Malcolm Turnbull has become the first prime minister in decades to visit the troubled Top End town of Tennant Creek, saying he is committed to a Barkly regional deal to help improve the situation.

His visit comes five months after the rape of a two-year-old girl put the town's social issues in the national spotlight.

It also comes after mounting criticism in the Northern Territory of the Coalition Government for its apparent lack of interest in Indigenous issues in northern Australia, and for not stepping in to help with the Tennant Creek child protection crisis.

Mr Turnbull told a press conference on Monday that he had not been shocked by what he had seen in the town, but that he had been "inspired by the resilience of the community".

"You've got parents and families who have not been doing the right thing by their kids, who have abused their children, who neglected their children. But the reasons for that … [are] very complex," Mr Turnbull said.

He said the regional deal would mirror cities deals in place in other parts of the country — such as Geelong in Victoria, Launceston in Tasmania and Townsville in Queensland — which promoted increased collaboration and communication between local, territory and federal organisations and authorities, as well as a cultural authority group and Aboriginal organisations to plan development and ensure child safety.

"It's doing what people say they should do, which is working together rather than criticising each other," he said.

"Everyone has got good intentions, but without coordination you can be like ships passing in the night."

Mr Turnbull said he thought the "single biggest issue" was the shortage of housing in Tennant Creek.

Recently, NT Housing Minister Gerry McCarthy told the ABC the Government had built three houses in the town so far this year and would complete another nine by the end of the year.

Social Services Minister Dan Tehan also flagged that he would be looking into establishing the cashless welfare card in Tennant Creek in coming weeks.

Malcolm Turnbull embraces a child in Tennant Creek ( ABC News: Georgia Hitch )

NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner said every Territory kid had a right to grow up happy, healthy and safe.

"It's important we do everything we can to ensure those kids growing up here get a good education and have jobs available for them at the end of that, so that plan will be a social and economic one," he said of the deal.

He said a tripartite committee would be looking at "the heart of this issue of where the money is being spent, where it needs to be better focused".

Both leaders pledged to "crash through silos".

"I'll never accept again that information sharing is a reason why a child wasn't in a safe place. That has to stop," Mr Gunner said.

'He's going to come and get the story straight'

On Sunday, Mr Turnbull spent the afternoon meeting with community members and local businesses, attending an economic committee meeting and touring local community services.

He also met with the town's cultural authority group, which is a new coalition of Indigenous leaders and community members to negotiate with all levels of government.

Linda Turner, chair of the Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation, said she hoped the Prime Minister's trip would help humanise the stories and issues of the town.

"He's going to come and get the story straight from people who live with the situation," she said.

"So when there are reports coming from Tennant Creek, he has a great understanding because he's heard from the Aboriginal people that live here."

Ms Turner said she hoped the PM's experience with the council-run night patrol would lead to future support for it at a federal level after the pilot period for the program ended.

Malcolm Turnbull at welcome to country in Tennant Creek ( ABC News: Georgia Hitch )

Living in a house 'full of holes'

One of Mr Turnbull's stops included a look at a local catering business to learn about its traineeship program, and one of the women who works for the company spoke to him about her living conditions.

"I live in a tin shed with no electricity, no water," Bonita Thompson said.

She said she, her children, and nine grandchildren lived in a house that was "full of holes".

"We've been living there for five years, it's a fair way [into town], about 5 or 6 kilometres," she said.

"It's really hard for me, because I've been living in this condition for a long time, and I've been to work nearly every day just to get food on the table for my children."

Mr Turnbull said she was an "inspiration" to her family and the community.

NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner said every kid had a right to be safe. ( ABC News: Bridget Judd )

Recent figures released by the Territory Families Department showed 15 more children were removed from families in the town since the February assault.

Earlier in July, Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion and Social Services Minister Dan Tehan made a joint visit to the town, and were told of the dire need for more affordable housing and how children had begun to break-in to businesses to steal food.

'Strange' that visit came on a Sunday: residents

While the community overwhelmingly welcomed the visit, there were questions raised about why it had been scheduled for a Sunday, the only day of the week takeaway alcohol sales are banned under new restrictions.

"It is a bit strange, because since the grog restrictions it's pretty quiet," said Pat Braun from the Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation.

"I think it was a surprise, but it's a nice surprise because he looks like a man who cares, who wants our family to get back on track and so we can start healing from our recent tragedies."

Another resident, Mike Nash, said he thought Mr Turnbull would not get a full sense of the town's issues given most people were not about.

"I find it very strange really that they've picked a Sunday really, of all days to visit the town, when nothing happens here on a Sunday anyway," he said.

He said he was glad Mr Turnbull had visited, but doubted that anything would come of it.

"I reckon the pub test at the moment is, is the Prime Minister really going to do anything by visiting Tennant Creek and seeing it first-hand himself?