Keegan and the $1 million fish

Congratulations, Keegan and well done on how you are heading in such a positive direction in life. You are a positive example to your peers. May you and your family be blessed by your positive reflections on the past, present, and future.

Election costs

Inevitably, costs associated with conducting elections have to rise. That is particularly true in the NT, with remote polling and extensive travel requirements. There are only 115 days until the August 24 polling day. Pre-polling, together with the movement of mobile polling booths around the NT, means that voting will commence in less than 100 days from now. I enjoy the cut and thrust of elections and cannot wait.

School populations

Some schools are more crowded in urban contexts because reputations count for a lot. That can be both advantageous and disadvantageous, depending on the ability of schools and staff to cope with enrolments well more than 100% capacity. As a school principal, I never once regretted marketing our place simply by using media to share good news stories about student accomplishments. 

Council budget priorities

With respect, might I suggest an ongoing maintenance program attracting annual increments from rates to undertake maintenance of verges between homes and streets in our residential areas? This should also include the regular trimming and maintenance of trees, which are overgrown along many roads and streets and pose a risk to motorists and pedestrians. These aspects of Council responsibility have been neglected for years and, in some cases, decades.

The Lee Point development goes on

The conflict between environmentalists and developers has been ongoing at Lee Point for several years.  Nothing has been resolved other than slowing an area of beautiful bushland and animal/bird habitat that will turn into another 800 homes. When Muirhead was about to be developed, many people wanted a decent margin of bush to be left between Fitzmaurice Drive and the new suburb. That never happened, and the thin strip of bush that was left hardly secured habitat for either flora or fauna. Sadly, for many, that seems to be the way of the Northern Territory.

Crime will not stop

P

We came to the NT in 1975. No matter where we lived, safety and security were not an issue – until we came to Darwin in 1987. It was then I became aware that all was not well; this was reinforced when our home was broken into in 1989. Since then, I have watched with increasing concern as criminal behaviours, mainly youth crime, have grown to exponential proportions. The government and opposition promise the issue will be addressed every four years. After each election, promises are found to have been hollow, and the only thing happening is increased crime. Will things be different after the August 24 election? Sadly, I think not.

Electricity prices set to rise

Meter reading can be an issue, but the element hitting the hardest has been for those putting rooftop solar-produced power into the grid, being reimbursed only 9 cents a kwh – while paying 26 cents per kWh for PAWA-produced power supplied by the grid. If we have to pay more, will the reimbursement for power input into the grid be lifted beyond 9 cents per kWh? Remember, it was illiberally cut to that level a year or two ago.

Actions and consequences

As Professor Maurice Balson once said, “Actions lead to consequences”. Maybe that means “do the crime, do the time”.

Dom Whiting’s Darwin CBD mobile music on wheels

Dom Whiting’s outstanding mobile ‘musical festival on wheels’ lived up to every expectation that had been held for this event. The engagement and joyous rapture built around this event ensured it would live long in the memories of participating Twrritorians and spectators. Thank you, Dom, for helping Darwin come alive!

Manton Dam being revisited

The government is moving in the right direction in upgrading and restoring Manton to a reservoir facility that can add to the water supply needed for our cities – Darwin/Palmerston – and the immediate surrounding area. The move is timely. Although Darwin River Dam has received bountiful top-ups from rain the last couple of years, weather and climate vagaries do not guarantee annual replenishment.

Osprey and Tiapan comparison

P

At least the American government is not reacting by ditching all the Osprey and consigning them to landfills like the Australian government with the Taipans. Doing things on emotive reaction is rather shortsighted- especially as the Taipan issue seems to have been associated with faulty night flying headwear rather than helicopter glitches. 

Howard Springs tip accident

P

Indeed, this is a first-class overreaction. People need to take care and act in a way that ensures personal safety first when offloading rubbish.  There should be no need for elaborate signage or structural and costly bin access modification to protect tip users from themselves.

Business expansion is good for us all

During these times of economic downturn and challenges to the retail industry, it is great to read about new and expanding businesses happening in our territory. Growing confidence and re-establishing economic upturn can only be good for us all.

