stronghold in Braitling and Namatjira, predicting Namatjira could flip to Labor’s Sheralee Taylor.
“There’s a large Indigenous population in that seat, and she's Indigenous,” he said.
“Namatjira’s on a knife’s edge. Crime plays into it but we’ve seen a different approach from Labor with Eva Lawler in charge.”
The NT News asked each candidate to identify the top three issues facing their electorate, and what they planned to do about them. Here’s what they had to say.
ARALUEN
Wayne Wright (Independent)
Mr Wright did not respond to request for comment.
Hugo Wells (NT Greens)
Community safety
Thanks to Labor and the CLP, our prison population has increased by 30 per cent in the last 10 years, but it’s done nothing to make our town safer. We’re all struggling because of it. We need solutions to crime that are proven to work, not quick fixes that are designed to win votes. We need: 24/7 youth centres so kids have a safe and engaging place to be, more than seven crisis beds for our 200 homeless youth, a youth foyer. We need to make sure people’s homes are a safe place to be, with domestic violence support, cheaper electricity and more public housing stock.
Housing
Our public housing waitlist is up to 10 years long, we have the worst overcrowding and rental protections in the country. Fifty per cent of Territorians rent. We need a bond board, an end to no-grounds evictions, a freeze on rents, and better standards for renters. To increase our stock, we need a housing supply plan. There’s plenty of empty houses in this town, we would look at voluntary buybacks that have worked elsewhere to get families into these homes.
Environment
Already over summer, people leave this town in droves. Bushfire smoke chokes our incredible landscape as buffel burns. To have a secure future for the climate and economy of this town, we can’t keep pouring fuel on the fire. We need a ban on new gas projects, a proper big battery and a transition to solar, driving down electricity prices for those who struggle most. We’d use the $1.5bn promised for Middle Arm to fund solar training and jobs, solar and aircons in all public housing, community owned solar for the bush and solar grants or zero interest loans for everyone else.
Sean Heenan (CLP)
Out of control crime
I love Alice Springs and have spent my life fighting for our town. I was born and raised here and I’ve made my home here, but over the last eight years crime has gotten worse. People no longer feel safe to go about their daily lives. That’s why I am running as part of the CLP team, because we are the only ones who will address crime both now and in the longer term. Unlike Labor who only ever react to crime, we will strengthen the laws to make people safe, and we will address the root causes of crime. Being a local, I know what needs to be done to work with our local communities to bring back accountability, appropriate consequences and invest in diversion strategies.
Support local business
Having run businesses here in Alice, I know how tough it is. Our local economy is on life support having been let down by a Labor government focused on pet projects in the Top End while forgetting the Red Centre. The CLP team’s plan to lower taxes and grow the economy is vital to rebuilding our town. Reducing crime will also help us rebuild our reputation and bring back retail and hospitality spending. We’ll promote jobs and opportunities here in our region, not just in Darwin.
Getting back to what we love
I’ll never stop loving our town, but to keep people here and attract more to come to Alice we have to restore our lifestyle. I’ve been involved with many volunteer organisations here, including Rotary, Red Cross and the Motor Enthusiast Club, our community achieves incredible things when we come together. I’m passionate about getting back to enjoying our unique environment and iconic events but to do that we have to make it safe and prosperous again – only the CLP team can do this.
Gagandeep Sodhi (Labor)
I am passionate about advocating for better health care and outcomes for our communities.
I am a proud Territorian and have been since I first moved to Alice Springs in 2019. The desert is now in my blood, and Alice is well and truly my lifelong home. I came here as a clinical pharmacist straight after graduating from UTAS, and, working in Aboriginal services, I immediately fell in love with Alice Springs.
I now work as a renal pharmacist at Alice Springs Hospital, Tennant Creek, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, and regularly work in remote clinics in Central Australia. I love my work because I get to meet Territorians from all over and make a real difference in their lives.
Quality healthcare is my top priority. As a frontline health worker, I know first-hand the healthcare needs and challenges of Central Australian residents.
I want to ensure every dollar invested in Central Australia’s health system delivers maximum benefit for our community. For me, prevention is key, I know that providing effective education on key, practical actions people can take daily to avert disease and suffering.
To do this, we need to prevent cuts to healthcare services in Central Australia that the CLP will definitely do if they get into government.
I’m a passionate, solutions-oriented person, and driven by a deep love of my rich and diverse community. I bring a fresh perspective, Territorian pride, and great optimism for Alice Springs’ future.
Robyn Lambley (Independent)
Crime and alcohol
Crime is the number one concern for residents of Alice Springs. There is still a lot the government can do to address the harmful levels of crime. My role is to hold the government to account on all their policies and the allocation of resources to prevent and manage crime and social disorder. Critical to law and order and community safety is alcohol policy. My role is to ensure the NT government vigilantly monitors and tweaks alcohol policies and alcohol harm minimisation strategies in response to changes in alcohol demand and supply.
