Latest news with #NorthernTerritory
SBS Australia
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
Yolnu power: major exhibition showcases works of Yirrkala Aboriginal artists
Yolnu power: major exhibition showcases works of Yirrkala Aboriginal artists Published 20 June 2025, 8:38 am A major exhibition is showcasing the work of one of Australia's most internationally renowned art communities. Yolnu power: the art of Yirrkala, features 95 Aboriginal artists connected to Yirrkala in the Northern Territory's Arnhem Land. The exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales aims to showcase the continuation and diversity of the community's artistic practice from the 1940s to today.
SBS Australia
11 hours ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
'Recipe for disaster': advocates condemn plan to bring in guns for bus and public housing officers in the NT
Alyawarra and Luritja woman Chrystal Roberts says she is "appalled" by the latest move from the Northern Territory Government that will see officers with guns on busses and in public housing. "It's targeting our mob," Ms Roberts told NITV News. "There are language barriers, we've got our mob suffering from mental health, people with drug and alcohol [issues] ... put the money back to where we really need it." The CLP Government and NT Police, this week announced they are developing a new Police Public Safety Officer (PPSO) stream, which will see existing public safety officers trained and armed as NT police officers. In addition to carrying guns, the PPSOs will wear NT Police uniforms and operate under NT Police command targeting antisocial behaviour and high-visibility patrols. Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT) chief executive Dr John Paterson said the move continues a worrying trend of reactive, punitive policies that weaponise public safety. 'This will not make anyone safer," he said. "It will instead escalate confrontations, increase the likelihood of violent incidents, and put the lives of vulnerable people – including those sleeping rough – at serious risk." Dr Paterson said the proposal distracts from addressing the root causes of violence and disadvantage. "It's a worrying sign of the Territory Government's continued militarisation of public spaces and its ongoing failure to invest in the real solutions," he said. 'While community safety matters, equipping more people with weapons is not the answer." The reform will see 34 current Public Housing Saftey Officers and 22 Transit Saftey Officers, trained and re-deployed by 2026. 'What's next — arming school crossing attendants?' Brendan Ritchie, a member of Justice Not Jails – a grassroots community group based in Garramilla Darwin – says the latest changes under the CLP's 'tough on crime' agenda will disproportionately impact First Nations people. 'The NT has a tragic history of over-policing and violence against First Nations people," he said. "Giving more weapons to less-experienced 'officers' only compounds this injustice. "What's next – arming school crossing attendants?' The union that represents police also appears to have reservations about the plan, with NT Police Association president Nathan Finn telling the NT News that they needed to see more details. It follows the recent death in custody of a 24-year-old Warlpiri man, who was living with a mental disability, in Alice Springs last month. Ally Sara, also a member of Justice Not Jails, says giving more people guns will increase the risk of violence. "Putting under-trained and over-armed transit officers onto crowded buses with lethal weapons is a shockingly shortsighted recipe for disaster," she said. "Given the recent tragedy in Alice Springs, I have very little confidence in the NT Police's ability to train their staff to exercise reasonable force." Last week the NT CLP Government announced a 12-month trial to allow members of the public to buy and use pepper spray (also known as oleoresin capsicum spray or OC spray). The trial, set to begin on 1 September, makes the NT the second jurisdiction in Australia to legalise the sale and use of pepper spray, joining Western Australia. 'This is now the second step in a matter of weeks to arm underqualified individuals with weapons, first OC spray for the public and now firearms for public safety officers," Dr Paterson said. What does the NT Government say? When announcing the new changes, NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro, who is also the minister for police, said the new Police Public Safety Officer model is about boosting frontline presence and delivering real community outcomes. 'We're cutting duplication, boosting visibility, empowering our PPSO's to tackle antisocial behaviour head-on,' Ms Finocchiaro said. 'Police are doing an outstanding job, especially dealing with domestic and family violence, which now makes up around 60 per cent of their work. "This model gives them the backup they need while delivering stronger community safety outcomes.' The first intake of PPSOs is expected to commence training in December 2025, with officers operational in early 2026. Comment has been sought from the NT Police Association.