St Vincent de Paul plans

As an organisation, St Vincent de Paul ranks among the best in humanitarian care and empathetic support for those in desperate need of assistance. The provision of quality support will be further enhanced when planned changes come to fruition. My concern is that the nurture, care and support offered do nothing to stave off the alcohol problem faced by so many of those who are supported. Help with the essentials of life leaves even more money derived from pensions to be spent on grog.

Aboriginal health in Aboriginal hands

Self-help and self-responsibility have to be critical aspects of focus. No group within society has the right to blame government instrumentalities for the woe-begotten state they bring upon themselves because of misplaced priorities and actions that result in self-inflicted misery.

Artefacts return to Alice Springs

This is a beautiful story of rightful recognition, with a homecoming to Alice Springs validating paintings and artefacts created by artists within the region. Their location within Alice will help validate their value and worth.

$880 on-the-spot fines 

I love the story about on-the-spot $880 fines, which will be recovered from offenders. This made me think about the hundreds of thousands of dollars owed by multiple people through unpaid fines. This new raft of breaching will be added to the unpaid pool of uncollected fines.

Voter apathy and non-payment of not voting fines

Voter apathy in the NT is understandable. The longer people are here, the more numb they become. The flurry of promises made before elections at both NT and local government levels rarely eventuate or take far longer to fulfil than promised. We are lucky if 10% of the promises made are fully met. I keep a file of commitments made before elections and have been disappointed over the years at how few are realised.

COD and CBD security

Without the services offered by security companies in support of police, Darwin’s CBD and every shopping precinct in our suburbs would be 100% unsafe places. While management pays for security in shopping centres – recouped through rents levied and then by retailers through prices charged for goods – the City Council, in my opinion, should continue to underwrite security costs for the CBD. The CBD is the ‘home’ of our Council, and security investment should be part of its brief.

Will war come to Darwin

P

With Darwin being where Darwin is, and with the ever-upgrading of defence training and facilities, I stand in the yard, look at our home, look at the surrounding neighbourhood, and wonder when (not ‘if’) it will be reduced to smouldering rubble by a missile or barrages of rockets directed at our city. 

Darwin, Palmerston, Nhulunbuy (where fuel storage is anticipated), Alice Springs (with Pine Gap being front and centre of Chinese interest) and other towns and communities will need bomb shelters and missile refuges.  Our state of readiness for protection from environmental desecration and shattered infrastructure occasioned by war is zero out of ten.

The war that will envelop our region is imminent, and we are far from ready.

Darwin’s CBD a ‘dead heart’

P

This is a sad but true take on the value and worth of the CBD in the eyes of many people. It often seems that the potential of Darwin City Centre and its immediate surroundings are being viewed through rose-coloured glasses. In essence, the city once proclaimed in song by Slim Dusty as ‘the big heart of the north’, in many ways, is now the north’s ‘dead heart’. It is uninviting, unattractive and overstated as a vibrant, desirable location.

Anything to do with NT resource development is always ‘slo-mo.’

Environmentalists and traditionalists ensure that there is no short way to turn vision and intention into operational reality in the NT. Everything undertaken in resource development is stretched and extended by process and procedure to interminable time lengths before anything happens.

Daly Waters multiplying many times over

This is not just a Daly Waters issue. Neither is it an issue limited to assaults on people and destruction of property in numerous Indigenous communities in the north and south, east and west of the NT.  The issue of criminal behaviour, allegedly committed by Indigenous Australians, many of tender years, is happening with increasing frequency in every territory, city and town. Aboriginal elders, parents and critical relations are unable or unwilling to quell a crime rate that has reached tsunami-like proportions in every NT city and town.

The ship lift cometh

I am so looking forward to the ship lift becoming a visual reality. Its planning and vision  – or mirage – has occupied my many septuagenarian years, with the concept being in place before I turned 70.  I fear the octogenarian ship will overtake me before construction is nearly complete. And at what additional dollar cost?

AFL team for the NT

The costs associated with this project will be both huge and continuous. I look at Tasmania and feel thankful that it was them before us – they may have a team in the making, but their establishment and ongoing costs will be eye-watering. Do we need that for the NT, which is hardly a territory awash with spare money?

