Alert issued for flooding at Anzac Oval and Todd River, situation developing

A ‘flood advice’ has been issued for a Red Centre town after a night of rain led to river levels increasing. Read more.

A ‘flood advice’ notice has been issued for a Red Centre town after a night of rain has led to river levels increasing. Picture: Gera Kazakov

May 30: A ‘flood advice’ notice has been issued for a Red Centre town after a night of rain has led to river levels increasing.

NT Emergency Services issued the alert at 8.15am on Thursday for the Anzac Oval and Todd River areas.

Emergency services asked residents avoid the areas as “fast flowing flood water can contain objects that may injure or trap you.”

NT Emergency Services issued the alert at 8.15am on Thursday for the Anzac Oval and Todd River areas. Picture: Gera Kazakov

“River levels are increasing at Big Dipper and Wigley Gorge, with rainfall expected to continue until late this afternoon,” the alert said.

“If rainfall does continue at current intensity, flows are expected at Anzac Oval from late this morning, most likely peaking at Anzac Oval late this afternoon at Category A level although possibly reaching Category B level at 2.5m if rainfall continues to be heavier than expected.”

Emergency services sad they will issue an update at 10:30am today.

Vandals damage Red Centre gates but stop short of breaking in

May 30: The fences of some licensed premises in Alice Springs have been damaged but police said none of the businesses were broken into.

Southern Watch Commander Thomas Chalk said the gates and fences of premises “in the suburbs” were damaged in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Sergeant Chalk said police were quick to attend each scene but they found the offenders had fled before they arrived.

He said no arrests had been made in relation to the incidents as of 6am Thursday.

Worker’s ribs broken after alleged iron bar attack

May 29: A 69-year-old man is in hospital with possible broken ribs after his customer allegedly flew into a rage when his card declined and attacked him with an iron bar.

Southern Watch Commander Mick Fields said a 32-year-old man entered a business in the Alice Springs CBD at 7.40pm Tuesday.

Sergeant Fields said the man tried to buy items from the Gap Rd store but his card declined.

He said the 32-year-old man allegedly became “enraged” and tried to assault the 69-year-old worker before leaving.

Sergeant Fields said the man allegedly returned to the business 20 minutes later and used a rock to smash the employee’s vehicle windows.

He said the employee left the store to “challenge” the man who allegedly pushed him over and struck him “a number of times with an iron bar”.

Sergeant Fields said the 69-year-old retreated into the safety of the store while the alleged offender took the employee’s mobile phone – which had fallen out of his pocket during the alleged attack – and fled the scene.

He said the alleged offender was tracked via CCTV and arrested.

Sergeant Fields said the man would likely be charged with robbery and serious harm.

He said the worker was taken to Alice Springs Hospital for treatment.

Footy feud the cause of three-day brawl in Red Centre

May 27, 4pm: Footy losses are being blamed as the root cause for three days of street brawling in Alice Springs – with one resident questioning why the new curfew laws weren’t enacted when the violence erupted.

From Friday to Sunday, residents in the suburbs of Larapinta and Gillen saw cars set alight and up to 30 people in the street armed with weapons fighting each other.

Police said they have now arrested 11 people in relation to the unrest, which occurred on Lyndavale Drive in Larapinta on Friday and Saturday and Carruthers Crescent in Gillen on Sunday.

A silver ute was also set alight on Flynn Drive in Gillen on Saturday, across the road from the supermarket.

However, the manager of Lhere Artepe Supermarkets Arun Sharma on Flynn Drive said the store “had no issues at all” over the weekend.

“We didn’t hear anything ... there’s nothing to report,” he said.

Remnants of the vehicle fire on Flynn Drive.

Another Gillen resident, who lives on Carruthers Crescent, said he didn’t see anything as he was taking his wife to the doctors when Sunday’s brawl erupted on the road they live on.

Police said at 3.45pm on Sunday, a “large group” was “fighting with weapons” on the suburban street.

A Larapinta resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the fighting was between two families from “outbush” and stemmed from a dispute over a Thursday night footy game.

He said the dispute was affecting everyone in town – especially the Indigenous residents, the majority of who live peaceful lives and do the right thing.

“They’re probably copping it twice as much now,” they said.

The resident believed that the new curfew laws were “for the betterment of all of the community” and said were they quickly enacted the situation could have been calmed sooner.

With Finke Desert Race only a week away, the resident said most of the town was deserted over the weekend as people went out to set up in preparation for the race.

But they hoped to see calm restored before thousands flock into Alice Springs, and speaking directly to the those who involved with the fighting, they wanted to share this message: “don’t bring this stuff into our town.”

“Respect our country and respect our town,” they said.

Five more arrested over brawl linked to ‘ongoing family dispute’

May 27, 11am: Police have made more arrests in relation to street brawls which erupted in two different Alice Springs suburbs over the weekend.

A total of 11 people are now in custody in relation to the brawls, with another six arrests made this morning, according to police.

Police said they arrested and charged a 20-year-old man, a 29-year-old man, a 32-year-old woman, a 45-year-old man, a 46-year-old woma and one more individual in relation to another brawl that took place on Carruthers Crescent in Gillen on May 26.

They were charged with taking part in a riot and going armed in public, according to police.

Police said a “large number of weapons have been seized” by police who attended the scene, however, a silver sedan – which was allegedly driving dangerously and almost striking people – is yet to be found.

Police said no injuries have been reported in relation to yesterday’s brawl in Gillen, in a weekend which contained “completely unacceptable” behaviour, according to Detective Senior Sergeant Marcus Becker.

“The community of Alice Springs can rest assured that NT Police take these events seriously and investigations remain ongoing,” he said.

“Violence will not be tolerated on our streets.”

NT Police investigate brawl that involved 30 people in Gillen after ‘ongoing family dispute’

May 27, 8am: An “ongoing family dispute” has sparked a police investigation in Alice Springs.

Southern Watch Commander Mick Fields said about 30 people were caught up in the fight in Gillen just before 4pm Sunday.

He said five adults were arrested and charged with assault, going armed in public, and disorderly behaviour.

Sergeant Fields said police were still examining the alleged brawl that had been linked to ongoing family tensions throughout the weekend.

He said as of 6am Monday, police “haven’t got the full picture”.

St John NT Territory Response Manager Craig Garraway said paramedics were called to the scene.

In unrelated incidents, Sergeant Fields said police were also investigating four commercial and two residential property break-ins over the last 24 hours.

He said no arrests had been made as of 6am in relation to the break-ins.

Originally published as Alert issued for flooding at Anzac Oval and Todd River, situation developing