Ngaree Ah Kit reveals cost of first Alice Springs youth curfew

The cost of Alice Springs’ first snap lockdown in March-April has been revealed, with hundreds of overtime hours and thousands of dollars listed in the bill for taxpayers.

Vacant streets in Alice Springs after the NT government implemented a 14 day curfew for youths in the wake of spiralling crime on March 27, 2024. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

The cost of Alice Springs’ first youth curfew has been revealed, with hundreds of overtime hours worked and thousands of dollars spent in the interests of public safety.

In answering a question taken on notice during June’s budget estimates, Territory Families Minister Ngaree Ah Kit said the total cost of the curfew – which started on March 27 and ended April 16 – cost taxpayers a total of $113,028.89.

Ms Ah Kit said 33 department employees worked a combined 824 hours of overtime during the three-week curfew.

That is the equivalent of 103 eight-hour working days.

Ms Ah Kit said the extra hours cost taxpayers $102,797.54.

She said additional costs such as staff travel, accommodation, and “furniture and fittings for staff accommodation” cost a combined $10,230.35.

“That cost does not include the ordinary hours worked by the employees in the ordinary course of their duties,” Ms Ah Kit said.

Originally published as Ngaree Ah Kit reveals cost of first Alice Springs youth curfew