Defence in a hopeless situation

Beneath the announcements and the veneer about our defence forces, infrastructural development and assets – to be used in war – acquisition, there seems to be little real consolidation; I feel that Australia is far from being prepared for any conflict, either in supporting allies or in defending our shores. We are short on navy personnel, with, I believe, only three vessels in service at the moment. The ADF is vigorously trying to step up recruiting to make up personnel shortfalls, while equipment upgrades and supply are many years away. We have been caught short on defence.

Darwin’s housing boom

Could you help me understand? I am confused. Darwin, Palmerston, and surrounding areas are growing housing estates and adding new residential suburbs as if there is no tomorrow. Additionally, there have been considerable increases in the number of apartment blocks constructed and still being built. Yet we had a nett population loss of around 3,000 last year – continuing a trend – and our Darwin/Palmerston combined population has not grown all that significantly.  What is the reason for bounding suburban growth?

The Roma Bar is for sale

The Roma Bar is an iconic business for Darwin and the NT. In the CBD, where the opening of companies is too often followed by closing, where there are so many vacant shop fronts, and where the focus is usually negative, the Roma Bar stands out as a positive and permanent business. All the best to the co-owners as they move to new challenges, and I hope the company will attract the attention of new owners who will do as much for Darwin as the outgoing proprietors.

DSO funding

The Darwin Symphony Orchestra makes a wonderfully positive difference in musical appreciation and cultural expression in the NT. I imagine our Member for Solomon, Luke Gosling OAM, had much to do with gaining this support, and he deserves our appreciation.

CDU and Flinders Medical Schools

I am hoping that the. CDU Medical School and the existing Flinders Medical School campus in Darwin will be able to work together and support each other in this critically important field. It would not be perfect if the two were to compete with each other, especially given the significance of the Flinders program to date.

Minister King on gas reliance

I am reassured by Resource Minister King’s sense and sensibility in approaching Australia’s future reliance on natural gas to augment the sometimes unreliable power supply generated by wind and sun. Hopefully, members of the Albanese Cabinet will bow to her unemotive and pragmatic reasoning on the subject.

Land clearing for housing

Land clearing for housing development has become a priority in Darwin, Palmerston and surrounding areas. Unfortunately, hundreds of hectares of land have been transformed into dense housing developments. There seems to be no end to land clearing. The loss of the natural environment and the diminishment of flora and fauna for progress will continue to be our future.

Larrakeyah Centre

P

There is an excellent deal about Indigenous art and culture, of which we in the Territory are proud. But to this day, I still feel disappointed that another icon, the Indo-Pacific Marine, had to be scuppered to make way for the Larrakeyah Cultural Centre on THIS piece of land. Indeed, an alternative location for this development could have been found.

Doctor – Patient relationships

One is lucky to have a regular GP with full awareness of the patient’s medical history.  I worry that person-to-person consultations are diminishing, with more and more people resorting to online communication. In these modern times, the personality and relationship of doctors with patients is on the wane.

Darwin’s Rocksitting Club turns 50

The Rocksitting Club has had thousands of members and is one of Darwin’s longest-lived and most iconic institutions. Camaraderie and mateship are hallmarks of this legendary organisation.

Taxi drivers upside

I have been a periodic user of Darwin Taxis for the past 30 years. There are some outstanding drivers with whom one can enjoy conversation while travelling. Taxi drivers do it tough, working long shifts, often in dangerous conditions at night – and increasingly during the day – and earn relatively meagre wages. I am always happy to tip drivers who are positive in outlook and dispositionally friendly. They never ask – and I have never been ripped off.

Convention Centre upgrades

P

Those organising conferences and entertainment will patronise the Convention Centre. The increase in capacity will turn it into a ginormous centre capable of hosting the world’s most significant meetings and gatherings. If marketed correctly, this should secure a fantastic future beneficial to all Territiorians and advertise the Territory worldwide.

Tank farm with inbuilt leakage

So much of the infrastructure is now being built, and all sorts of fields – industrial, commercial, retail, and residential – seem fraught with construction defects. Compared with historical constructions, the trend in modern times seems to be the high construction cost and the short life after completion.

