Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has today visited Alice Springs for the sixth time since winning the election in August.
Mrs Finocchiaro met with federal Opposition Leader, Peter Dutton, and welcomed his commitment to her list of practical initiatives to address crime and anti-social behaviour across the Territory.
She also met with Police Deputy Commissioner Martin Dole APM, and Alice Springs Mayor Matt Patterson, to discuss policing efforts and the positive outcomes of Operation Ludlow, which was launched in response to the school holiday period.
The Chief Minister recently wrote to the Commonwealth Government and Mr Dutton with a request for the Commonwealth Government to consider seven practical policy initiatives to improve community safety, and law and order in the Territory.
"I'm extremely pleased that the Peter Dutton-led Federal Coalition has today agreed in-principle to implement all seven requests if they win the federal election," said Mrs Finocchiaro.
The requests came from extensive consultation with the community and have strong endorsement from community leaders and Traditional Owners.
Mrs Finocchiaro's seven requests were:
Centrelink payments to be made on takeaway alcohol-free days.Reintroduce compulsory work or training programs with fortnightly reporting obligations for Centrelink recipients.Conduct a performance audit of federally funded programs.Ensure royalty distributions occur in communities and not in Alice Springs.Extend Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) exemption for Alice Springs Police Drone Pilots to improve drone capability.Implement additional income management for parents of youth offenders who receive Centrelink income support.Accept the Northern Territory government referral to the Federal Government for parents who neglect their children to additional income management.
Mr Dutton committed to increase income management to 80% of a working-age welfare recipient's payments, where they are the parent of a youth offender or have neglected their child/children.
He also committed in-principle to review the distribution of royalties as part of its previously announced audit of expenditure in Indigenous affairs and inquiry into Land Councils and Indigenous statutory authorities, with the aim of increasing economic and social development for Traditional Owners by Traditional Owners.
Mrs Finocchiaro said: "These changes, if implemented, will improve the lives of Territorians and keep the community safe."
"As Chief Minister, I also call on the Albanese Government to commit to these seven practical measures as a matter of priority," she said.
Mr Dutton added: "The Finocchiaro CLP Government has taken a leading role in addressing the crime and community safety crisis in Alice Springs after years of Labor neglect."
"The policies we commit to today are about getting the Territory back on track, and we look forward to working with the Finocchiaro Government to ensure these practical proposals are implemented to improve lives and livelihoods in the Northern Territory," he said.