Building amenity and quality of life
Alice Springs and other regional centres in the NT do not have the amenities and services people want and need. Over the past eight years the NT Labor government has significantly underdelivered on new and upgraded services and amenities outside of Darwin and Palmerston. Over half the infrastructure commitments made to Alice Springs over the last eight years has not been delivered. This is unacceptable. It is an issue of fairness and equity. My role is to ensure that promises made by government is delivered specifically to Alice Springs.
Attracting and retaining workers
The recruitment of workers to all positions in Alice Springs continues to be a serious issue, particularly in the essential and emergency services areas. This has a lot to do with crime.
The NT government must provide greater incentives to attract and retain workers. Providing greater assistance for home and business security is essential. Alice Springs has a critical shortage of childcare and this is another reason we are losing workers. I will be requesting that a parliamentary inquiry be undertaken into how we can address the shortage of childcare in Alice Springs.
BRAITLING
Joshua Burgoyne (CLP)
Addressing the root causes of crime
To really address crime and break the cycle we must address the root causes. As Shadow Minister for Youth I’ve worked closely with my CLP team and our plan to address youth crime starts with working with families, communities and truancy officers to bring back accountability and get kids back to school. We know that if kids don’t have a safe home to go to, they can go down the wrong path, intervening early with diversion programs is vital. We will also deliver a youth boot camp here in Alice Springs working with Indigenous mentors. This means when a young person does the wrong thing they will be sent to a safe and structured environment to learn skills, responsibilities and be shown a better way forward.
Investing in Alice Springs
I’m sick of Alice Springs missing out to the Top End. That’s why as part of the CLP I’ll deliver more for our town. Our plan includes a new $15m sports complex at Centralian Middle School running from Rosebaum St to Memorial and encompassing Jim McConville Oval. We’re also build the first ever multicultural centre here, so our 26 multicultural groups have a new state-of-the-art place to celebrate and enjoy. Under a CLP government we’ll fight to keep major events in Alice, and attract more.
Lower cost of living
Families here are doing it tough, and need relief. Making it safe will reduce crime and rebuild our local economy taking the pressure off everyday prices. We love our solar panels here in Alice, not only is it good for our environment, it can help keep energy bills down. The CLP team will double the solar feed-in tariff in peak times saving you money. We’ll also double the battery bonus up to $12,000 meaning you can store the energy your solar panels produce.
Allison Bitar (Labor)
For two decades I have made Alice Springs my home. I love this place and its people – as a business owner, I know how tough it’s been in town and as a Deputy Mayor, I have listened and responded to what our community needs. I will always stand up and do everything I can to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, and recognise that this must be coupled with strong investments in education, housing, health and rehabilitation.
That’s why I am part of Eva Lawler’s team that has a common sense plan to make our streets safer and our people stronger, now and into the future. Reducing crime is Eva Lawler’s top priority. The Lawler Labor government has made the biggest ever investment into the NT Police Force in its history – an extra $570m over five years. This will deliver an extra 200 sworn officers, around 70 support staff and 25 more emergency call takers.
There has also been the establishment of the Territory Safety Division in Alice Springs. Combined with our behaviour reform and rehabilitative programs, this will ensure long-term, positive change for our town.
We recognise that housing and education changes lives. Our $4bn remote housing partnership will halve community overcrowding in a decade, and our $1.1bn partnership with the federal government to fully fund all Territory public school.
As Labor’s Braitling candidate, I will prioritise protecting the Territory lifestyle which makes Alice Springs such a special place to live. A re-elected Lawler Labor government will create a multi-day walking track at Watarrka, upgrade our vital tourism infrastructure, support our screen industry and the arts, as well as build the Kwatye (Water) Play at Snow Kenna Park.
Asta Hill (NT Greens)
Community safety
Having been a prosecutor and a legal aid lawyer, I’ve seen the justice system from both sides and know what works – and doesn’t. We are imprisoning ever more people, yet we are feeling less safe. Building more prisons, which release people into further poverty will increase, not reduce crime rates.
We need: More crisis accommodation; 24/7 drop-in centres, giving kids a safe place to be; Youth Foyers – which save governments $6 for every $1 spent; More public housing – some NT waiting lists are 10 years long; Proper investment in services proven to reduce offending, like community led youth programs, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, mental health support, and victim-offender conferences.
Housing
We have a severe shortage of public and affordable housing, with people waiting as long as 10 years for a home. There’s a forecast shortfall of 19,000 homes by 2030, almost half of which need to be social and affordable housing. If we want to grow our population and economy, to ensure this is a place people want to stay long term, we need to urgently develop and implement a housing supply plan. We also need to protect the 50 per cent of Territorians who rent, with a bond board, an end to no-grounds evictions, rent controls and better standards for rentals.
