Albanese government boosts police and school funding in Alice Springs

Anthony Albanese has spent his first night in trouble-plagued Alice Springs during his prime ministership, arriving with money to spend.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Alice Springs on Monday. Picture: Prime Minister’s Office

Anthony Albanese has spent his first night in Alice Springs during his prime ministership, arriving to meet with community and business leaders in the trouble spot as his government announces millions in additional police funding.

It is his first visit to the crime-ridden town as PM after a spate of highly publicised violence, rioting and youth crime triggered a 20-day-long youth curfew last month.

On Monday, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus announced $14.2 million in policing and other community safety support — a major boost to an initial $8 million partnership between the Northern Territory and federal governments.

The partnership, which was set to expire in June, will extend to the end of December 2025 allowing a continued increase in police presence that began following riots in March.

The Prime Minister also met with the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, holding a brief doorstop interview but taking only one question from journalists. He said his trip was an “opportunity to come and see the progress that is being made here” and that he had been to the Territory nine times while prime minister.

On Tuesday morning the prime minister told ABC Alice Springs’ Stewart Brash he “had a drive around” last night. “There wasn’t that much happening, to be frank,” he said.

Youths in Alice Springs drive a stolen Toyota Hilux through town at 4am in February. Picture: Liam Mendes

Alice Springs business owner and town advocate Darren Clark also met with Mr Albanese on Monday. He said it was good the PM had “fronted up” in response to the violence, and it appeared he wanted to learn what was happening on the ground.

“I told him how people were that scared during the riots, that he has to believe what is happening here – people waking up with machetes to their throats, too scared to go out, and too scared to stay in,” Mr Clark said. “I told him people don’t feel safe in their own homes.”

Mr Clark said he welcomed the government’s funding announcement, but more had to be done to get children off the streets and on track to have better futures.

“We need these kids at school during the day, and at home safe at night,” Mr Clark said.

On Tuesday, Mr Albanese will visit the largest senior school in Alice Springs, the Centralian Senior School, which received funding from the federal government’s $250m Better, Safer Future package announced last year.

Minister for Education Jason Clare also announced $8 million in public school infrastructure upgrades in the Northern Territory, with 12 schools benefiting from funding of at least $250,000 to build or upgrade infrastructure, delivering new classrooms, new playground equipment and upgrading sporting facilities.

At the end of March a youth curfew was implemented after more than 100 people ­rioted in the town and cornered one of its most popular pubs, which police said at the time they did not have the resources to control.

Hours later, police were called to a town camp where they said about 150 people were “armed in public and engaging in violent conduct”.

Those incidents on March 27 saw parts of Alice Springs out into lockdown over what sources said was “payback” for the death of a young man who died after a stolen car overturned on March 8.

The Australian also revealed in February that children as young as 10 were being caught driving stolen vehicles and ­immediately returned to a ­“responsible adult” – only to continue to reoffend.

The town has also been facing a legal resourcing crisis, with Aboriginal people accused of serious crimes left without representation and having to fend for themselves in court.

Extensive reporting of the issue in The Australian has revealed claims of corruption, fraud, bullying and drug use within the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency. Amid these allegations, staff have left the organisation in droves, leaving it chronically short-staffed.