Erwin Chlanda, Alice Springs News

A campaigner and hands-on combatant of buffel for a quarter century, Alex Nelson, says the government’s initiative about the imported grass taking over much of The Centre is a time wasting exercise. “There is no reason for not declaring it a noxious weed. They have all the information they need. This is kicking the problem down the road.”

Bottle shop cops may be replaced by unarmed officers from another department while the Mayor, an ardent supporter of the Point of Sale Intervention (POSI) provided by the police, declines to comment. He will also not discuss his claims that the recent curfew was a success.

Mike Gillam. Travelling south, I leave Alice Springs before first light and I’m rewarded and indeed frustrated by a brilliant meteor plummeting to earth in the south west. The heavenly body is primarily bright green with an orange tail and I fail to capture it even though the camera sits on the seat beside me ready for such moments.

The Territory’s $40 billon economy by 2030 “won’t happen without the growth of this sector” said NT Minister Mark Monaghan, addressing more than 300 members of the extractive industry ... Mr Monaghan said gas from Beetaloo is “on the cusp of changing the Territory forever” as Empire Energy and Tamboran Resources are expected to make their final investment decision on pilot production activities this year.

The green that surrounds you is buffel, as far as the eye can see, a malicious plant predator that has overwhelmed much of The Centre, and is continuing its relentless advance. Renowned Central Australian botanist Peter Latz, who has studied the introduced plant for decades, likens the magnitude of impact on the country of buffel with the megafauna’s extinction.

The media releases from the police spin doctors are frequently short of salient information and phone calls from journalists to fill in the yawning gaps are not returned. Law-and-order problems go right to the top, says Independent MLA for Araluen, Robyn Lambley, referring to  the “backflipping on a monumental scale” about curfews by Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Chansey Paech.

Marion Scrymgour, MP Member for Lingiari ... Last Wednesday Chief Minister Eva Lawler put in place a youth curfew in and around the CBD in Alice Springs. This action took into account violent rioting and damage to property in the town area and then in one of the town camps on Tuesday.

Bail laws covering young offenders should be tightened, according to local CLP Members urging the recalling of Parliament to deal with crime in Alice Springs. “We have seen time and time again a lot of young people being allowed out on bail. Breach of bail is currently not an offence": Braitling MLA Joshua Burgoyne.

Asta Hill, with a decade of front line work both as a prosecutor and as a defence lawyer, is a leading figure in creating a policy for the Greens to deal with the noxious crime rate in Alice Springs. Another local woman, Cherisse Buzzacott, is thinking about launching herself into the political arena, also with crime as the main concern, viewing it from the vantage point of health management.  

Over the next 10 years 2700 mansions, at a cost to the taxpayer of $1.5m each, will be spread across Aboriginal communities in the NT outback ... It's simple: $4,000,000,000 divided by 2700 houses equals $1,481,481 per house ... we have asked Mr Albanese and Ms Lawler for a break-up of what the $4 billion will be spent on.