MacDonnell Regional Council

10/08/2026

Building Skills Across Youth Services

Last week, staff from all nine of our Youth Services came together in Alice Springs for two days of training, sharing ideas and talking about the work we do with young people across our region.

Day two was a big one, with:
✅ 19 youth staff gaining their First Aid and CPR accreditation
✅ 21 staff becoming accredited basketball and AFL coaches and umpires

We’re proud of the team and looking forward to seeing these new skills put to use when our staff are back out bush, supporting young people and creating more opportunities for kids to get involved and stay connected.

07/08/2026

From Hermannsburg to the MCG

A group of Hermannsburg youth recently returned from an unforgettable trip to Melbourne.

The group enjoyed a packed few days, taking part in local football activities, putting their skills to the test at Bounce, and experiencing the best of Melbourne, from its shopping precincts to its iconic attractions.

A highlight of the trip was watching the Melbourne Demons take on Richmond at the MCG, with the young mob also having the special opportunity to tour and run out onto the ground before the match. They also spent time with Kozi and Latrelle Pickett, creating memories and connections that will stay with them for years to come.

A big thank you to the Glen Iris Football Club and everyone who helped make this amazing experience possible.

05/08/2026

Papunya Eagles soar into Round 1! 🦅

The Papunya Eagles Women’s Team travelled to Yuendumu on Saturday for their first game of the season against the Yuendumu Magpies.

The Eagles didn’t get the win on the scoreboard, but they put in a great effort and showed plenty of fight and teamwork throughout the game.

Round 2 is coming up next Sunday 16th August, against Willowra. Future fixture details are on the poster.

Good luck to the girls and up the Eagles - we’re be behind you all the way!

28/07/2026

A fantastic morning in Hermannsburg yesterday, where we officially opened the new change room facilities at the football oval.

With support from the Federal Government, the project has delivered modern change rooms, toilets and a new scoreboard, creating a better sporting precinct for players, families and the wider community.

We were pleased to welcome Marion Scrymgour MP, who joined Council President Roxanne Kenny to cut the ribbon and officially open the facility.

The change rooms were also proudly named in honour of Brian "Ntjalka" Williams, recognising his lasting contribution to the Hermannsburg community.

It was wonderful to celebrate the occasion with the community over breakfast and mark this important milestone together.

Chansey Paech: Member for Gwoja

24/07/2026

Ntaria mob - join us this Monday morning as we celebrate the opening of the new change rooms!

22/07/2026

Papunya Women's Football Team 🔥

It was great to see an amazing turn out in Papunya for the start of the women’s football team.

Women from Papunya, Mt Liebig and Haasts Bluff are invited to join as we build a team ready to go to Yuendumu every weekend from the 1st of August to face off against the Tanami teams.

A big thank you to Ngurratjuta, Garrard Anderson and all the supporters that attended the BBQ.

Let’s go Papunya Women’s!

21/07/2026

Our staff can travel up to 700km a day to reach our remote communities, often with no mobile coverage. Our fleet tracking system now uses satellite connectivity, so we always know where our teams are and that they can call for help if it's needed.

Keeping our staff safe is our highest priority, and the system also helps us better manage our fleet across one of Australia's most remote regions.

Teletrac Navman recently featured MRC in a case study about how we're using the technology to support our operations. Read the full story below:

MacDonnell Regional Council deployed Teletrac Navman’s GPS and satellite-enabled telematics to track vehicles/assets in remote areas, improve safety, oversight, allocation and maintenance, with easy onboarding, training and strong adoption.

13/07/2026

Week 3 School Holiday Wrap Up 🌟 Highlights from Areyonga, Kintore and Haasts Bluff

Last week, the kids enjoyed back to school BBQs, spent time keeping warm in the Rec Hall playing games, got creative with arts and crafts, and showed off their skills in some friendly but competitive pool games. It was wonderful to see so many young people coming together, building connections and making the most of the final week of holidays out bush.

As school returns, we’d like to wish all our young people a great first day back and a successful term ahead. A reminder that our Youth Programs will now return to school-term hours, operating from 3:00pm to 9:00pm after school.

Thank you to everyone who joined us over the holidays, we can't wait to see you back at program soon!

10/07/2026

Hermannsburg Youth Head To Melbourne! 🏉

A group of Hermannsburg youth are enjoying an exciting four-day trip to Melbourne with Menam Ryder (Youth Team Leader) and Nicholas Williams from Hermannsburg School.

The group will experience the excitement of AFL in Melbourne by visiting the Melbourne Football Club headquarters, touring the MCG, and spending time with and playing a game with the Glen Iris Junior Football Club.

Families and community members are encouraged to tune in at 2:15pm this Sunday to watch the Melbourne vs Richmond match - keep an eye out for the Hermannsburg kids running out with the Demons players through the banner before the game!

07/07/2026

🌟 School Holiday Spotlight – Week 2! 🌟

Amoonguna, Papunya and Titjikala have been buzzing with art workshops, hairdressing, beauty sessions, bush trips, bingo and more!

Huge shoutout to BlakDoll Role Models for spending the week in Titjikala bringing energy, creativity and empowerment to our young people.

We also welcomed Glen Iris Junior Football Club all the way from Melbourne to join our Papunya youth programs! Thanks to Garrad Anderson for making it happen, and to our Youth Team for working the weekend to make it all run smoothly.

One more week of school holidays to go — check here to see what's going on in your community: https://www.macdonnell.nt.gov.au/services/youth-services.aspx

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AFL Northern Territory
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