Issue 6

Corroded well pipes in the Mereenie oil field leaked oil below ground into the Amadeus aquifer which provides the water for Alice Springs, so did a leaking pipeline, and highly saline water was kept in an unlined evaporation pond. These were issues raised by an NT Government water expert, John Childs, from about 2001 and still lack credible answers. ERWIN CHLANDA reports. PHOTO: Google earth picture of the Mereenie oil field.

Former AFL football star Liam Jurrah today abandoned his bail application and has been remanded in custody to appear in the Alice Springs Local Court, by video link, on May 29. ERWIN CHLANDA reports.

Michael Liddle (pictured), who is also the deputy chairman of the Central Land Council, has resigned from his position of chairman of the local native title organisation, Lhere Artepe. ERWIN CHLANDA reports.

Natural gas production will continue in the Palm Valley field 145 kilometres west of Alice Springs under an agreement between Magellan and Santos.

Magellan has a contract with Santos for the supply of 22 Bcf (billion cubic feet) over 15 years.
This follows a swap last year which saw Santos becoming sole owner of the Mereenie oil and gas field west of Palm Valley, and Magellan of the Palm Valley field. ERWIN CHLANDA reports. PHOTO: The Palm Valley gas field. Hermannsburg is at top right of the picture, the Finke River at right and the Palm Valley at the bottom.

It has been a hectic nine months since the inaugural LittlePricks exhibition – a change of government and some of the worst political infighting the Territory has ever seen. The CLP government is keen to move on and have us forget their antics.

But people won’t forget thanks to the keen, and perhaps cynical, eye caste over proceedings by Territory artists. While the pollies have been slugging it out our local artists have also let rip. DAVID HANCOCK reports.

Reader Andrea Hewett sent in this photo of hairy procession caterpillars. She says they remind her of our current political situation: They are going around in circles for hours, very slowly, no-one knows who the real leader is, and if you get too close to them they cause a major reaction.

A measure to lighten the load on the courts of summary jurisdiction will be proposed to the NT Cabinet by Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, John Elferink (pictured).

He says if the measure becomes law, in the event of a not guilty plea both parties will be obliged to have a pre-trial conference in a bid "to sort it out". ERWIN CHLANDA reports.

A family is facing eviction from the home it occupied since 1994 because the partner, father and grandfather, who has held the lease, has died. A cruel act – or a necessity in a desperate public housing market? And what lies behind the circumstances in which a battler family is finding itself? ERWIN CHLANDA spoke with Bronwyn Ferguson pictured (from left) with her daughter Tiarah Ferguson, son Dennis Novak and two-year-old granddaughter Naryiah.

Chief Minister Adam Giles writes about a string of initiatives by his government.

The Banned Drinkers Register did not reduce drunken violence on our streets and did not stop drunks accessing alcohol.
A huge haul of alcohol (picture courtesy police) obtained by Alice Springs Police today illustrates why the BDR simply did not work, writes Chief Minister Adam Giles.

At 5pm CST on April 18 2013, Indigenous Community Television (ICTV) will officially commence full-time broadcasts on its own dedicated channel (601 on VAST). The occasion marks over 30 years of broadcasting in remote Indigenous communities.
Yuendumu, 300 km NW of Alice Springs, is the home of Warlpiri Media (now PAW Media & Communications), who shares with Ernabella (home of EVTV), the historic foundation of Indigenous television in Australia, writes Rita Cattoni, Manager, Indigenous Community Television Limited.

"This book is about our hands and our faces, that's our work, our hands," explained Pantjiti McKenzie, one of the nine ngangkari present on Monday at the Desert Knowledge precinct to launch a new book about Anangu healing traditions – the use of healing hands, healing breath, insight and lifelong experience to renew the health and happiness of sick people.  KIERAN FINNANE reports.

At left: The book cover featuring the hands of Andy Tjilari.