Family Violence in Alice Springs 

The circuit-breaker of a curfew in Alice Springs is not a panacea for ending family violence.

It is not acceptable or sustainable to return children to homes that are unsafe and to adults with little power or influence to control their environment or those within it; they must be supported.

It is also not acceptable to send those needing help as victims or perpetrators to services or programs that are not evidence-based, independently peer-reviewed and delivering with maximum impact to those who are most vulnerable.

Family violence is among the many complex issues driving violence and antisocial behaviour in Alice Springs and across the nation – and a skilled workforce is critical to prevention, intervention, response, recovery and healing.

That is why Australians deserve the urgent employment of the 500 new family and domestic violence frontline workers promised more than two years ago by the Albanese Government – appalling progress when just one of the 20 promised for the Northern Territory had been employed by February 2024.

Violence and vandalism in the main streets of Alice Springs illustrates the urgency for an inquiry into the funding delivered for the benefit of Indigenous Australians, starting with an audit of the nearly $300 million of taxpayers’ money invested in the Better, Safer Future for Central Australian Plan in 2023 and how that Albanese Government plan is delivering.

The Albanese announcement talked of “landmark” investment and of “urgency” for a safer community. We must tie every taxpayer dollar to good governance, accountability, transparency and outcomes because lives and livelihoods depend on it in Alice Springs – everywhere.

Violence affects everyone but that does not excuse it for anyone.