Federal Minister Ken Wyatt pans Alice Springs youth curfew idea

MINISTER for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt has flagged concerns about a push to introduce a blanket youth curfew to curb youth crime

Minister for indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt has concerns about a push to introduce a blank youth curfew in Alice Springs. Picture: AAP/Joel Carrett

MINISTER for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt has flagged concerns about a push to introduce a blanket youth curfew in Alice Springs.

Mr Wyatt, who was in Darwin on Wednesday, told the NT News he was aware of ongoing concerns about crime in Alice Springs but doubted a youth curfew would solve it.

“I grew up in a period when there were curfews. Under policies of the ’50s, they were effective of getting people off the streets but it was a measure that you didn’t need to apply on a blanket basis,” he said.

“You can deal with individuals on a case-by-case management basis. I think they need to look for solutions that are going to benefit the whole of the community, that’s what’s important.”

He said it was important to emphasise that not all crime was committed by indigenous youth. Former CLP candidate and Alice Springs councillor Jacinta Price agreed a curfew would fail because the town lacked the resources and the infrastructure to enforce it.

“I can see the communities getting upset over this,” she said.

“It would only work if there was a good working model behind it, that works together with parents but we don’t have that framework.

“I don’t think we had the infrastructure to enforce a curfew right now either.”

Independent Member for Araluen Robyn Lambley launched a petition last month to keep kids under 16 off the streets of Alice Springs between 10pm and 5am.

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“People clearly want a curfew – they have had enough of this relentless crime wave we have been experiencing in Alice Springs,” she said.

The Alice Springs council knocked back bringing in a year-long trial youth curfew in December.