2025-10-23
meet asta hill: the first greens mayor of alice springs
Q&A With Asta Hill
In August, the Northern Territory held local government elections and Asta Hill was officially elected as the first-ever Greens endorsed mayor of Alice Springs! In a time where the Territory government is using division and fear, the community has chosen hope. Asta shares what brought her to the Greens and what the first few months of being mayor has been like.
What drew you to being a part of the Greens? What has been the best part of being in the movement?
Mparntwe Alice Springs has a rich history of community campaigning: from Land Rights in the 1960s and 70s, to the Women’s Peace camp at Pine Gap in the 1980s, to the No New Pokies in Mparntwe campaign I joined in 2022.
When I joined No New Pokies, I was lucky to meet a number of like-minded individuals, many of whom were involved with the local Greens branch. In getting to know them, I saw that the Greens movement was getting larger, more organised and more strategic. It became clear to me that the Greens could be a real force for grassroots organising and progressive change both in Alice, and across the NT. Now after having been involved for many years, I can say that this is absolutely the case.
I’ve loved so many things about being part of the Greens. But one thing that stands out to me has been how the NT Greens have taken on the enormous challenge of campaigning on “justice” and community safety here in the Territory.
In the lead up to the 2024 election we recognised that crime was the number one issue for Territory voters, but both the major parties were leaning into harmful tough on crime politics. We recognised the need for a credible political alternative to counter this narrative and offer humane, evidence-informed solutions.
As a criminal and human rights lawyer by trade, it was so rewarding to help write policies, hone our messaging, and upskill our volunteers to be able to campaign on these issues.
What are your priorities as Mayor?
Foremost I want to help change the story of our town - away from fear, racism and exclusion, toward hope, connection and pride. Our town has been in the media for all the wrong reasons, and I want to get the word out that this is the most beautiful place to live. I’m also really excited about my five other priorities that will support our town to thrive.
First, for too long, young Aboriginal people have been used to platform political agendas. Despite a backdrop of youth curfews and a lowered age of criminal responsibility, I want young people to feel safe and welcomed in public spaces. Whether that’s free access to the pool, longer opening hours in our public library, or providing pathways for young people's voices to inform Council decision making.
Second, we need to prepare for a warming climate. Alice is on track for significant increases in days over 40 degrees and this, coupled with high rates of homelessness, is a real threat to our town and our people. I want to provide more shaded and cool spaces particularly for those experiencing housing insecurity or struggling to afford power. I also want to drive the development and implementation of a climate adaptation strategy to make sure that our town remains safe and liveable in a hotter climate.
Third, I also want to help bring our CBD back to life. It’s so disheartening to walk through the centre of town and see empty shopfronts and closed roller doors. We need to be more creative in our vision for CBD revitalisation; I want to look beyond physical infrastructure, and explore ways to open up empty shopfronts, and encourage community events and initiatives in town. We need to make our CBD somewhere that people feel safe and excited to visit, and where people want to open new businesses.
Fourth, as a parent of two young kids, I’m aware of the desperate need to address problems with early childhood education and care in Alice Springs. One of my first priorities will be to make a centralised childcare waitlist in town to make it easier for families to secure care for their kids. We also need to look at the capacity of existing centres, and possibly explore the need to build a council-run childcare centre in our town.
Finally, I want to bring proper grassroots political participation to our Council. Our previous Council scrapped most of our advisory groups, like our disability advisory committee, meaning our decisions aren’t always reflecting the needs and aspirations of our community. I want to work with the council to improve consultation and give power back to our community.
What have the first few months in the role been like?
The first few months have been an absolute whirlwind. Within days of the result being declared, I’d resigned from my role as a defence lawyer at the Central Australian Women’s Legal Service. I swapped out my daily court appearances with regular media, meetings with Territory and Federal politicians, and community events. I’d never sat on Council, so it’s been a steep learning curve which I have loved! I have less time with my kids, because a lot of my engagements are outside of normal work hours. But I’m learning to be more flexible with my time, and to soak up every minute I share with them!
What’s the best part about living in Alice?
The superlative is too limiting for me! Alice is gritty, raw and alive with creative energy, culture and panoply of languages and traditions. It is a sacred story place, and a meeting place where Arrernte people, First Nations people from across the Territory, many multicultural communities, and settler descendents live together. We live in an environment resilient like the people here - a landscape whose wildflowers bloom wherever the buffel grass (a very invasive grass) is cleared. My home town of Alice has made me who I am and I’m so grateful for that.
What gives you hope?
Even as a privileged visitor to Central Arrernte country, who is not directly affected by laws which disproportionately impact First Nations people in our community, I have struggled to remain hopeful at times this past year. A harsh criminal justice system - more prisons and people behind bars - has apparently become a hallmark of good government in the Territory.
In one year, our government lowered the age of criminal responsibility from 12 to 10, scrapped a process started in 2018 to establish a Treaty with First Nations people, reinstated the use of spit hoods on children, allowed civilians to purchase pepper spray, abandoned our modest renewable energy target, and introduced income management for parents of children who miss school.
Despite this, the collective power of our community gives me hope. After doorknocking thousands of homes, I know that our largely cohesive community is made up of kind, compassionate people. And having run two impactful campaigns in just over a year, campaigns which were driven by the tireless work of volunteers who believe in a progressive future for the town and the Territory, I believe that is in our sights.
Come and meet Asta at the Greens National Conference in Gulmeroggin/Darwin on 8-9 November!