7am This is Alice Springs: Mparntwe
Oct 18, 2025
Damien Kunoth, a passionate advocate for youth and operator of the RDK Outstation, discusses innovative solutions to keep young people connected to country. He shares insights from the All-Rounder program, which combines horsemanship and cultural education to empower kids. Damien emphasizes the importance of hands-on learning and how being on Country with animals serves as a healing experience. He reflects on his family's history and the urgent need for sustainable outcomes to break the cycle of incarceration affecting youth in Alice Springs.
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Surveillance And Exodus Reshape Town
- Residents feel constantly surveilled and constrained by government measures like curfews, which disrupt normal life.
- Many families who can afford it are leaving Alice Springs, evidenced by widespread "For Sale" signs and vacant homes.
Tough-On-Crime Politics Overrides Root Causes
- The new CLP government pledges tougher measures like lowering criminal responsibility to 10 and harsher bail and search powers.
- These policies prioritise punishment over addressing root causes and may expand detention without solving underlying problems.
Past Wins Don't Fit Today's Crisis
- Historic interventions like the Low Aromatic Fuel Act sharply reduced petrol sniffing and saved lives.
- But the current youth crisis differs: complex neurodevelopmental and social issues now drive behaviour, not just substance access.