Asta Hill's grief over the tragic death of her younger brother is still raw, but the sad event is part of her story of connection to Alice Springs and hope for the outback town.

Ms Hill, the new mayor of Alice Springs, lost her brother Rowley in 2015.

He died while trying to ride a tyre tube down the normally dry Todd River , after heavy rains caused flash flooding.

"He drowned in the river, so a very tragic and unexpected, accidental death, which swept the rug from under all of us,"

she said.

At the time, Ms Hill was studying international law on a full tuition scholarship at New York University.

"I flew back urgently for the funeral, but then I had to go back to New York to finish my study or else I would have lost my spot," she said.

"I moved back to this city where no-one knew

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