No extension to Alice Springs curfew, NT government announces

The Alice Springs curfew will not be extended, the Northern Territory government has announced.

The three-night curfew was declared on Monday by NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy following a string of violent incidents in the town, and expired at 6am today.

Police Minister Brent Potter on Wednesday flagged that an extension was being considered.

However, he today confirmed the curfew would not be extended, following a request from Commissioner Murphy.

"[The commissioner] has appropriate additional resources in Alice Springs to deal with the public safety.

"Throughout the curfew, we have only seen one minor incident occur in the bounds of the operation." 

Mr Potter said police would now "lead a multi-organisation operation" to "deal with the influx of visitors we've seen in Alice Springs".

"The … response will focus on rough sleepers to find somewhere to stay or return to country," he said.

"[It will ensure] residents from surrounding town camps are able to safely leave Alice Springs, and [ensure] the correct people live in public housing."

He said people "without a valid reason for [being in] Alice Springs will be supported back to their home".

"This is part of an ongoing operation to keep Alice Springs residents safe," he said.

Under this week's curfew, children and adults were barred from entering the town centre from 10pm to 6am each night, unless they had a valid reason to be there.

Commissioner Murphy said during the three-night curfew, police had engaged with 159 people, with 93 directed to leave the restricted area.

He said no arrests were made.

“The declaration has had a noticeable effect in preventing public disorder within the CBD and I would like to thank the Alice Springs community for working with us," Commissioner Murphy said.

However, he said five arrests had been made over a violent brawl involving "up to 100 people" that broke out during daylight hours on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Eva Lawler said the brawl related to a dispute between families over the death of an 18-year-old in a car crash earlier this year.

The same dispute led to riots in Alice Springs in March, triggering a three-week youth curfew.

"They need to get over themselves," Ms Lawler said of the feuding families.

"It is extremely frustrating to see [these] incidents continue on."

The NT police commissioner gained the power to declare three-day curfews through controversial new laws which passed the NT parliament in May.

Curfews can then be extended for a further seven days, if the police minister approves.

Longer-term solutions needed, mayor says

Matt Paterson, the Alice Springs mayor, said the curfew was a reactionary measure that shouldn't be used in the future.

"We need to think about the long-term solutions," he said.

"There is vision for a long-term plan and I think that's welcomed, but what we need to do is actually speed that process up.

"Whilst we can talk about infrastructure and investment and recruitment drive … we need to get that done sooner rather than later."

Community leaders in Alice Springs this week told the ABC the town was yet to feel the effects of a $250 million federal package announced in February 2023.

The four-year support package included funding for on-country learning and health.

Mr Paterson said the federal government should establish a youth foyer in the town, which exist in most other jurisdictions.

Youth foyers provide 16–24 year-olds with accommodation for up to two years, focusing on employment, training and education.

National Children's Commissioner Anne Hollonds said government agencies needed to work in a more collaborative way in Alice Springs.

"This is not just policing, it requires the health department, education officials, the social services and family support officials, to be getting together … and listening to communities," she said.

"The people that most need the help are unable to get it and we need to fix that."