Alice Springs Cinema and Alice Plaza collaborate on new secure parking solution for film buffs

With a police operation underway aimed at enhancing safety in the Red Centre capital, two businesses are collaborating on their own solution – aimed at giving cinemagoers extra peace of mind. Read what it is.

Alice Springs Cinema. Picture: Gera Kazakov generic

Red Centre cinema buffs are going to have an extra 150 parking spaces to choose from when they hit the movies, after a “no-brainer” collaboration between businesses aimed at luring people back to the Alice Springs CBD.

From mid-December, film buffs checking out a new flick at Alice Springs Cinema will be able to leave their car in secure underground parking at Alice Plaza.

The move is a collaboration between the cinema and the plaza, with the aim to bring people back to the movies while also giving them peace of mind about their vehicles.

Alice Springs Cinema manager René Sutton said there were still a few kinks to iron out – such as finding a staff member to work the gate at the Todd St entry of the underground carpark – but she’s hopeful once implemented, people will return to the cinema.

Alice Springs Cinema. Picture: Gera Kazakov

“Running costs are so high compared to attendance that ideally it’s probably not worth us being open on those days, which is ridiculous,” she said.

“We can’t be a cinema that operates only two days a week … we want to be available in the evenings to people who are free out of their work hours.

“We’re hoping that people will give it a go and if it works out and attendance will increase.”

Northern Territory Police Southern Commander James Gray-Spence. Picture: Gera Kazakov

An announcement of the move was made online simultaneously as Northern Territory Police announced Operation Ludlow, the new summer policing operation which will see an additional 14 constables stationed in Alice Springs for the school holidays.

Beginning Thursday, the extra police constables – supported by an additional two supervisors – will be “walking the beat’ in “high visibility areas” in Alice Springs, such as the Todd Mall, Southern Commander James Gray-Spence said.

“We do know residents of Alice Springs love seeing police, especially in high public use spaces and at peak times,” he said.

Alice Plaza manager Eli Melky – who also sits on Alice Springs Town Council – said opening the gate to allow cinema patrons to park underground at night was one of many ways the plaza was trying to rejuvenate the CBD.

Alice Plaza manager Eli Melky. Photo: Emma Murray

“We all got together and the Plaza was able to work with traders and with Alice Springs Town Council, cinemas and others; ultimately our main goal is to bring people into the CBD, and in collaboration we can open the plaza,” he said.

“Lately, due to no fault of their own and certainly no fault of the town, but due to risk to vehicles and the security of vehicles, less and less people are going to the movies at night time.

“I think a town without a cinema is not really much of a town at all.

“It’s a no-brainer.”