Construction to start on new CIT Yurauna

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

An artist’s impression of the new Yurauna building at CIT Bruce Campus.

In brief:

  • Yurauna, CIT’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Educational Centre of Excellence, is moving from CIT Reid Campus to CIT Bruce Campus.
  • Construction will soon begin on the new, purpose-built building.
  • The centre has been designed in collaboration with the Yurauna and First Nations community.

CIT Bruce Campus will welcome a new Yurauna, CIT’s dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Educational Centre of Excellence.

The centre is relocating from the Reid Campus. This is part of CIT transition out of the Reid Campus in mid-2025.

Purpose-built facilities

Yurauna is a Wiradjuri word meaning ‘to grow’.

The new centre will feature culturally sensitive, purpose-built and sustainably designed facilities. These will provide wraparound support for students and their families.

They include:

  • learning spaces
  • art rooms
  • community meeting spaces
  • childcare facilities.

About CIT Yurauna

CIT Yurauna provides tailored Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander courses, study support and cultural advice.

It supports students with reading, writing, job skills and more. It also celebrates and keeps Indigenous culture strong, offering diverse courses beyond vocational training.

These include art and cultural activities, empowering Indigenous communities, and preserving culture.

Collaborative design

The ACT Government partnered with Guida Mosely Brown Architects and Kaunitz Yeung to ensure the design for the centre was culturally appropriate.

This resulted in a series of co-design workshops with representatives from Yurauna and the First Nations community including Ngunnawal Elders.

The workshop outcomes have informed the design and ensured strong Connection with Country principles throughout.

BYCC Alliance, a First Nations controlled company, is the building contractor.

Opening in 2025

The new CIT Yurauna is due to open in late 2025. It will be ready to welcome teachers, students, community members and those passionate about preserving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.

A smoking ceremony and official sod-turning have cleansed the site and marked the beginning of demolition and construction.

Part of a broader process

The new building is part of the broader CIT Woden Campus project.

It will feature the same smart technologies incorporated into the new Woden campus.

Find out more about the project on the Built for CBR website.

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UPDATE: Arrest – Aggravated Assault – Katherine

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force has now arrested a 38-year-old male in relation to the aggravated assault in Katherine yesterday evening.

The man was arrested by members of the Katherine Criminal Investigation Branch just after 11:00am this morning after which he was taken into custody at Katherine Police Station.

Charges are yet to be laid.

Detectives continue to urge anyone who witnessed the incident to make contact on 131 444 or make an anonymous report to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, and quote reference NTP2500043016.

Drug and Alcohol seizures – Yuelamu

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force has served notices to appear in court to two women following seizures of alcohol and cannabis in a restricted remote community.

Last Thursday, police seized a traffickable quantity of cannabis, around 63 litres of alcohol and drug paraphernalia from two 30-year-old women following intel received.

The two women were charged with Bring liquor into a restricted area and Supplying a traffickable quantity of cannabis, they will appear in Yuendumu Local Court on 11 June 2025.

Southern Desert Division Senior Sergeant Conan Robertson said “We know all too well the devastating impacts of alcohol related harm in our remote communities and will continue to pro-actively target those intending to bring alcohol into restricted areas.”

“Thank you to the community who supported Police with information to stop this offending. It is important that we continue to work together to keep people safe.”

Anyone with information on the supply of alcohol or drugs into remote communities can call police on 131 444 or make an anonymous report to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Arrest – Aggravated assault – Alice Springs

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested a 38-year-old female for aggravated assault in Alice Springs this morning.

About 9:30am, police received reports of an aggravated assault on Gregory Terrace involving a 38-year-old female who allegedly assaulted her male partner by striking him to the rear of the head, rendering him unconscious.

Police allege the female continued to assault the male whilst he lay unconscious on the ground. A female victim who was with the male at the time was followed by the alleged offender along Hartley Street and was stabbed with a pair of scissors multiple times.

General duties members attended and apprehended the female a short distance away. St John Ambulance conveyed the injured male and female to Alice Springs Hospital for medical treatment.

Charges are expected to follow.

Investigations are ongoing and police urge anyone with information in relation to the incident to call police on 131 444 and reference job number P25115909. You can make anonymous reports via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Call for information – Aggravated Robbery – Palmerston

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force is calling for witnesses in relation to an aggravated robbery that occurred in Palmerston yesterday evening.

About 6.00pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received a report that a number of youths had assault a food delivery driver outside a Palmerston fast-food restaurant.

The youths are alleged to have then stolen about $100 worth of fast food that was set for delivery.

Palmerston General Duties officers attended the scene soon and identified the offenders and a short foot chase followed.

Members of the Tactical Response Group were also in the area and assisted to arrest three alleged offenders, one aged 13 years and 2 aged 14. A fourth male, aged 13 years, was arrested later in the evening.

One other offender remains outstanding.

Police are urging anyone with information in relation to this incident to make contact on 131 444 and reference job number P25113827.  You can make anonymous reports via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

Call for witnesses – Aggravated Assault – Katherine

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force is calling for witnesses in relation to an aggravated assault that occurred in Katherine yesterday evening.

About 6.20pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received a report from a security officer at a local hotel bottle shop that a male had turned up at the premises with deep lacerations to his face and they were unable to control the bleeding.

Katherine General Duties officers attended the scene and assisted the 43-year-old victim shortly before St John Ambulance members arrived and conveyed the man to Katherine District Hospital.

