Unrest in remote Central Australian community prompts calls for curfew - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Arlparra in the remote Northern Territory has been experiencing escalating violence, with non-essential services closed. (ABC News)

Unrest has been ongoing in the remote community of Arlparra since last week, including one incident where around 50 people armed with traditional weapons were fighting in the street.

Urapuntja Aboriginal Corporation has temporarily suspended all non-essential services due to the unrest.

Barkly Regional Council Mayor Sid Vashist has called for a curfew for the community.

A Northern Territory regional council mayor has called on the NT government to "urgently" consider implementing a curfew, among other measures, in a remote Central Australian community.

In his letter to NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro and Police Commissioner Martin Dole, Barkly Regional Council Mayor Sid Vashist said there had been "escalating violence in and around the Arlparra community", about three hours north-east of Alice Springs in the Urapuntja Homelands.

Cr Vashist said following significant unrest in the community at the weekend, he had received advice from the chief executive of Urapuntja Aboriginal Corporation (UAC), Jim Stacey, that all non-essential services in the area had temporarily stopped operating.

Sid Vashist has called on NT police and the territory government to urgently provide support to the Urapuntja Homelands region. (ABC News: Xavier Martin)

In the email sent by Mr Stacey on Monday explaining the pause on services to key stakeholders in the area, the chief executive described a "terrifying" incident involving one of the corporation's staff members.

"A female staff member and her two children had to take shelter in their car when violence erupted whilst she was shopping at the local store," Mr Stacey wrote in a letter to service providers.

"The perpetrators (estimated [at] approximately 50 in number) of the violence were armed with traditional weapons.

"Although no violence was directed at her, she was an innocent bystander caught in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Mr Stacey said as a result of that incident and ongoing unrest in the community, the corporation's public offices, administration centre, family centre and art centre would be closed for 48 hours.

"I take my duty of care to my staff seriously and will not have them exposed to violence that erupts with little warning," Mr Stacey wrote.

Following another incident on Tuesday, which Mr Stacey described as a "hostile raid on the Arlparra community", the chief executive extended the closure of all non-essential services.

"Essential services are continuing to be monitored and are being attended to under our two person/two car security arrangements," he said.

NT police says about 50 people were involved in the Tuesday evening incident in Arlparra. (ABC News: Dane Hirst)

In a statement, NT Police said it was responding to "ongoing unrest" in the Urapuntja Homelands region, which had been escalating since September 19.

Police also provided detail of the Tuesday evening incident, where they said about 50 people travelled from a nearby community to Arlparra.

"Police understand discussions between Elders from the two communities had been planned, however a 67-year-old Arlparra man was allegedly assaulted before those discussions took place," the police statement read.

"The man was treated at the Arlparra Clinic, before being medically evacuated to Alice Springs Hospital."

The man who was injured during the unrest in Urapuntja was treated at a local health clinic before being transferred to Alice Springs. (ABC Alice Springs: Samantha Jonscher)

Speaking to ABC Radio Alice Springs on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Stacey provided an update on the state of affairs in Arlparra.

He said while staff were not being targeted, the location of their housing in the middle of the community meant they were witnessing a lot of the violence occurring.

"It has evolved with groups of armed individuals chasing down other people, herding them to different parts of the community," he said.

Arlparra is 250 kilometres away from Alice Springs, 150 kilometres of which is on dirt road. (ABC News: Samantha Jonscher)

Mr Stacey said the recent unrest was "out of character" for the community, which was normally "very peaceful".

The chief executive added the inter-family fighting had put the staff in a difficult situation.

"It's distressing when not only you see the violence, but when you have individuals trying to seek refuge from what they consider safe spots being staff housing," he said.

"And then the staff are put in the position, are they going to be considered supporters of the people seeking refuge and are they going to come under attack?

"It's confronting and it's very distressing."

In his letter, Cr Vashist told the chief minister and police commissioner that he was "deeply concerned" by the situation in Arlparra and was calling for a "significantly strengthened and sustained police response".

"These are extraordinary measures for a local Aboriginal corporation to have to take simply to protect its employees and maintain essential services," Cr Vashist said.

"I am therefore asking, urgently, that NT Police and the Northern Territory Government consider and implement whatever additional operational measures are necessary to stabilise the situation."

Sid Vashist says he would like to see a more sustained police presence in Arlparra. (ABC News: Will Green)

Cr Vashist made five suggestions for possible police measures that could be implemented including an "immediate increase in police numbers", the deployment of "specialist / tactical police resources" and a plan for a more "sustained police presence" in the community.

The Barkly mayor also suggested that a "localised curfew" be considered and that NT Police, the NT government and UAC coordinate to ensure water, electricity and other essential services could continue to be delivered safely.

In its statement, NT Police said it had "surged additional resources from Harts Range and Alice Springs to assist the local officers, and to work with community members to restore calm".

The NT government has been contacted for comment.