Why one of two parties want to release ‘confidential information’ on Alice Springs CBD project

A Territory council has voted to release ‘confidential information’ about a project to revitalise a town centre – but there’s one more hurdle they have to pass before the public gets all the details. Find out more.

Confidential negotiations between a council and a church around a “piece of dirt” in the Alice Springs CBD could be made public – if one party supports a proposal by the other to release them.

The Alice Springs Town Council recently unanimously passed a motion by councillor Eli Melky, who wants to put the negotiations between the Flynn Uniting Church in the Todd Mall and the Alice Springs Town Council into the public sphere.

Councillor Eli Melky. Photo: Emma Murray

Now the motion has passed, council officers will write a letter to the church requesting support to “allow confidential information” relating to the negotiations be released.

The motion comes weeks after the council announced the $20 million “regenerating the Alice town centre” project would shift riverside due to a disagreement between the church and council on how to use the church lawns in Todd Mall.

The March 20 announcement was made after the council voted on a counter offer from the church in a confidential meeting held on March 4.

At the time, Alice Springs Uniting Church minister reverend Emily Hayes said the church was “involved in respectful negotiations” but council decided not to proceed with any of the church’s offers.

Later, at the March 27 ordinary council meeting, Mr Melky called on the church to “come back to the table” and negotiate a new deal. 

The Flynn Memorial Uniting Church lawns, located in the Todd Mall in the Alice Springs CBD. Thursday, March 20, 2025. Picture: Gera Kazakov

Now, all the correspondence between the two parties could see the light of day, if the church supports the council’s proposal.

“I think the public deserve to know all the information and it needs to come out into the open in relation to the negotiations,” Mr Melky said.

“It would certainly be my wish that we could continue or reignite the negotiations to ensure that we give an absolutely exhaust every opportunity in terms of negotiations to purchase that piece of dirt which will allows the best scenario of CBD revitalisation given that we had gone ahead.”

Council technical services director Joel Andrew said the project was due to be completed at the end of 2026 – granted the final design is finished in May, the project goes out to tender in June, and the tender is awarded in September.

The Uniting Church in Australia Northern Synod general secretary reverend Janet Staines said the church was open to any conversation the council would like to have.

Originally published as Why one of two parties want to release ‘confidential information’ on Alice Springs CBD project