The crime crisis facing Alice Springs is heartbreaking for many Australians.
Matt Cunningham has just about seen it all over his news career in the Territory, but the current spate of violence and crime strangling Alice Springs has the Sky News Darwin bureau chief shattered.
In a candid live cross to Sky News, Cunningham said: “It is the most beautiful place in the world, the heart of this country.”
In the next breath, as his voice began to break, he said, “but it’s breaking at the moment”.
The former editor of the NT News, seemingly choking back tears, continued on.
“I’ve been reporting on this stuff for a long time,” he said.
“I see the country that cares for about five minutes, and then it moves on. It doesn’t care anymore.
“Maybe we’ve got a chance here that we are focused on this for once, and maybe something will actually happen, and something will change.”
Cunningham has been relentless in his reporting on the regional centre and the social issues that have emerged there since alcohol restrictions were eased in July last year.
He notably covered the murder of Alena Kukla and her baby at the hands of partner Bernard John Alice which aligned with when the alcohol restrictions were lifted.
Restrictions on grog sales have been rolled out across the Northern Territory following a fly-in, fly-out response from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday.
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Takeaway alcohol-free days have been brought in, while on other days, traders can only sell takeaway alcohol between 3pm and 7pm, with a one transaction per person per day limit.
The government is also urgently reviewing the decision to lift alcohol bans on communities and town camps.
Mr Albanese, promised the Territory $48.8m over two years for a range of measures, including $14.2m for high-visibility policing aimed at grog running and liquor license compliance.
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