After more than a week of being in the news for all the wrong reasons, Alice Springs is set to move closer to what the Northern Territory government hopes will be a suite of solutions to the town's ongoing crime crisis.
Last week, a senior public servant was tasked with reporting to the NT government about a way forward.
It came as the territory government brought in a three-month trial of new alcohol restrictions, which include reduced hours for bottle shops and daily purchase limits for customers.
That report is due to be handed to both the NT and federal governments today — so what's it all about?
Here's what we know.
Who is Dorrelle Anderson?
Luritja woman Dorrelle Anderson grew up in Alice Springs and was the first Indigenous person to be Southern Region Executive Director for the Department of Territory Families and Housing.
In 2021, she was a finalist for the NT Australian of the Year.
Her mother, Alison Anderson, was a member of the Northern Territory parliament between 2005 and 2016.
Last week Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles appointed her the Central Australian Regional Controller when the pair visited the crime-hit town.
What is the Regional Controller's job?
The new role makes Ms Anderson the most senior public servant in Central Australia.
She's tasked with reporting to both the federal and territory governments about the issues in Alice Springs, and once the NT government makes a plan for the future, agencies will be expected to follow her direction.
Among her main responsibilities was to submit a report to both the NT and federal governments on the situation, due today.
The NT government has indicated it will not immediately release the report to the public.
What's this report going to cover?
Ms Anderson has spent the last week meeting with the community, government departments and non-government organisations about what they think could shift the dial on the community's crime stats.
Those recommendations could be wide-ranging.
She's also specifically been asked to make recommendations about the future of alcohol policy in remote communities.
I keep hearing about communities opting in and out of grog bans — why?
Six months ago, federal legislation that enforced alcohol restrictions on many remote communities and town camps came to an end, and communities were asked to "opt-in" if they wanted to stay that way.
Ms Anderson is going to lead consultation with communities about reversing that policy, meaning communities could possibly have a vote to "opt out" of being able to access alcohol.
Will we have a vote?
Yes, possibly.
This idea was floated last week by Ms Fyles, who said it could be one way to make sure everyone has a say.
First Nations leaders have pointed out that voter enrolment in the NT is particularly low amongst Indigenous Territorians, so if they want to have a vote the Electoral Commission would need to consider hosting an enrolment drive to increase participation.
There have also been suggestions of lowering the voting age to 13.
What does Ms Anderson think about her new job?
She says it's a "big and exciting opportunity" that she doesn't "take lightly".
After her new position was announced she said she hoped the new role would be able to cut across organisations and levels of government that are currently siloed.
"The brief is to work with all stakeholders that are involved or should be involved with the current situation here in Alice Springs."
