Larissa Ellis - Councillor for Alice Springs

Thanks to those community members who took the opportunity to come speak with Council members last week. There’s still time to provide feedback on our draft municipal plan, see the link below.

Council met this week, apologies for the disruption to the livestream, we’re working on options to prevent this for our next meeting.

Council is aware that our IT in the Chamber is reaching end of life. Our priority is connecting with our community and ensuring that you have an opportunity to listen and contribute to Council business, as such rectification of the IT issues is a priority and has been included in the 26/27 proposed budget.

Some highlights from this months General Council Meeting:

- Public consultation has commenced for the Gap Road Safety Upgrade project. No online responses were received, so a targeted engagement process is underway.

- Park upgrades for Teague and Frances Smith are almost complete, Ashwin is due to commence next week. We are aiming for opening of the upgraded parks before, or during, the June/July school holidays.

- Flood repairs on Barrett Drive are currently being assessed and Council will be making a claim under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements to assist with rectification works.

- Concept designs for the new Library have been issued, with a call for a second round of consultations, see the link on my previous post.

See attached media release for some of the other items raised.

The concept designs for our new community library are now available and open for our next round of feedback.

Be sure to follow the link to have your say!

Our DRAFT 2026/2027 Municipal Plan and Budget are now open for community consultation.

Council is proposing a 4.7% rates increase, so that we can continue to provide our essential community services.

Key priorities included in the draft 2026/27 Municipal Plan and Budget include:

$8.9M – Todd Mall upgrades
$4.5M – Construction of a new Public Library
$2.85M – Road and footpath upgrade program
$1.75M – Solar battery and heat pump installation at the Aquatic & Leisure Centre
$360k – School holiday programs
The Municipal Plan also outlines Council’s ongoing delivery of essential services including waste collection, community facilities, ranger services, recreation programs, parks and public spaces, local events and community support initiatives.

Have your say on our 2026/27 Municipal Plan and the associated Strategic Plan via the link below.

Alice Springs Town Council has released its draft 2026/27 Municipal Plan and Budget alongside its new Draft Strategic Plan 2026–2030, with both now open for community consultation!

Together, the documents outline Council’s priorities for the year ahead as well as the longer-term direction for Alice Springs, with residents encouraged to have their say on the future of the town.

We encourage community members to provide their feedback in person at our community consultation event in Yeperenye Shopping Centre on Saturday 23rd May. Consultation will end on 5th June.

Head to our website to view the Alice Springs Town Council draft 2026/27 Municipal Plan and Budget alongside its new Draft Strategic Plan 2026–2030 and have your say!

https://www.alicesprings.nt.gov.au/news/council-adopts-202627-draft-municipal-plan-and-strategic-plan/26

Council met on April 29, here are some of the highlights:
• endorsing grants of $97k to community organisations and events.
• some upgrades to sporting facilities to support inclusiveness and accessibility.
• a recommitment and request to update Council’s activities and contribution to responding to homelessness.
• changes to wet weather closures of sporting facilities and ovals.

Many thanks to all those involved in the search for Kumantjayi Little Baby.

Heartfelt condolences to her mother, brother, family and our community.

Any information, sightings of the man sought by NT Police should be reported immediately.

Support is available if you or your family is struggling with today’s news:

13YARN Crisis Support on 13 92 76
Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14
Kids Help Line on 1800 551 800
Su***de Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
Headspace on 1800 650 890
ReachOut Australia at

When life doesn't go as planned Connect with other young people and find support that works for you. ReachOut helps you deal with stress, anxiety, depression, and whenever life doesn't go as planned.

More Todd Mall Upgrade final design visualisations are now available to view on the project website:

https://regeneratingalicetc.com.au/

head on over to have a look!

Construction Update

Works are continuing, with crews currently digging down to prepare the base for the new surface — an important step before new paving and finishes are installed.

Todd Mall water infrastructure upgrade works are also currently underway.

Lovely community turnout this morning with the unveiling of the sculpture piece by Chris Scott honouring the work of Geoff and Kaye Miers. The Sturt Desert Pea in this roundabout is always delightful to see, thanks to their efforts.

Gillen and Forrest parks are now refreshed and reopened ready for you to enjoy with this lovely weather.

The Newland Park dog park is being reseeded for lawn, as unfortunately it got washed away with our recent rains - opening soon hopefully!

🌳 Gillen & Forrest Park are open!

The fences are down and both parks are ready to be enjoyed again. These upgrades are part of Year 3 of Council’s Parks Upgrade Program, with refreshed spaces and new play equipment for the community to enjoy.

We know it’s been frustrating having the parks closed while works were underway—thanks for your patience while we delivered these improvements.

Now it’s time to get back out there, enjoy the sunshine, and make the most of your local parks 🌿