Community & the Arts

Alice Springs Town Council (ASTC) provides and maintains a comprehensive range of environmental, humanitarian, recreational, cultural services and facilities.

Alice Springs Town Council employs over 200 staff at its Civic Centre, Alice Springs Public Library, Alice Springs Aquatic & Leisure Cen­tre, Region­al Waste Management Facility and Works Depot.

Services provided to the people of Alice springs include:

• Aquatic & Leisure Centre Management
• Public Library
• Waste Collection & Recycling
• Environmental Initiatives
• Animal Management
• Cemeteries Management
• Roadworks
• Parks, Reserves, Sporting Facilities & Playground Upkeep

ASYCC creates opportunities for everyone to build strong kids, strong families, and strong communities.  Provide affordable sport & recreational activities in a safe, clean, and inviting environment for people of all ages through sound business and management practices.

The Centre prides its self in promoting an active lifestyle for people of all ages. We have a membership of over 700 from 0-70+.

We offer a range of recreational activities, seven days a week, to the wider demographic of the Alice Springs community. The Centre has successfully operated from a group of old buildings (some dating back to 1947). Our members reflect the population of Alice Springs, everyone is welcome.

Some activities attract a fee to cover operational costs, but only survive because they are facilitated by volunteer instructors. If these core activities, and others from hiring the facilities, did not exist the ASYCC would not be able to remain functional, and provide the many vital public access opportunities for sport and Youth social interaction.

The Centre has a large dance studio, which is now the home of the Greatorex Public Service Gym; Agnes East Gymnasium (gymnastics and circus space); boxing shed; martial arts dojo; and recreational hall in addition to its outside facilities.

Individuals and groups are catered for with a range of classes; including gymnastics, boxing, 5 disciplines of martial arts – all taught by qualified instructors.

The recreational hall provides pool tables, TV, DVD player and also caters for refreshments from a canteen area. There is a boxing shed with boxing bags, weights and even a ring where Alice Springs boxing champions James Swan, Jason Lord and Henry Collins have inspired local children.

Communities for Children (C4C) works with Community Partners,families and key stakeholders to improve outcomes for children and families experiencing vulnerability and disadvantage. As Facilitating Partner for the East Arnhem and Alice Springs regions,Anglicare NT supports local community and regional initiatives and collaborative approaches focused on cross sector cooperation,resource sharing and building child friendly communities. Community Partners are funded to deliver and / or develop evidence based activities to address service gaps and strenghten families.

The Partnership Support Service is a business unit of Anglicare NT. We support the capacity development, long-term independence and sustainability of Aboriginal organisations by sharing our pool of skills, resources and experience.

Anglicare NT auspices the Prison Chaplaincy Program on behalf of the NT Council of Churches. The Prison Chaplains in Alice Springs and Darwin coordinate religious services,activities and pastoral care by personnel from Christian and other faith traditions. Support services are provided to people in correctional facilities,their familes and centre staff.

After over 10 years, the Anglicare NT OpShop in Ludmilla will officially close its doors for the last time on Saturday 26 February 2022.

Regretfully, the impacts of COVID-19 and cheaper clothing options have made it unviable to keep the OpShop open.

For many visitors to the OpShop over the years, the store has felt more like a small community. Through the sale of second-hand items, the store sought to provide supports to those struggling financially. Resale of donated goods demonstrated our commitment to building a sustainable community and environment.

The OpShop would not have worked for so long without the care and generosity of our staff, volunteers, customers and donors. We thank you for your efforts over the years.

East Arnhem Regional Council provides library services in five East Arnhem communities and in the mining town of Nhulunbuy. These libraries are run by EARC in partnership with Library and Archives NT. 

The libraries offer lending services of books, magazines, multimedia and other resources that foster learning, research, collaboration and intellectual exploration. The provision of free internet access in the buildings keeps our remote communities in-touch and fully connected to the wider world. 

Over the years, these libraries have evolved to become safe-spaces and hubs for community engagement, events and workshops that residents, visitors and stakeholders benefit from on a regular basis. with the provision of free internet access, fun activities for children, and information about the local history.

The Angurugu, Galiwin’ku, Milingimbi, Ramingining and Umbakumba libraries are all run by dedicated local Indigenous Community Library Officers and are operational from 9AM till 12PM and 1PM till 4PM, Monday to Friday.

AutismNT is the peak body for Autism in the NT providing information, advice about services, support, education & training programs, parent support groups, library services, promotional materials and representation & advocacy for children, young people and adults with autism spectrum disorders.

Resource Library

The Library holds a collection of books, DVDs and magazines about autism spectrum disorders.

Bábbarra Women’s Centre has a proud history of positive social impact.

From the early days, we have supported the lives of Aboriginal women in the community of Maningrida and on surrounding homelands.

Bábbarra Women’s Centre enables local women to develop and run women-centred enterprises that support healthy and sustainable livelihoods.

Bábbarra Designs is our main enterprise. We have a textile workshop specialising in the production of hand-printed fabric design using linocut block prints and screen prints. We are one of only a few Indigenous textile-producing art centres in Australia that design, print and sew product onsite, in community.

We are governed by women for women, led by the strong voices of our Bábbarra Women’s Board. In this space, we women are in charge. We operate an op shop and we support women artists on remote homeland outstations in the region.

We are part of Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation, which was set up by Maningrida community leaders in 1974 to support people to live on their homelands.