The man told police that one of his partner’s family had used a smashed bottle to stab him in the face, with one eye also severely injured.

The offender remains outstanding.

The victim has been transferred to Royal Darwin Hospital for further treatment.

Police are appealing for witnesses in relation to this incident to make contact on 131 444 and reference job number NTP2500043016.

Arrests – Aggravated Robbery – Casuarina

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested 2 women in relation to an aggravated robbery that occurred at Casuarina last night.

At 10.27pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received a report from a security services company that a service station on Vanderlin Drive was being held up.

Casuarina General Duties officers attended the scene immediately and arrested 2 women aged 21 and 23 years old.

Earlier, the two women had been viewed by the service station employee attempting to steal a number of items.

When he confronted them the women allegedly threated him with edged weapons before he retreated behind the service counter and managed to lock the door.

The employee then opened the main doors to allow the offenders to exit the store where they proceeded to throw rocks and tools at the station window.

Soon after they were located and arrested and had in their possession a number of stolen items and edged weapons.

The offenders are in custody and are set to appear in Darwin Local Court on Monday, 28 April.

Update: Call for witnesses – Aggravated Assault – Katherine

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force has now arrested a 38-year-old male in relation to the aggravated assault in Katherine yesterday evening.

The man was arrested by members of the Katherine Criminal Investigation Branch just after 11:00am this morning after which he was taken into custody at Katherine Police Station.

Charges are yet to be laid.

Detectives continue to urge anyone who witnessed the incident to make contact on 131 444 or make an anonymous report to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, and quote reference NTP2500043016.

Call for Information – Recklessly Endanger Serious Harm – Alice Springs

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force is calling for information in relation to a serious assault in Alice Springs yesterday evening.

About 6.20pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received a report that a 41-year-old male had been assaulted with an edged weapon by an 18-year-old male at a residence in Larapinta.

The offender, who is well-known to the victim, has allegedly swung an axe toward the 41-year-old’s head who has then raised his arm to protect himself and suffered a deep laceration to his forearm as a result.

The offender has then left the scene of the incident with the victim’s ex-partner.

Northern Territory Police members arrived a short time after and provided the victim with first aid before St John Ambulance conveyed him to Alice Springs Hospital.

The offender remains outstanding and Police are urging anyone with information in relation to this incident to make contact on 131 444 and reference job number P25114821.  You can make anonymous reports via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

NT man charged over Territory’s largest ever ketamine importation

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

A Northern Territory man appeared in Darwin Local Court last Thursday after being charged with the alleged importation and possession of more than 4kg of ketamine.

It is believed to be the Northern Territory’s largest ketamine seizure.

The man, 32, who was arrested on Wednesday 23 April 2025, is due to face court again on 2 May 2025.

A Northern Territory Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (NT JOCTF) investigation began in April 2025, after Australian Border Force (ABF) members at Sydney Airport identified a consignment suspected of containing ketamine that arrived on a flight from Germany.

Investigators from NT JOCTF, which comprises of members from the Northern Territory Police Force, Australian Federal Police, ABF and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), replaced the illicit drugs – which were disguised in several sports energy drink and protein bar packages – with an inert substance.

After retrieving the crystallised ketamine from the packages, officers determined the estimated weight of the illicit drugs to be 4.08kg. This amount of ketamine has an estimated street value of $800,000.

The parcel was then delivered to its intended address in Zuccoli, near Darwin, where officers allegedly observed a man signing and taking possession of the delivery.

NT JOCFT investigators then executed a search warrant at the property and arrested the man.

During the search, officers allegedly located the opened parcel containing the substituted illicit drugs.

The man, 32, was charged with the following offences:

  • One count of importing a commercial quantity of ketamine, contrary to section 307.1(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth);
  • One count of possessing a dangerous drug, contrary to section 7(1) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1990 (NT); and
  • One count of supply a dangerous drug, contrary to section 5(1) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1990 (NT).

Each of these offences carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

NT Police Force Detective Superintendent Lee Morgan said, “This operation has resulted in the Northern Territory’s largest ever recorded ketamine seizure. 

“4 kilograms of Ketamine is 40,000 times the minimum commercial quantity and is estimated to be worth $800,000 when sold.

“This package was delivered from outside of the country and the NT Police Force reiterate that these drugs are manufactured in unregulated and unhygienic conditions, and anyone choosing to use them is gambling with their life. We will continue to work closely with our partner agencies to combat imports of illicit substances into the Northern Territory.”

AFP Superintendent Greg Davis said the AFP and its law enforcement, intelligence and border agency partners worked tirelessly to identify, target and disrupt criminal syndicates in their attempts to import and distribute illicit drugs into Australia.

“The AFP, together with our partners under the NT JOCTF have prevented ketamine from reaching Australian streets under this investigation,” Supt Davis said.

“Our investigators continue to work collaboratively to ensure Australia remains a hostile environment for criminal syndicates in order to prevent any form of illicit drugs from entering the Australian community and causing widespread harm.

“Ketamine specifically is a dangerous sedative; its dissociative effects block sensory brain signals and can cause memory loss, feelings of being detached from one’s body and the inability to perceive dangers.

“This operation should serve as a significant warning to transnational serious organised crime syndicates – the AFP and our partners remain one step ahead of your illicit activities and will ensure you are brought to justice.”

This is a joint media release between the Northern Territory Police Force, Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission