Criminal defence lawyer Asta Hill has become the first Greens-backed mayor of Mparntwe/Alice Springs, vowing to reshape the story of her hometown. The 37-year-old grew up in the town and returned nearly a decade ago after studying and working abroad, including as a legal intern at The Hague.
Hill defeated a field of seven candidates in the August election, securing 50.3% of the vote after preferences. She campaigned on a platform of 'changing the story' of Alice Springs, a town she describes as 'gritty and raw' but often misrepresented in national media. Last year, an emergency was declared and a youth curfew imposed amid footage of crime and disorder, leading to calls for military intervention.
'Portrayals of our town really distort the reality,' Hill said. 'That is disempowering, especially for those who bear the brunt of policy decisions flowing from those distorted portrayals.' As a criminal lawyer with Legal Aid NT and the Central Australian Women's Legal Service, she has firsthand experience of the fallout from crime and punishment.
Hill acknowledges community safety concerns but rejects what she calls a 'crime panic'. 'The Greens party hasn't historically run community safety campaigns, but I sought to change that,' she said. 'We need to embed fundamental human rights and evidence-based solutions into the conversation.' Her priorities include stopping young Aboriginal people being used to 'platform political agendas' and ensuring they feel safe in public spaces.
The town, with fewer than 30,000 residents, is a meeting place for Arrernte and other First Nations people alongside settler descendants and growing multicultural communities. Hill said she wants to 'take back power in writing the story of this town' and highlight its beauty, including the Macdonnell Ranges that inspired artist Albert Namatjira.
