Local Culture

Alice Springs Town Council

Alice Springs Town Council’s vision is for a vibrant and growing community that embraces its diverse cultural heritage, unique identity and desert living environment.

With this vision front of mind, Council’s staff policies aim to consolidate and strengthen the existing connection with Aboriginal Peoples by focusing attention on sensitive, practical ways to recruit, retain, and build lasting relationships with employees from the local Indigenous community.

Council’s actionable strategies are also designed to guide all its employees forward in their cultural awareness, and to encourage further engagement and fostering of connections between non-Aboriginal and Indigenous colleagues.

Arrernte

The Arrernte (pronounced Arrunda) people are the traditional owners of Mparntwe (pronounced m’barn-twa) – the Alice Springs area.

Arrernte stories describe how the landscape surrounding Alice, including the MacDonnell Ranges, was created by the actions of their ancestors, the caterpillar beings Ayepe-arenye, Ntyarlke and Utnerrengatye.

There are many traditional stories involving the shaping of the local landscape by ancestral figures and as such, there are many sites of significance to the Arrernte people in and around Alice Springs.

Town Camps

The Alice Springs Community Living Areas (also known as town camps) are Aboriginal communities within the township. Town camps fall under the jurisdiction of the Northern Territory Government, which retains fiscal responsibility for providing municipal and essential services for the management of housing, open spaces, roads, parks and community centres within town camp areas. Further information can be found here. Tangentyere Council is the service delivery agency for the 18 town camps in Alice Springs.

Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan

Alice Springs Town Council is proud to endorse our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), continuing our journey towards genuine reconciliation. 

Launched at a special Reconciliation Week community barbecue, the Reflect RAP was created with framework prescribed by Reconciliation Australia as its basis. It outlines practical actions and goals aimed at creating significant and lasting opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It has been guided through feedback from key stakeholders, including Lhere Artepe, Reconciliation Australia and Alice Springs Town Council staff. It marks the continuation of Council’s journey for change to be lasting and effective, a journey that does not have a finish line.

The Alice Springs Town Council Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan can be read here: 

2024 Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan