Row over safety in the Mall

Giving concerns about safety as the reason, Parrtjima spokesman Paul Ah Chee has announced performance events in the Mall will be again be cancelled at this year's fixture.

He told the ABC: "We will not have events as such but we will have static displays in there." This has triggered Shadow Minister for Major Events, Joshua Burgoyne, to slam "the government’s botched handling of escalating crime in Alice Springs". He said in a media release: “This is a devastating blow to the Alice Springs community. Crime and anti-social behaviour is ruining the quality of life for residents in Central Australia, and now crime is ruining the government’s plans for economic recovery. “The Chief Minister is refusing to meet with affected residents and businesses owners and refusing to listen to their concerns. "Now, because NT Labor can’t get a handle on this escalating crime wave, the Alice Springs community – and tourists – are suffering, once again."