Latest news with #LiaFinocchiaro
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Warning over 'hidden' reality as big change comes to iconic Aussie national park
One of Australia's most iconic national parks is about to undergo a drastic change. Litchfield National Park in the Northern Territory is about to expand by 30,000 hectares, with more campgrounds, walking trails and even a hunting range being opened to the public. But while the announcement has been largely applauded, environmental groups say more needs to be done to protect the territory's landscape. The expansion follows the government's $7.5 million purchase of 'Silkwood', a stunning parcel of land near the regional town of Adelaide River, boasting waterfalls, gorges, hot springs and 4WD tracks. Described as the largest addition to the Territory's national park estate in 25 years, the acquisition will increase the park's size by 20 per cent. Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said the expansion was a key part of her government's vision to 'restore the Territory lifestyle'. 'This is exactly what restoring the Territory lifestyle looks like — protecting our wide-open spaces while making sure Territorians have more places to enjoy the activities we love,' she said. The new southern section of the park will eventually be opened up for camping, swimming, four-wheel-driving, exploring, and potentially hunting, delivering a boost for tourism and recreation in the region. The popular Robin Falls is included in the new expansion, with Finocchiaro promising visitors they can still bring their leashed dogs. An opening date is yet to be set, with planning and budgeting underway for roads, pathways, signage and viewing platforms. It comes just weeks after South Australia announced extensions to three national parks, adding an extra 725 acres to their estate of protected land. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lia Finocchiaro MLA (@liafinocchiaromla) Environment Centre Northern Territory (ECNT) Executive Director, Kirsty Howey, called the deal 'a positive step', but told Yahoo News the government could be doing more to protect local lands. "The Finocchiaro government has abandoned its commitment to deliver a 43 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, scrapped our renewable energy target, and unleashed bulldozers on the world's last intact tropical savanna," Howey said. "The scale of destruction is staggering, yet it occurs largely hidden from public view on pastoral estates that comprise 45 per cent of the Territory's land." In the first six months of this year, Howey said, the Finocchiaro government approved the destruction of almost 26,000 hectares of native vegetation — close to the size of the Litchfield expansion. Discovery in supermarket freezer lands man with $15,000 fine Aussie town transformed by 'rarely observed' phenomenon Brazen $300,000 act prompts 'crucial' caravan warning She pointed to the Pastoral Land Board as a key issue, accusing it of routinely approving large-scale land clearing. 'Week after week, thousands of hectares receive rubber-stamp approval for bulldozing,' she said. 'On 13 June, this same board... approved clearing 3,300 hectares at Claravale Station. This isn't just any paddock, this site contains one of only five confirmed maternity roosts for ghost bats in the entire Territory. "If habitat for bilbies and Gouldian finches were being destroyed at this rate near Melbourne or Sydney, there would be public outrage." Adding to the concern is the spread of gamba grass, a highly invasive species that dramatically increases fire risk. Experts warn that if left unchecked, the weed could overtake more than 42,000 hectares of Litchfield by 2032. 'With more than 250,000 visitors annually, Litchfield faces a silent threat,' Howey said. 'Gamba grass creates extreme fire risks that endanger both visitors and the park's unique ecosystems.' Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
ABC News
04-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
NT youth crime law change to see kids ineligible for prison alternatives
The Northern Territory government will rewrite youth crime laws this month to "ensure serious young offenders face real consequences" for 13 charges, including hit-and-runs, stealing cars and assaulting police. The Youth Justice Regulations 2006 amendments will see more crimes classified as "serious", making young people who commit them ineligible for youth diversion. The youth diversion program connects children with not-for-profit community groups, rather than making them go to court, for certain offences. The program can only be undertaken twice before the offender has to go down the criminal justice route. The NT government said under the changes, 13 more offences "will now have a default position of proceeding to charge". Those offences are: Speaking in Alice Springs on Friday morning, Chief Minister and Police Minister Lia Finocchiaro said the legislative amendments had been requested by the NT Police Force (NTPF). She said the territory government was "taking strong action to break the cycle of youth crime and restore community safety". "The CLP government will not tolerate repeat offenders and their apologists putting community safety last," the chief minister said. "Police are being forced to divert without any opportunity to exercise their discretion. NT Police Acting Commissioner Martin Dole said their officers were "crying out for stronger measures and options" to deal with "recidivist and high-risk youth offenders". "Our police, that are experts — that deal with this day in, day out — across the Northern Territory have said 'we need stronger legislation, we need amendments'," he said. Youth justice advocates have been swift to criticise the planned changes. Blair McFarland, an Alice Springs social worker and past NT Australian of the Year, said the amendments were a "desperate" attempt for the Country Liberal Party (CLP) government to fulfil its