Mr Hanna and the Deck Bar

P

The NT owes a debt of appreciation and gratitude to Mr Hanna for how he has helped build and sustain the NT’s hospitality industry. I admire how he has persevered and expanded his contribution to the NT despite setbacks caused by this breaking into various of his remises. His care for staff and support for our Territory make him very special and an NT Treasure.

NT Budget

We must look at the NT Budget through the lens of short-term benefits and long-term implications. Undoubtedly, there will be boosts in many vital areas of function, with enhancements in policing, education and health. In the long term, with expenditure outstripping revenue, the NT is going ever further into debt, with the future increasingly clouded by its massiveness and the considerable interest bills the government has to meet.

CLP and $50K housing grants

This sounds like a great initiative, but will it come with caveats, including occupational status, pledge of longevity in the NT, limitations on how soon homes purchased under these plans must remain with the purchaser before resale, and so on? Remember, we were inundated with people who moved up here during Covid, with many of these temporary residents now having returned South—maybe the crime rates had to do with their short stays.

Health Department resignations

P

It is no wonder that the Health Department is subjected to many resignations. The amount of abuse so many staff are subjected to and have to absorb without response is overwhelming. My concern extends to paramedics and health support professionals. Unless and until the behaviours of a particular and growing population group are reigned, these departures will continue.

CLP, if elected,  to retain all public service jobs

Opposition Leader Finolcchario’s words about the public service and guarantee of job security post-August 24 – if the CLP forms government – will reassure thousands of people. I often wonder if burgeoning numbers within the NTPS lead to greater efficiency and more productive output.  When the NT took carriage of Education in 1979, there were two branches within the department – schools and support services. Now, there are seven branches and a vast organisational flow chart—that growth parallels what has happened in all other departments. The question is, has efficiency and service delivery been enhanced?

Darwin Festival’s raunchy offerings

I am no prude, but in these times of escalating male misogyny toward women, with school boys developing spreadsheets to rank the desirability of girls and with domestic violence ever escalating, are shows like this going to help or hinder the efforts of authorities to change these trends?

The 2024 election is 100 days away

Today (16 May) marks 100 days until Territorians go to the polls on August 24. By then, pre-polling and mobile polling will mean that hundreds of territories have already voted. I have voted in all NT elections since self-government in 1979 and predict this poll will go down to the wire. It may be the closest election we have ever had, one to be watched with bated breath.

Housing is booming

It seems that houses in the NT are being built in such volume that it almost seems impossible to go at a faster and more frantic pace. More and more homes on smaller blocks are confirmed by aerial footage. It almost seems the more houses are built, the further behind we are in meeting housing needs. In addition, the plethora of high-rise apartments dotting our skyscape and construction in this field looks booming.

Michael Murphy is the best

Many tasks confront our Police Commissioner Michael Murphy, everything from building and sustaining increased police numbers to overseeing internal investigations on behavioural management. In my opinion, he is the right man for the job and has been an enabler since being appointed to the role, turning those within the force in a more focused and positive direction. He is a man of his word and will deal with internal and external issues that are currently engaging community attention. It takes time to fix problems and revelations, many of which are historical awarenesses now being brought to light. 

Health dilemmas and budget blow-outs

P

With the side effects of alcohol and drug use playing on the way of territory life and living, the challenges facing our Health Department administrators and practitioners will never improve. Calls on paramedics and ambulances to deal with accidents and emergencies that are preventable but occasioned by alcohol and drug misuse add to the health-related dilemmas our Territory confronts. Without a change in people’s behaviours, health-related issues will only ever get worse.

Politicians, promises and delivery

Throughout my adult life, I have tried to live with the offerings of politics in a way that focuses on issues rather than personalities, on the quality of messages rather than the messengers. So much of our political system, not only in the NT but Australia-wide, is strong on distorting what opposition politicians say by denouncing and criticising them as people – thus muddying their messages. Sadly, all political parties, whether in government or opposition, are intense on messaging but very short when delivering outcomes. Our political system is strewn with broken promises.

