An interview with Mark Blackburn, Director Corporate and Community Services at Alice Springs Town Council.
The town of Alice Springs was established in the late 1800s as a vital link on the Overland Telegraph Line. The springs, after which the town is named, lie to the north east of the town and were discovered in 1871 by the team building the Overland Telegraph.
“Since the arrival of the early pioneers, and the immortalisation of the town by Nevil Shute in his classic novel ‘A town like Alice’, Alice Springs has evolved into a thriving modern Outback town and is the hub of community services for Central Australia,” Mark Blackburn said. “The Alice Springs community favour the ongoing use of ‘A Town like Alice’, despite the fact that it has a population of around 30,000 people, qualifying it for city status.”
He said that Alice Springs faces many of the common challenges of all Councils across Australia. This includes:
- lack of child care places – shortage of qualified staff in not for profit centres and difficulty in recruiting Family Day Carers
- retention of young people in schools
- lack of affordable housing
- alcohol and other drugs misuse and abuse
- anti social behaviour
- losing retirees to areas closer to the Australian coastline.
“These challenges are both complex and require a coordinated response by all levels of government,” he said. “While Alice Springs may be a long distance from the policy makers in Canberra and Darwin, its community ensures its voice is often heard on these major issues.”
He said Alice Springs Town Council, in conjunction with the local service providers, is noted for its regular contributions to community consultation on significant policy issues including the National Alcohol Strategy, Senate Inquiry into Indigenous Employment and the Northern Territory Child and Young People Welfare Act.
Mark Blackburn believes a major strength of this geographically isolated community is its capacity to respond rapidly to adversity.
“In less than two weeks the community organised a family fund raising event at the Alice Springs Swimming Pool for the Tsunami appeal,” he said. “More than $30,000 was raised in just one evening, which is equal to $1 per capita.”
In the next 12 months, Council’s Community Services Department will be working with officers from Tangentyere Council (a local Indigenous organisation responsible for Town Camps) and Lhere Artepe (an Aboriginal Corporation made up of Native title holders and traditional owners who have claim over Alice Springs) to address a number of the challenges listed above.
“A major joint project will include working to establish a Life Long Learning Centre in Alice Springs,” Mark Blackburn said. “The project will build on the success of the Alice Springs Public Library in engaging our Indigenous community to explore and share their history and culture.”
