The Northern Territory and federal governments have announced new measures and funding to address surging crime figures in Alice Springs.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese commissioned a report into the issue during a whirlwind trip to the town last week amid a storm of sudden political pressure and media attention.
The measures include the return of alcohol bans in remote communities and town camps, a ballot process for communities wanting to opt out and some extra funding.
The report itself has also now been released.
Here's what we know.
Some quick background
Rates of alcohol-fuelled violence and property crime have spiked in Alice Springs the last 12 months to reach levels some have described as a "crisis".
The offending has led to police shutting down the CBD on two occasions and sending dozens of additional officers to the town as a part of a specialised operation.
The NT government in early December announced a "circuit-breaker" plan which involved providing accommodation for at-risk kids found roaming the streets unsupervised at night.
But as crime figures remained high, Alice Springs Mayor Matt Paterson called for assistance from the Australian Federal Police or the Australian Defence Force to intervene.
The calls were backed in prominent media interviews given by federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
Both police and the region's peak Aboriginal health service have previously said the abrupt end of Intervention-era alcohol bans in Aboriginal communities and town camps last July are partly to blame for the problem.
What happened last week?
Intense media attention and political pressure saw Prime Minister Anthony Albanese fly to Alice Springs late last month, where he announced a raft of new restrictions on the amount of alcohol that can be purchased in Alice Springs and when.
However, he stopped short at this time of re-introducing blanket bans.
Mr Albanese also announced the appointment of Arrernte woman Dorrelle Anderson as the Central Australian regional controller, and tasked her with writing a report for the federal and territory governments making recommendations around potential alcohol bans.
The report was handed to both governments last week, but was only made publicly available today.
What does the report say?
Ms Anderson's report said alcohol consumption, property offences, and alcohol-related assaults and domestic violence were all on the rise in Central Australia.
In particular, it said domestic violence in Alice Springs was at "historically high" levels, and the town's numbers had been surpassing Darwin's – a city with more than five times its population – since February 2022.
It also found property offences were up by 82 per cent in the 12 months to November 2022 compared to the same period to November 2019.
"There has been an increase in alcohol-related harm from November 2022 to present that warrants consideration of urgent action, particularly as it relates to the consumption of takeaway alcohol," the report stated.
Ms Anderson recommended two "immediate actions" to address the situation in Central Australia:
1. The NT government make urgent amendments to the Liquor Act 2019 that will see town camps and nearby remote communities return to alcohol-free areas, with a clear path forward if the community wishes to introduce responsible drinking options, upon the development of a Community Alcohol Management Plan.
2. The NT and Commonwealth governments continue to work together to deliver needs based funding to the relevant service providers in the Northern Territory as a matter of priority, so that the cycle of intergenerational trauma and disadvantage can truly begin to be broken.
What have the federal and NT government announced?
From next week, the NT government will reinstate alcohol bans in Central Australian remote communities and town camps.
The government will introduce urgent legislation to NT Parliament at its first sitting of the year next week to implement the change.
Affected communities will then need to develop their own community alcohol plans and have them approved by the director of liquor licensing.
Any community wanting to opt out of alcohol bans will need to put its plan to a local ballot, and have 60 per cent or more of residents vote in favour.
What about funding?
An extra $250 million in funding for services in Central Australia was included in today's announcement.
That's on top of the $48.8 million investment the federal government pledged last month.
The money will go towards youth engagement and diversion programs, support for on-country learning, preventing domestic violence and improving health services.
But neither government has addressed questions about Ms Anderson's second recommendation.
Calls for needs-based funding to address Aboriginal disadvantage in the NT have been ongoing, including for its over-burdened domestic violence sector.
Mr Albanese did not mention the recommendation during his comments to parliament yesterday. His office has been contacted for comment.
A NT government spokesperson directed questions on the recommendation back to the federal government.