Protecting public service from abuse

P

Attacks on public servants are not new, but sadly, they seem to increase exponentially in these modern times. Front-line providers  – teachers, school principals, police, paramedics, nurses, hospital orderlies and support staff in government departments – are increasingly on the receiving end of vile and abusive behaviours. The matter needs to be addressed, but will the government elected on August 24 meaningfully address the issue, or will it succumb to the noisy minority interest group brigade and let it go through to the keeper? Unfortunately, present rhetoric is unlikely to translate into action outcomes.

The majority of Territorians are confronted by discrimination

I live in the hope that one day, the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner might realise that the majority of Territorians are being discriminated against by the minority, whose defiant attitudes and property and soul-destroying actions are increasingly holding the NT to ransom.

Attracting tourists by road

It may be wrong of me to paint what I see as a realistic picture of the NT regarding safety and security for visitors. However, people deserve to understand the pros and cons of visiting or living in every situation.  So many tourists and short-term visitors have experienced and been impacted by crime – everything from assaults and theft of personal possessions to the stealing of vehicles and so on. These things cannot be hidden or taken away by the picture-perfect panorama of some of our locations.

Is ‘Jailing failing’ in crime management?

What is succeeding in law and order management if’ ‘Jailing is Failing’? Nothing, nothing at all. We continue to be a territory wherein those living in cities, towns, and remote areas continue to be victims of crime. Managing crime seems more about hype and curtailment planning, but crime is as bad as ever when it comes to curbing action.

Prisoners – but what about victim’s rights?

Let us not forget about the victims of crimes that have caused those imprisoned to be the clients of correctional institutions. So often, victims of crimes seem to be left to fend for themselves after the awful experiences they have confronted. Victims may not be in jail, but the aftermath of their experiences often confronts them with uncertainty and fear for years to come.

Esplanade blocks for sale

What an excellent opportunity to acquire two brilliant blocks in a prestigious location just away from the hubbub of Michell Streen and the Mall. I hope whoever buys these blocks will be able to add to our capital city’s positive side.

Hospitality awards for 2024

Congratulations to those owning and managing the iconic Howard Springs Tavern for topping the impressive list of prestigious awards earned by many businesses and people in the NT hospitality industry. It takes perseverance, stamina, commitment and enthusiasm to earn top honours. Well done to everyone who is, through their efforts, promoting the NT through our wonderful hospitality industry.

Child in a cage

What a fallacious story and a sad interpretation of a perfectly reasonable arrangement. Whoever ‘broke’ this story in such sensationalist terms should be counselled about the proprieties of reporting matters to authorities.

A youth hub in Casuarina

No, it is not a case of contempt for youth to be interested in the location of this centre. More to the point, there is a genuine worry that a youth centre in a particular location may generate concern about ‘overflow’ from the Hub into wrongful activities in nearby neighbourhoods. Sadly, that wariness is completely justified because of ongoing behaviours that challenge our community.

CBD Developments 

Our city and all Darwininans owe a debt of gratitude to these two outstanding entrepreneurs for their enthusiasm and commitment to the CBD. Their optimism, backed by careful planning, is inspiring.

Appraising the Palmerston City Council

I suggest that the Palmerston Council undertake an Internal/External appraisal of the operations and functions of those elected as councillors and those employed by the council at all levels – from CEO to council workers. An in-depth appraisal would be cost-effective and engage everyone connected (including a selection of ratepayers). I was connected with two such appraisals in two different school communities. I would be happy to share how the assessment could be successfully – and without rancour – undertaken.

The Greens and crime management

Dreams and altruistic vision will not overcome the issue.   The void in the family  upbringing of children  and the forbidding nature of family homes occasioned by the social impact of  alcohol and drug usage is where it all starts.  All attempts to fix the issues of crime and youthful waywardness fail because of the significant shortcomings of home environments, which, although glaringly obvious, are not addressed. Parents are home free, and authorities tiptoe around the real nexus of the problem.

Businesses starting and folding in the NT

P

Statistical data is not needed to confirm the desolation and emptiness of ‘once were’ business premises in the Darwin CBD and within many of the suburban shopping centres in Darwin, Palmerston and all towns en route to Alice Springs and a walk down the once thriving, now empty mall. It is excellent that some businesses are starting, but losing many commercial and retail enterprises is heartbreaking.

Houses in Darwin 

The median value of homes in Darwin is by far and away the lowest in the country’s capitals. No wonder! This city has so many unkept and almost derelict houses that are a total eyesore. Houses in newer suburbs are jampacked into ever smaller block spaces. The streets in most of our suburbs are unkempt. Roads are increasingly corrugated bitumen strips, and many are so patched they would put Yacob’s britches to shame. Vertges are never cleared of weeds, street sweeping is sporadic, parks are poorly maintained, and trees along roadsides, once planted, are left and rarely, if ever, trimmed and maintained.  

Crime is rampant in this place, with most homes now enclosed behind various fences, some decent and others not.  Public housing policies have been, in many cases, an unmitigated disaster.  Need I go on?

Building and expansion to attract tourists and visitors is the priority of territory and local governments. Maintaining what we have and prioritising local needs is not.

Crimes – consequences or not?

Parties argue the pros and cons of the consequences of criminal behaviours should be. Meanwhile, the offenders enthusiastically carry on committing offences with gay abandon and without fear of consequences.

Freds Pass Show

I remember when Geoff Nalder won the best rooster competition at the Freds Pass show, which was back in the 1990’s. The show is ongoing, enduring, and a great credit to the community centred on Fred’s Pass.

Alcohol back to communities – consultative committee to consider

P

I want to volunteer to be on the panel and would be happy to act in an honorary capacity. I do not want to be paid to join a group who are confronted with the reality of researching and recommending an issue – alcohol dependence – that has come to blight our cities and towns. As a Territorian who has lived remotely, then in towns and urban settings since 1975, I am aware and would bring a common sense approach to deliberations.

Alice Springs Council 2024/25 budget

What percentage of the budget monies will be needed to rectify loss and damage – occasioned by criminal conduct –  to council property and facilities during the 2024/25 financial year?

Freds Pass Show

This is a wonderful, rural show, iconic to the point of attracting many visitors from elsewhere in the territory, along with tourists who happen to be at the top end at this idyllic time of the year. The event showcases the particular uniqueness of our territory and is increasingly considered by people planning holidays and community engagements.

Remote area teacher needs

P

This is a new and continuing chapter in a story of need that is decades old. It takes me back in time to the memory of a working party st up in the late 1970’s, with the task of “developing a program of incentives that woud attact teachers to remote area service “, then “retaining them for extended periods of time.” Many of the needs and incentives being identified and suggested in 2024, were made by that group of educators. The working group included members appointed by the education department and the teachers’ union. I was a union member of the group. Our extensive recommendations were minimally met, and what we identified back then are still concerns of this present time.

Australia’s defence suscepitilites

I wish I had faith in the capacity of the Australian Defence Forces, if needs be, to defend our country. Present government attitudes and the fact that our defence forces are so understaffed and under-resourced have stripped me of confidence. Australia is vulnerable to aggression, and Darwin, as a designated ‘defence hub’, would be particularly susceptible to any hostile attack.  These realisations cause me much apprehension about what the future holds.

The electoral system and information

P

This may well be timely information to offer to all potential voters. Worry and mistrust about the electoral system may well be one of the factors turning people away from voting, therefore contributing to the high rates of non-compliance. Misinformation and wrong beliefs may also impact the percentage of informal and donkey votes in every election. This initiative to provide transparent and honest information will help clear the range of doubts people may have.

Mr Gosling and the Taiwan experience

I wish I had faith in the capacity of the Australian Defence Forces, if needs be, to defend our country. If China and Taiwan were to become engaged in war, Australia would be drawn quickly into the conflict, ovbligated by the American position.  Present government attitudes and the fact that our defence forces are so understaffed and under-resourced have stripped me of confidence about our country and its security from retaliation. Australia is vulnerable to aggression, and Darwin, as a designated ‘defence hub’, would be particularly susceptible to any hostile attack.  These realisations cause me much apprehension about the future, and my concerns are only fueled by Mr Gosling’s revelations.