Integrity
We need to bring integrity back into parliament. Territorians are sick and tired of the interests of gas companies, alcohol, tobacco and gambling companies, as well as property developers being prioritised over the real interests of the community. We need an end to corporate donations, a lobbyist register and a proper, enforceable code of conduct for politicians.
There’s not much separating the major parties on these issues, but this town’s ready for something better.
NAMATJIRA
Blair McFarland (NT Greens)
In my electorate of Namatjira the three main issues faced across the region are the cost of living, environment and crime. All of these problems arise from the failure of governments to protect our interests. I want to hold the government accountable to the people who elect it.
Cost of living
It’s clear the increase in economic growth in Australia since 2010 has not been shared equally, with 93 per cent going to the top 10 per cent of the population – calculations based on World Inequality Database. Governments are supposed to represent the whole population, but recently it seems they are working for the rich.
Environment
The government who are supposed to be looking after our natural resources, as a sacred trust for our children, have been giving them away to multinational corporations, and leaving devastated natural environments for our children to clean up. It is estimated there are 60,000 deserted mines across Australia by the Australia Institute. The fracking in the Beetaloo basin is planning to add another 1200 that will need to be monitored and maintained for centuries to prevent them leaking methane into the atmosphere. This is the legacy we are leaving our children, and we wonder why they are losing respect for the institutions that are supposed to protect their interests.
Crime
Poverty causes crime – as Anatole France said about a century ago “the law, in it’s majestic equality, forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the street, and to steal their bread”. And crime is a consequence of government policy. It is government policy to keep people on Centrelink impoverished by setting benefits well below the poverty line.
If elected, I will work with the electorate to advocate for a fairer distribution of the wealth that we all could share.
Bill Yan (CLP)
Crime and rehabilitation of offenders
Everyone in Alice Springs is impacted by crime, whether it be victims themselves, their business or through the decline in tourism and opportunities here. The CLP’s plan to address crime starts with youth crime, we will address the root causes of crime. We’ll work with families, communities and truancy officers to get kids to school and on a better path. We know kids need to be shown care and value and have a safe home to go to, we have the experience to tackle these issues.
Having run the Alice Springs correctional centre I have seen first hand the difference rehabilitation programs make to offenders. Our plan to greatly expand education and training for those serving time and our Sentenced to a Job program means offenders come out job ready. Only the CLP will break the cycle of crime and rebuild our town.
Rebuild our local economy
Small businesses in Alice will pay less tax meaning they can put more into growing their business. By reducing crime, businesses won’t have to spend thousands constantly repairing windows and suffering from the cost of break-ins. Making it safe will rebuild our reputation so we can once again be a thriving tourist destination. We’ll also take the fight to airline companies to deliver more competitive flights to the red centre.
Support for the bush
When Labor ripped away community councils they took away local leadership in Aboriginal communities. The CLP is committed to restoring control to communities and strengthening service delivery. When I talk to my bush communities they tell me they want a greater say and self-determination. We’ll work with Aboriginal people to get it right, and ensure they can once again have a say on managing their local assets and fostering skill development and job opportunities on country.
Sheralee Taylor (Labor)
I believe that for strong, healthy, happy communities to thrive, we must all work together to address crime, to build strong families, and to get kids to school and people into work.
It’s special to live in Central Australia. The lifestyle, the natural environment, the people and our community are all a major drawcard and why so many of us choose to live here in the Territory.
But I also know that while it is special to live in our beautiful town and its surrounding areas, there are issues we must address. Community safety and crime is an issue for everyone I have spoken to across Namatjira, and people want to see change.
I believe that for long-term change, we need to work together to prevent crime; helping families, getting kids to school, getting people working and our communities being happy, safe places for everyone. I know that to prevent crime and create long-term change, we also need immediate responses.
The Lawler Labor government has a plan that not only seeks to address immediate safety concerns in our communities through record investment in NT Police – an extra $570m over five years – but record investment in education and housing. In partnership with the federal government we will fully fund all Territory public schools and Central Australia schools will be some of the first to benefit from the $1bn boost to school funding.
We’re also focused on workforce development and training, and infrastructure investment and improvements in the bush and in town. Ensuring that investment is directed to urban, rural and remote areas is critical. We need services, jobs and education available for everyone – including remote – so that families who wish to stay on country, can.
More Coverage
Originally published as NT Election 2024: Guide to Namatjira, Braitling and Araluen
Parliament live blog: CLP begins its remaking of the NT
The first session of the 15th Legislative Assembly is underway, with all 25 members to be sworn in and sweeteners in the form of assistant ministries to be doled out to CLP backbenchers. Law and order is expected to dominate.
Man arrested after partner fatally stabbed
A 46-year-old man has been arrested after his female partner was fatally stabbed with an edged weapon in Lajamanu.