Tennant residents are calling on the Northern Territory Chief Minister to stop burying his head in the sand and come to his hometown and experience the crime issues before a young person is injured or killed.

Local resident Steve Moore is one of a growing list of victims of crime in Tennant Creek and has been broken into three times, with three more attempted break-ins.

“The damage to residents is they don’t feel safe in their own homes and there’s nothing the police can do because the courts just let them go,” said Mr Moore.

In Mr Moore’s role as CEO of the Barkly Regional Council, he says crime and criminal damage are major issues for Council.

“We have had many break-ins and a lot of public assets damaged and it just goes on and on,” he said.

“Just months ago there was about $80,000 of damage to the Bowls Club and now it’s not available for public use and we can’t afford to fix it. We have spent tens of thousands of dollars fortifying buildings to keep the vandals out.

“They are not just stealing but destroying everything – it’s ridiculous”

Mr Moore believes the Police are doing all they possibly can, however it’s time for the NT Government to take action on the out-of-control gangs of youth in town. Break-ins are now not just limited to the hours of dark – with youth waiting for residents to leave the house for exercise or work.

There have been reports of the youth waving cheekily at the front of homes – heightening the angst of Tennant Creek residents.

The Tennant Times spoke to BRADAAG CEO Pauline Reynolds who was broken into last Thursday morning.
Pauline runs with her dogs in the early morning before work. She came home from work mid morning to find her place ransacked. A stereo was stolen but she cared little about that. It was the box of keepsakes of her 34-year-old daughter who passed away from bowel cancer last year – left rummaged through – that put a knife through her heart.

Pauline says Chief Minister Michael Gunner is non-respondent and leaving Minister for Alcohol Policy Natasha Fyles and Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services Nicole Manison to answer calls for action.

“There’s nowhere safe in Tennant Creek,” she said. “The town is under-resourced – we don’t have enough police officers, police auxiliary liquor inspectors (PALIs) or public housing safety officers and it’s time Gunner started deliverying on his promises.”

Pauline believes the threat to Tennant is heightened with residents’ constant fear bound to cause a major tragedy putting the town in further disrepute to the nation.

“The kids have been back to my house three times but they now know what time I go for a run and take the dogs and go to work,” she said.

“They come to my gate and wave at me. They know nothing can happen to them. People will start taking matters into their own hands in a bit and somebody is going to get really hurt and it will most likely be a young child.

“Do we really need Tennant Creek to continue being in such a bad spotlight?”

She begged the Chief Minister to help out towns below the Berrimah Line immediately.

Another local resident, Tom Machin, is also at his wits’ end. Tom has been broken into twice this year.

The first was in January when youth broke the screen door and barged through the main door and the most recent was last Sunday.

“I was awake and they spotted me and were spooked, but the damage to the doors was to the extent they came off the hinges,” said Tom.

“We got the police around but they couldn’t fix anything so I had two doors I couldn’t close. There was no choice but to barricade the doors with things like washing machines and couches. We couldn’t sleep the entire night and I had work the next day.”

Tom says he lives on what is locally known as “Snob Hill”.

“Usually we are safe and out of the way from the break-ins, but we have seen an increase in numbers of youths on their bikes now and that’s unusual for this side of town.”

Tom says the feeling around Tennant Creek is one of despair and common place with everyone he talks to.

“What’s really quite evident that something is wrong and something is not working and the NT Government needs to go back to the drawing board and take a different approach,” he said.

“Residents are constantly afraid and expect to come home to find their home broken into.

“I spend less time with friends and don’t want to be out of my home in case I get burgled again.”

Tom believes the youth crime crisis is also affecting employment in the town, with new recruits not willing to accept positions because they feel unsafe.

He also has called for the Chief Minister to step up his game and address the issue and help struggling towns like Tennant, Alice Springs and Katherine.

“I don’t want to say there will be vigilante groups but no-one believes the NT Government right now,” he said.

“The fear, tension and futility has been building up and the more it carries on while the NT Government continues to show its inaction – people may start taking matters into their own hands.

“The police are doing their best – it’s now time for the NT Government to do theirs.”

While the Chief Minister is only speaking about the COVID-19 situation, locals in Tennant believe the real threat for Central Australia is not the virus.

Both Pauline and Tom agreed the immediate threat is the mental health and safety of Central Australian citizens and the safety of the youth holding towns to ransom – not COVID-19 which the Chief Minister solely speaks about publicly.

Residents have also told the Tennant Times the NT Government’s expenditure to boost tourism was a complete waste, with tourists too scared to come to Central Australia after the youth crime crisis in Alice Springs was aired nationally on A Current Affair.

A new Facebook page called Action for Tennant Creek 2021, similar to the page Action for Alice Springs, has been formed where residents are posting where gangs of the youth are congregating.

This article appeared in the Tennant & District Times, 19 March 2021.