Central Australian Katherine Coulthard’s decision to leave unsafe Alice Springs

Proud Central Australian Katherine Coulthard has called Alice Springs home for 20 years, but the crime crisis has forced her to pack up and camp in the bush to get away from it.

Matt Cunningham

@mattcunningham

less than 2 min read

January 24, 2023 - 9:05AM

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Katherine Coulthard was born and raised in Central Australia. For more than 20 years she has called Alice Springs home.

But she says she can no longer stay in the town she once loved.

“It’s not good,” she told Sky News as she stood in the Todd Mall.

“It’s terrible. The last week I’ve been packing up and leaving town. Just camping out bush as far as possible.”

Alice Springs has seen huge increases in crime rates in the past 12 months.

Property damage is up almost 60 per cent, commercial break-ins have risen almost 55 per cent and alcohol-related domestic violence is up almost 54 per cent in the 12 months to November last year.

“I live in a block of flats where I just don’t feel safe,” Ms Coulthard said.

“I’ve complained that many times to community housing and I feel like I’m in the wrong for making complaints.

Katherine Coulthard was born and raised in Central Australia and has called Alice Springs home for more than 20 years. She says she can no longer stay in the town because of climbing crime rates and unrest. Picture: Matt Cunningham

“There’s a lot of drinking and a lot of illegal activity going on. It’s not nice it’s not safe.

“I’m a local of 52 years. I’ve been out bush, I came into town, I’ve been here for at least 20 years and it’s getting worse.

“It’s getting to a point where I am going to be leaving town and going back to my country.”

Ms Coulthard said the return of alcohol to Alice Springs town camps and some Indigenous communities when the Stronger Futures legislation – better known as the Intervention – expired last year had been a disaster.

“The crime has doubled or tripled,” she said.

“These young people are lost. To me it’s like there’s no guidance, there’s no family care anymore. Nobody helps anyone.

“There’s a lot of young people standing over elders.

“There’s a lot of payback which has come into town.”

Ms Coulthard said she plans to leave Alice Springs to go and live on homelands near Kulgera, near the South Australian border.