Alice Springs/Mparntwe residents have woken up after their second night of a three-night stay-at-home order, with the head of the national voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children saying curfews shouldn't be part of the policing toolkit.

The curfew was enacted on Monday after a series of alleged violent assaults, a brawl involving 80 people and an alleged knife attack, and is the second lockdown-order in the town this year.

SNAICC chief executive Catherine Liddle told ABC News Breakfast on Wednesday her "initial reaction was surprise" when the announcement was made, arguing there hadn't been the "sustained trajectory" like the town saw before the firth youth curfew was announced.

"This has been quite a sharp spike - related to things like Territory Day - where we know that there is going to be an influx of people…there is going to be probably more alcohol-related crimes," Ms Liddle said.

"Those types of things that happen with really significant public holiday."

The town has also seen a significant influx of people from across the NT, as well as SA and WA, for NAIDOC week.

Indigenous-led organisation Children's Ground, said in a statement lockdown was "yet another reactionary measure that fails our community".

"Since the first Mparntwe curfew in March 2024, Territory and Federal governments continue to refuse to meaningfully invest in First Nations communities and young people," Children's Ground said.

"The fly-in fly-out politics of the past four months have been about nothing but politics. It has not been about our children. Punitive policies that focus on policing, crisis-management and maintaining the status-quo - these policies, and this approach, do not work."

@natindigtimes The Northern Territory Police Commissioner has enacted a second curfew in Mparntwe/Alice Springs this year. Spanning over three nights, this curfew will apply to everyone, not just children. #alicesprings #curfew #nt #aboriginal #indigenous #firstnations ♬ Conspiracy - Kieran Rogers

Ms Liddle argued curfews were "nonsensical to most people, because there's no evidence that they work," before adding some in the town didn't even know it was on.

"I'm getting phone calls from people saying, 'is there a curfew on? We didn't know about it'," the Arrernte-Luritja woman said.

"What's really hard is the rubber hitting the road and working with your community on sustainable solutions.

"And that's what we really need in Alice Springs – sustainable solutions that invest in what is genuinely happening, what is genuinely needed, and what will genuinely make a difference."

Ms Liddle said SNAICC had previously flagged the need for community run child and family hubs, which would help deliver early education and care, as well as links to support and services, calling it a "game-changer for struggling families".

"Long-term solutions must include building a truly comprehensive and supportive early childhood education and care system, one that is accessible by all," she said.

She was critical on Tuesday of a "lack of transparency and accountability to the community," arguing there had not been visible progress since a meeting between the NT and federal governments, and community groups, in March.

"SNAICC said at the time this meeting should have been the first step in designing community-led solutions to issues that have been decades in the making. This does not seem to have happened," she said on Tuesday.

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney said on Tuesday long-term solutions were the only way to address systemic problems in Alice Springs.

She argued there had been positive signs since her Labor government provided a four-year package of $250 million for Central Australia in early 2023.

The lockdown is scheduled to finish on Thursday, however authorities have indicated it could be extended.