Vital Collective member Meret and lawyer Kieran visited 8CCC Brekky Show to alert people to today's Anti-Discrimination Amendment Act being put before NT Parliament after having been pulled from debate last month. Advocates were given little time to prepare and inform the community, as the announcement came at the last minute. The NT Government has faced considerable backlash from all sectors of the community.

"The proposed changes will weaken the anti discrimination laws allowing for the increased hate speech and religious discrimination. This targets First Nations people, women, people of colour, Sistergirl, Brotherboy, LGBTIQAP+ people, all marginalised people, our education system and all people living in the NT." Quote from Vital Collective, based in Mparntwe Alice Springs, which have been been circulating a petition to be tabled at NT Parliament, with over 1000 signatures. 

Interview by Kate Lyons-Dawson

Article by Ilse Pickerd

Support the show: https://8ccc.com.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MASIFF 2025 is once again showcasing locally made short films tonight from 6pm at Araluen Art Centre. It will include the 2023 award-winning film The First Drop, written and directed by Damon van der Schuit and produced by Emma Alix Smith & Bridget May. Damon and Emma joined Kate on the Brekky Show to speak through the film's production and funding through the Spark initiative.

Support the show: https://8ccc.com.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the guilty verdict in the court case for the 27 Nov 2023 Pine Gap blockade to stop genocide only recently handed down, the local group Mparntwe for Falastin set up another blockade to stop the 800-odd Pine Gap employees from getting to work for some nine hours. The work conducted at Pine Gap was substantiated during the case to have direct links to the genocide in Palestine, by Professor Richard Tanter's evidence and the group have vowed to continue to stop such crimes. The two protestors Yul and Jorgen spoke on 8CCC's Brekky Show.

Support the show: https://8ccc.com.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ursula Williams, director of the documentary which opened MASIFF 2025 Marlon Williams NGĀ AO E RUA: Two Worlds, spoke with 8CCC's Kate Lyons-Dawson about how the movie came about. It's an intimate four-year portrait of performer Marlon Williams as he writes and records his first te reo Māori language album Te Whare Tīwekaweka and won the First Nations Award at the Sydney Film Festival.

Support the show: https://8ccc.com.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mic Conway was in the Brekky studio with longtime musical partner Robbie Long to speak with Kate Lyons-Dawson about their gig at the Watertank on Friday night from 6.30pm. Mic is also in town to share his film Whoopee Blues, a documentary directed and produced by Fiona Cochrane about the life and times of the Conway Brothers. On at Alice Springs Cinema at 7pm tonight Thursday 9th Oct, it will be followed by an exclusive Q&A. Find out more about the musical history of this country from the 70s and about Mic and Jim Conway's musical journey through Captain Matchbox and the Backsliders to name but a small part of the road together and apart.

Support the show: https://8ccc.com.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As part of the series on Central Australian housing and architecture, Owen Kelly, director at Dogspike Design & Architecture spoke with 8CCC's Kate Lyons-Dawson on the importance of orientation in building design, especially in our harsh climate in the arid interior. He also spoke about resources that can help achieve better outcomes.

Support the show: https://8ccc.com.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roland Bull is an NT-based a writer, comedian and doctor with an interest in life writing, health and LGBTIQA+ issues. He spoke with 8CCC's Kate Lyons-Dawson about winning one of six residencies at Varuna, the National Writers House offered to NT writers as part of NT Arts Fellowship in 2025. 

Support the show: https://8ccc.com.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The NT Arts Residency fellowship offers six writers living in the Northern Territory the opportunity to undertake a two-week residency at Varuna. The number of applicants for this Fellowship almost doubled this year and entries were so competitive that the assessors were compelled to highlight four writers who made their Highly Commended list: Alex Eve, Nikki Moyes, Matthew Nixon and Emma Trenorden. 8CCC Big Brekky spoke with Mparntwe-based teacher Amanda Grace who was one of the winners for 2025. She is interested in fiction which blends speculative elements with emotional realism, particularly for young people. Her stories have been published in Astray, and her first novel-length manuscript, Geo Vs the Whole Wide Worlds, secured her the Arts NT Residential Fellowship.

Support the show: https://8ccc.com.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 15th Council of Mparntwe Alice Springs has officiated it's first Council meeting, where the Deputy Mayor Alison Bitar was elected, the Committees were allocated and a new meeting time chosen of 5pm to assist in the community getting involved. Mayor Asta Hill spoke about the meeting on 8CCC Brekky Show, as well as some of the challenges transitioning into the new role.

Support the show: https://8ccc.com.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carmen Robinson and Tommy Walker pleaded not guilty based on their knowledge and belief that Pine Gap is participating in the crimes of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity when they and a group of activists blockaded the road into the Pine Gap Joint Military Facility Intelligence Base on 27 November 2023. Nearly two years later, with more than 66 000 Palestinians and just under 2000 Israelis reported dead, and the UN Commission finding of genocide being committed in Gaza, these "exemplary citizens" have been found guilty, while Pine Gap's role was not contested.

Pictured here outside the Alice Springs Local Court on day one of their trial are Tommy Walker, John Lawrence and Carmen Robinson.

Support the show: https://8ccc.com.au/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.