Central Australia

The Central Australia region is the geographical centre of Australia.

Desert land covers 600,000 square kilometres and 40% of the NT.

The Central Australia region contributes an estimated 18% ($2.9 billion) to the NT gross state product.

Alice Springs, the second largest town in the NT, with a population of roughly 28,000, services a total regional population of 41,000.

Alice Springs is the major economic, business and service hub for the region, and also services parts of South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland.

The economy is sustained by mining, tourism and primary industries and is underpinned by government funding for regional service delivery and defence.

A large percentage of the Central Australia region’s population live in outlying communities including the Yulara township, which provides accommodation and services for the tourism industry at Uluru–Kata Tjuta National Park.

Yulara's population of just over 1,000 people is increased by visitor numbers to around 300,000 each year.

Other major remote centres in the Central Australia region include Ntaria, Yuendumu and Papunya, with the rest of the population widely spread across the region in smaller communities, outstations, pastoral properties and mining operations.

These residents depend on Alice Springs for supplies and essential services.

Summer in Central Australia 2023-24

Over the 2023-24 summer, the NT Government took a focused, coordinated approach to ensure all residents and visitors can enjoy a safe holiday period in Central Australia.

The Summer in Central Australia 2023-24 Action Plan was a collaboration between the NT Government, Alice Springs Town Council, MacDonnell Regional Council, Central Desert Regional Council and the National Indigenous Australians Agency.

The plan focused on keeping our community safe through preventative safety measures and community engagement, and providing a range of fun, engaging activities across Central Australia for young people and families.

Read the action plan summary PDF (4.7 MB).