The dangers of driving the Stuart Highway

Many accidents, sadly often tragic, happen on the Stuart Highway. As a person who has driven this road from Alice Springs to Darwin several times, I feel it is easy to be lulled into thinking that driving these 1550 kilometres is without significant risk. That is untrue, and vigilance is necessary when driving this highway.  I always aimed to drive during daylight hours, for driving at night can be challenging because of the animals on the road and how the bush blends into the road, leading to misjudgements.

CDU and overseas students

I understand Professor Bowman’s concerns but regret that – it seems to me anyway – overseas students are too often regarded as ‘cash cows’. The huge fees they pay to complete degrees heavily impact the revenues of tertiary institutions.  I wish overseas students were primarily thought of as people earning qualifications rather than as purses and wallets loaded with dollars to pay their way. A result is that many domestic students seeking part-time work find that there are no casual job vacancies because students have taken them from overseas.

Rare Earth mining in the NT

This is a very exciting project for the NT, one that has the potential to grow our economy significantly. With the closure of some mines and others due to close within the next few years, this boost to our mining industry is coming in the nick of time.

The Chief Minister and international students for CDU

P

I appreciate the Chief Minister’s concerns but regret that overseas students are appreciated as ‘cash cows’ rather than as people. The huge fees they pay to complete degrees significantly boost CDU revenues.  I wish overseas students were primarily thought of as people earning qualifications rather than as purses and wallets loaded with dollars to pay their way. 

The plight of real homelesness is endless

For those forced to live rough and camp where they can night after endless night, this living context must seem like an eternity. The annual CEO sleepout may raise some dollars to assist people experiencing homelessness – but to forever be living like this, for the real homeless, is far more than a romantically tinged interlude.

Johnn’s Ice Creamery to close and head south

Johnn’s has been and is a business providing ice creamery enjoyment for, I imagine, tens of thousands over the years. I feel for Mr Koenig because the decision he has had to make must have been hard and gut-wrenching. When people and their prominent businesses are forced to close and leave because of crime, the realisation that Darwin has become a ‘city of victims’ hits home.

Another candidate – and it’s 86 days to August 24

Today (30 May) marks 86 days until Territorians go to the polls on August 24. By then, pre-polling and mobile polling will mean that hundreds of territorians  have already voted.  Every few days it seems, another candidate is announced for one seat or another – and all are people of genuine commitment and calibre. I have voted in all NT elections since self-government in 1979 and predict this poll will go down to the wire. It may be the closest election we have ever had, one to be watched with bated breath. Although very much a senior, I am very excited about the coming election.

The Westpac Building has new owners

May this wonderful building that connects Darwin’s past with its present be forever preserved. It is an outstanding asset, physically and spiritually, a cornerstone of our city. It evokes memories of past times, both happy and sad, and its permanence gives exceptional strength to the durability of our city.

More high rise apartments for Darwin

Call me old fashioned and ‘historical’, but I liked the 1987 Darwin skyline much more. That was the year we came to Darwin. There were few sprouting buildings, and they were constructed to a gentle height. Driving into Darwin in 2024, especially coming from Tiger Brennan Drive, reveals high-rise apartments, hotels and other buildings that look so tightly packed together, they remind me of sardines in a tin. And there are more hgigh rise structures to come. Gone are the natural vistas and the concept of space.  Still, that is ‘progress’?

Homegrown territorians needed to boost the NT – CM says

I think our Chief Minister is right to be concerned about the lack of Territory talent coiming through to be more significant contributors to our economy and the development of socio-economic direction. But whether or not the territory becomes more focussed upon by those born and raised here is a vexed question. So many, young and old, move away because they believe their chances of succeeding are better elsewhere. Part of this may have to do with the many middle and upper occupational levels, filled by those from overseas and interstate rather than from within the NT. Many outsiders also come to boost their CVs and broaden their experience before moving elsewhere.

Darwin Cup Carnival to be scaled back for 2024

I have attended one race meeting in my life, the Perth Cup in 1969.  From memory, Dayana won. That was it for me; I wanted to attend the races to tick that off my bucket list. I watched, placed no bets and came away believing that the influence of racing on my life would be more harmful than positive. I am glad for having never bet on horse races – apart from the Melbourne Cup sweep during my years at work.