tough-on-crime election promises. "It's not going to do anything to actually address the social problems that are creating all the crime," he said. "They were going to clean up the streets [which are] getting worse and worse, which is something [the CLP] inherited, it's not new. "The problem is way bigger than this tiny little fragment [of 13 offences]. The long-time Alice Springs local said the amendments would have no impact on youth crime rates. Ally Sara, a spokesperson for advocacy group Justice Not Jails, said the NT government was "fast-tracking kids into a cycle of incarceration and offending". "We know that once kids enter the prison system, it's extremely hard to keep them out," she said. "If the CLP wants to get serious about 'breaking the cycle of youth crime', taking away diversionary methods is about the worst thing they could do." Another spokesperson for the group, Anna Sri, said diversion was already being "significantly under-utilised". "Through these amendments, the CLP is essentially conceding its only vision for addressing crime consists of unrestrained incarceration, despite the overwhelming evidence that incarceration doesn't work," she said. Asked about calls from human rights experts for the arrest and detention of children to only occur as a "last resort", Ms Finocchiaro said "activists and people around the world can make whatever comment they like", but she was focusing on "the people of the Northern Territory". The chief minister said the territory had failed to hold young people accountable and, "as a result, they feel like they're above the law". She said the $1.5 billion the CLP had invested in the NT's justice system was "the largest law and order funding in territory history". "We've come to government in August last year and seen that the entire justice system is in collapse," Ms Finocchiaro said. When questioned on allegations that some young people were being kept in detention for lengthy periods due to capacity and funding challenges — with court data showing the average remand time for young people in the NT is now 51 days — Ms Finocchiaro pointed to the CLP's masterplan for corrections and its opening of the 16-bed Paperbark centre. "Relocating [Paperbark] into a purpose-built facility, alongside a youth remand centre here in Alice Springs, [will] better support young people into different pathways," she said. "This is all part of a bigger story around making sure that we're supporting our community to be safe, that we're intervening early, that we're holding parents accountable, and that we're delivering the consequences young people need to make better choices." Critics are concerned that removing youth diversion as an option for more offences could lead to additional pressure on an already-strained court system. Data from NT courts shows the number of assault matters lodged in the Youth Justice Court— one of the 13 charges set to change under the amendments — has jumped 45 per cent since the previous financial year. It also shows there were more than 18,800 listings of criminal and domestic violence matters in the Youth Justice Court in the past financial year.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Youth crime crackdown promises 'no more free passes'
There will be "no more free passes" for serious youth offenders with those caught more likely to be locked up, under one jurisdiction's crackdown. The Northern Territory's chief minister expanded the list of serious offences ineligible for youth diversion under new measures announced in Alice Springs on Friday. Lia Finocchiaro said an additional 13 offences would be added, meaning offenders who commit them will no longer get the benefit from Labor's previous catch and release scheme. "No more free passes for serious youth offenders," she told reporters. Ms Finocchiaro said repeat offenders had been able to avoid any real consequences and were able to reoffend "days or even hours later". "We are taking strong action to break the cycle of youth crime and restore community safety," she added. "The days of police being a taxi service are over." Crime, and the perception the government was unable to control it, formed the main plank of her party's campaign to oust Labor. Growing crime rates and anti-social behaviour have been major issues in various Territory communities for some time but they drew national attention last year following a series of wild brawls in Alice Springs. The violence prompted multiple city lock downs and curfews. Tougher bail laws, targeting mainly youth offenders, were also introduced earlier this year. While delivering its first budget last month, the Country Liberal Party pledged a record $1.34 billion spend on police, corrections and justice. But the government has been criticised by the Labor opposition and justice reform groups for taking a punitive approach to crime rather than tackling its root causes. Social worker and former Northern Territory Australian of the Year Blair McFarland said the changes would not make any difference. "It's a really minor tweak in the legislation and it's not going to do anything to actually address the social problems that are creating all the crime," he told ABC News. "It doesn't address the chronic poverty that people live in and it doesn't give kids a future. "These are the kids who grew up with the state smashing Aboriginal legal systems to the best of their ability, and they grew up in a lawless sort of space and they get to an age where they realise that their life is going to be grinding poverty, chronic illness and early death and they have got nothing to lose." Under the latest changes, offences including serious harm offending, hit and runs, driving stolen vehicles, assaults on frontline workers and break-ins will no longer be eligible for youth diversion and will have a default position of proceeding to charge. "We're giving police the tools they need as we continue to roll out reforms aimed at reducing crime." Ms Finocchiaro said.