News.com.au
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Jockey Zac Spain – ‘Zachariah the Electrifier'
A professional jockey is not your typical darts player stereotype but Zac Spain has mixed with the best of both worlds. Spain, or 'Zachariah the Electrifier' on the competition circuit, has a dream exhibition match-up next month against Shane McGuirk, the reigning WDF world champion. Spain, an avid thrower off the track, won a tournament in March for the shot at McGuirk on July 19 at the St Kilda Sports Club. The 28-year-old tuned up last weekend with solid performance at the three-day DartPlayers Australia event in Albury. 'I was more than competitive, which was good,' dartboard sniper Spain said. 'I made quarter-finals Friday and then I made top 16 in both events Saturday. 'I got knocked out first round Sunday but I had my chances to go further … probably nerves got to me a little bit, to be honest, a little bit of pressure, but I was rapt. 'I wanted to see how I went against the best in Australia and I felt like I held my own.' Group 1 jockey Spain played darts from an early age, followed his father into the sport growing up in the Northern Territory, and made junior representative squads but eventually racing took priority. Spain picked up the arrows again two years ago and now spends about three hours a day behind the oche. 'I love it, something outside of racing,' Spain said. 'Every day I'm not riding, I'm pretty much on the board. 'Even at night, my partner Tyrah is studying at the moment, so when she's downstairs I'm upstairs having a throw on the board.' Spain plays competition darts on Wednesday and Thursday nights respectively in Gladstone Park and Boronia. Spain, who also plays online for fun and bragging rights against brother Adrian, has the social media alter ego, The Darting Jockey, on Instagram and TikTok. The 'Electrifier' nickname is saved for main events only. 'My old man gave me the name when I was younger,' Spain laughed. 'My full name is Zachariah and he used to call me 'Zachariah the Electrifier'. 'I got a shirt made up with the name on the back and I wear it to the bigger events … it's a bit lairy.' Spain has seven rides on Saturday including Losesomewinmore, one of three for leading Adelaide trainers Richard and Chantelle Jolly who recently opened satellite stable at Flemington. 'He's a nice horse, I had a little gallop on him Tuesday and put him through his paces,' Spain said. 'He worked up super.'
ABC News
16 hours ago
- Politics
- ABC News
'Quasi-policing powers' for new armed NT police public safety officers spark concern
A plan to equip Northern Territory transit and public housing safety officers with "quasi-policing powers", including to carry guns on buses, in supermarkets and public housing, has been slammed as a "deeply irresponsible escalation" that could put lives at risk. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains the name of an Indigenous person who has died, used with the permission of their family. The newly announced police public safety officers (PPSOs) are set to replace police auxiliaries, transit safety officers and public housing safety officers in the territory next year, as frontline responders to violence and aggression in public places. Announcing the measure at a press conference on Wednesday, Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said the NT's 56 existing public housing safety and transit safety officers would be retrained under police command to join police auxiliaries in the new expanded PPSO role. Ms Finocchiaro said the role would enable the government to provide "consistent training, consistent powers and consistent responses to antisocial behaviour in public places". NT Police Assistant Commissioner James O'Brien said the exact powers PPSOs would have had not yet been finalised, but confirmed they would carry firearms. "They'll have full police powers whilst also adjusting to include those under the Housing Act and also the Public Transport Act," he said. He said the change would enable police to better address alcohol-related offending later in the day. "If we deal with alcohol early all the way throughout our housing estates, all throughout our bus networks and our shopping centres, then we have less crime later in the afternoon," he said. Under existing laws, public housing safety officers, transit safety officers and police auxiliaries each have different powers. Transit officers can use oleoresin capsicum spray (pepper spray) and arrest, detain, forcibly remove or direct people to leave, while on buses or around bus stops and stations. Public housing safety officers can seize alcohol and direct people to leave premises or ban them for up to 12 months if they are engaging in criminal or "antisocial" behaviour. Under the Police Administration Act, police auxiliaries have the same powers as police, including to carry firearms and tasers, but unlike constables, they generally perform more administrative roles, including as liquor inspectors outside bottle shops. The Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the NT (AMSANT) condemned the decision as a "deeply irresponsible escalation that will place more lives at risk", including people experiencing mental health episodes or living with disabilities. Chief executive John Paterson said the PPSO role would entail "quasi-policing powers" and called the measure a "kneejerk, ideological response" that could lead to more deaths in custody, following the death of Kumanjayi White. Mr White, a 24-year-old Warlpiri man who lived with disabilities, died last month after being restrained by two plain-clothed police officers on the floor of an Alice Springs supermarket. Since the incident, several prominent First Nations organisations have described a breakdown in trust between First Nations people and the NT Police Force. In relation to the decision to arm more officers, Mr Paterson said: "Are