State launches taskforce to curb Port Augusta crime, elders demand more Indigenous input

The state has unveiled a taskforce intended to reduce crime and violence in Port Augusta, adding to a string of past initiatives that ended after the City Safe Program was scrapped in 2020. Indigenous leaders such as Barngarla elder Linda Dare and Kuyani/Adnyamathanha elder Malcolm “Tiger” McKenzie expressed cautious optimism but stressed that the community was not adequately consulted. They highlighted a recent surge in methamphetamine use, which they say now fuels more offences than alcohol despite restrictions introduced in 2022.

Youth advocates Eli Partridge and Christian Khan warned that the language used to describe crime can reinforce racism against young Aboriginal men, while praising programs like Mangrove Court that focus on family support. Representatives from multiple government departments, the local member and Port Augusta Council will meet behind closed doors on Friday to discuss the taskforce’s next steps, but details on its structure and performance metrics have not been released.