Perth Now
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Youth crime crackdown promises 'no more free passes'
There will be "no more free passes" for serious youth offenders with those caught more likely to be locked up, under one jurisdiction's crackdown. The Northern Territory's chief minister expanded the list of serious offences ineligible for youth diversion under new measures announced in Alice Springs on Friday. Lia Finocchiaro said an additional 13 offences would be added, meaning offenders who commit them will no longer get the benefit from Labor's previous catch and release scheme. "No more free passes for serious youth offenders," she told reporters. Ms Finocchiaro said repeat offenders had been able to avoid any real consequences and were able to reoffend "days or even hours later". "We are taking strong action to break the cycle of youth crime and restore community safety," she added. "The days of police being a taxi service are over." Crime, and the perception the government was unable to control it, formed the main plank of her party's campaign to oust Labor. Growing crime rates and anti-social behaviour have been major issues in various Territory communities for some time but they drew national attention last year following a series of wild brawls in Alice Springs. The violence prompted multiple city lock downs and curfews. Tougher bail laws, targeting mainly youth offenders, were also introduced earlier this year. While delivering its first budget last month, the Country Liberal Party pledged a record $1.34 billion spend on police, corrections and justice. But the government has been criticised by the Labor opposition and justice reform groups for taking a punitive approach to crime rather than tackling its root causes. Social worker and former Northern Territory Australian of the Year Blair McFarland said the changes would not make any difference. "It's a really minor tweak in the legislation and it's not going to do anything to actually address the social problems that are creating all the crime," he told ABC News. "It doesn't address the chronic poverty that people live in and it doesn't give kids a future. "These are the kids who grew up with the state smashing Aboriginal legal systems to the best of their ability, and they grew up in a lawless sort of space and they get to an age where they realise that their life is going to be grinding poverty, chronic illness and early death and they have got nothing to lose." Under the latest changes, offences including serious harm offending, hit and runs, driving stolen vehicles, assaults on frontline workers and break-ins will no longer be eligible for youth diversion and will have a default position of proceeding to charge. "We're giving police the tools they need as we continue to roll out reforms aimed at reducing crime." Ms Finocchiaro said.
ABC News
30-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
NT's Litchfield National Park to include Robin Falls as part of 30,000-hectare expansion
The Northern Territory's Litchfield National Park is set to grow by 20 per cent, in the largest addition to the popular tourist attraction in more than two decades. The NT government has purchased Silkwood, a 30,000-hectare parcel of land that borders Litchfield's south-east boundary, which it says will give Territorians and visitors more places to camp, four-wheel drive, swim and hunt. The $7.5 million property is located 120 kilometres from Darwin near the regional town of Adelaide River, and includes the popular Robin Falls. The government says the acquisition — the national park's biggest expansion in 25 years — will also make untouched waterfalls, gorges, hot springs and 4WD tracks available to visitors. NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said the multi-million-dollar deal would conserve "what makes the territory special". Lands, Planning and Environment Minister Josh Burgoyne said the purchase would secure long-term environmental protection for the pristine region. "30,000 hectares of escarpments, woodlands and wetlands are being returned to public hands, protecting territory ecosystems and wildlife while opening up a range of incredible new recreational opportunities," he said. "This isn't just a map change — this is a transformational and visionary investment in our lifestyle, livability, and landscape." Parks and Wildlife Minister Marie-Clare Boothby said the government would work to identify opportunities within the new area, including "a new dedicated hunting reserve". "Silkwood has been on the market since last year, and there were real concerns that a private sale could limit future access." The announcement follows a dip in NT tourism post-COVID, but recent data from the Australian government's trade and investment commission suggests the territory might be bouncing back. While most jurisdictions recorded a decrease in domestic travellers during the March 2025 quarter, the NT saw a 34 per cent increase — up 45,000 trips compared to the March 2024 quarter. According to the NT government, more than 250,000 people visit Litchfield National Park each year to see much-loved sites including Wangi Falls, Buley Rockhole and Florence Falls. The national park's southern expansion is expected to boost those numbers further, which the government said would create "new opportunities for local tourism, services, and economic growth" in nearby Adelaide River. Publican Tim Carter, who owns the Adelaide River Inn Tourist Park, described the expansion as "great for the Territorians that love to get out there every weekend". "There's worries of people purchasing [regions like Silkwood] and closing them up, so for this to be open to all the punters, will be great." He said the announcement came during a "huge" tourism season that has kept his business "flat-out" during the dry.