we fast becoming the 51st state of the USA? I mean that's what it's starting to look like — Trumpism in the territory." "We're calling on the territory government to sit down with the relevant leadership — I'm talking right across all sectors — and let's work out evidence-based, meaningful responses, services and programs that are going to make the territory a place people would want to come and live," he said. David Villegas, the NT regional secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), which represents transit safety and public housing safety officers, said one of the main reasons those roles existed was to minimise contact between Indigenous people and the police force. Mr Villegas said none of the officers nor the union had been given prior notice that their roles would change and many were concerned. "There's been a lot of pushback, a lot of concern, they don't have any information," he said. '[There's] a lot of frustration, a lot of members telling us they don't want to move to the police." The NT government has said it will enact a "grandfathering" arrangement for any transit safety or public housing safety officers who do not wish to transition to the PPSO role. The NT Police Association, which represents police auxiliaries, also said it had received limited detail on the proposal before its announcement. Both unions said they expected to be briefed by the government in coming weeks. PPSOs are set to start training in December and begin in their roles in early 2026.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Fortune Agribusiness faces High Court appeal over Singleton Station water licence
The native title holders of a vast Central Australian cattle station say they will continue to challenge the Northern Territory's largest-ever water licence and won't back down until "a good decision" is made. The Mpwerempwer Aboriginal Corporation last week escalated its legal battle over a water licence at Singleton Station to the High Court, after the NT Court of Appeal rejected an earlier challenge in May. Mpwerempwer will argue the court made a series of errors in rejecting its case, including that native title holders did not receive the same procedural fairness as the licence holder, Fortune Agribusiness. Les Turner, chief executive of the Central Land Council, which is acting on behalf of Mpwerempwer, says native title holders believe the water licence is too large. "[It] threatens their water security and puts the risk to many groundwater dependent sacred sites," he said. 'Mpwerempwer considered there was serious and complex questions of law that need to be settled by the High Court." The High Court appeal is the latest development in a four-year legal stoush that has stalled Fortune Agribusiness's bid to transform a massive arid cattle station north of Alice Springs into one of Australia's biggest fruit and vegetable farms. Fortune was granted a licence to extract 40,000 megalitres of water a year, for free, by the NT government's Water Controller in 2021. That decision has drawn continued opposition from environment groups and some traditional owners, while others argue the project is a lifeline for a struggling region. Dawn Swan, a director of Mpwerempwer, said she lived "smack bang in the middle of Singleton Station" and had a strong attachment to the area. "We have to look after it," she said. "We're just going to keep battling on." Elder Ned Kelly said he was worried about the station and believed there was no other option but to "keep on fighting". In a statement, NT Water Minister Joshua Burgoyne dismissed the ABC's questions about whether continued backlash from native title holders signalled the need for stronger water protections, instead pointing to Singleton's continued court wins. Fortune Agribusiness has said its planned horticultural project could create 110 permanent and 1,350 seasonal jobs — although this number has been disputed — and could provide big opportunities for local shops and contractors. Lachy Manns, a Tennant Creek resident of 10 years and owner of a cattle transport company and hardware store, said the region was "doing it tough". "Tennant Creek needs all these big projects like SunCable and Singleton to boom," he said. "If all of it goes ahead, it's great for the town, it's a no-brainer." John Dickson, the owner of Outback Outfitters in Tennant Creek, said he was also "all for it", but hoped the produce grown at Singleton would stock local shelves instead of being sent overseas. "We have a mine that just opened up that's given the town a boost, and anything extra is good," he said. In a statement, Fortune Agribusiness chair Peter Wood acknowledged the importance of due process, and said the company remained "committed to full compliance" as it worked through further approvals. He said the government's "rigorous water planning" would ensure Singleton was developed sustainably and that the project would be a catalyst for further investment, new infrastructure and ongoing local employment in the region. Last year, the NT Supreme Court rejected an initial case brought by the Arid Lands Environment Centre (ALEC) and Mpwerempwer alleging the NT government had not followed its own Water Act when it approved the Singleton licence. Native title holders appealed the decision, but that was also rejected. Despite the court losses and frustrations, Mr Turner said native title holders would not back down until a decision "which protects Aboriginal people's rights in that area" was made. Alex Vaughan, policy officer at ALEC, said the Singleton water licence posed a "catastrophic" risk to the region. "Singleton is simply too big to be sustainable," he said. He said it was "outrageous" one of Australia's largest groundwater licences for agriculture had been granted in a region where temperatures regularly reach over 40 degrees. "This is a terrible project that resoundingly fails the pub test," he said.
