Alice Springs local warns ‘youth crisis’ is brewing in other Australian towns

An Alice Springs local whose business has been robbed 41 times over the last three years says a “generation” is being failed in the country’s north.

Darren Clark, who owns a bakery and also runs the Action for Alice 2020 Facebook page, which highlights community issues, says no one is speaking to the people at the heart of the crisis and the problem will extend into other towns including Darwin, Townsville, Cairns and Broome if urgent action isn’t taken.

“Northern Australia is in a crisis — not just Alice Springs. It’s a youth crisis and it’s got to be acted upon,” he told Neil Mitchell.

Press PLAY below to hear the Alice Springs local’s warning

“Indigenous people have been failed on many levels of government.

“They’ve been left behind by a system that is broken, by a system that wasn’t ever, ever adequate or well thought-out and we’ve got a government here, a Northern Territory government, who are failing these children, they’re failing the community.”

Mr Clark says the children on the streets of Alice Springs were taken out of town ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit yesterday, and urged Anthony Albanese to “sit down with the kids”.

“Don’t let anyone kick them out for you … hear what their lives are like, hear what’s going on,” he urged Anthony Albanese.

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Image: Action for Alice 2020