Natasha Fyles and Matt Paterson worlds apart on answers for Alice Springs crime crisis

The mayor of a besieged Territory town and the Chief Minister are at odds over the best way to solve the worst crime crisis in decades. Find out why they are divided.

Territory leaders are butting heads over the lifting of controversial alcohol laws which is blamed for the increase in crime in the Central Australian town.

As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived in the besieged desert town after days of mounting pressure, Chief Minister Natasha Fyles and Alice Springs mayor voiced starkly different views on the best way forward for a community in the grips of its worst crime crisis in decades.

Ms Fyles stood by the government’s decision to scrap the Stronger Futures laws, which previously kept remote communities in the Territory dry, refusing to implement “race-based” policies.

“What we have got in the Northern Territory is some of the strictest alcohol policies in the world and we will continue to work in that space,” Ms Fyles told Sky News.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles says her government will not reintroduce controversial alcohol laws as Alice Springs grapples with its worst crime crisis in decades. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

“We’ll continue to work with local communities around how they want what is a legal product, but acknowledging the harm it caused, managed in their community.

“There is the ability for remote communities to opt in but there is also the ability to restrict the supply to those that cause harm remembering that it is a legal product right across Australia.”

Ms Fyles said the previous Coalition government had “turned its back” on communities by supporting the laws.

“The intervention, which is what the Stronger Futures legislation was, disempowered Aboriginal people based on their race,” Ms Fyles said.

“We put in place a measure that is not race-based.”

Alice Springs is in the grips of its worst crime crisis in decades. Picture: Liam Mendes/The Australian

She said she understood the Alice Springs’ community’s “sense of urgency”.

“I absolutely acknowledge the pain, the frustration, the anger of the community right now.”

However, Alice Springs mayor Matt Paterson said his town was “simply not ready” for the lifting of the laws.

“Alice Springs is in desperate need for change and so we will just be asking for the federal government to step in and help Alice Springs and the community out,” Mr Paterson told Sky News.

“We live here, we experience this every single day.

“It needs to go back to how it was.

Alice Springs mayor Matt Paterson says the town was “simply not ready” for the Stronger Futures laws to be lifted.

“We weren’t ready for the lifting.

“We were simply not ready.

“The community leaders have called for it not to be lifted.

“It’s OK to say we got it wrong.

“Let’s go back and implement it and let’s make changes.

“It doesn’t have to be forever, it just has to be for a few years whilst we can get the ball rolling to make the changes required.”

Originally published as Natasha Fyles and Matt Paterson worlds apart on answers for Alice Springs crime crisis