The tagged fishing program

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This wonderful program attracts so many people, including hundreds and hundreds of tourists, to the Top End. Over the years, governments of both persuasions have worked on establishing and refining this program. It is truly a gem in the tourist crown.

The new government going forward

I believe that our new Chief Minister and her government are well-positioned to make a positive difference in how our territory is developing. The government will need to be resolute, firm on its key commitments, and not become the fall guy sucked in by the desire to appease narrowly focused ‘one issue’ interest groups.

The new cabinet

I am sure those taking up ministerial positions will be the right people for the jobs they are sworn into. It is good that the Chief Minister and her deputy are taking the time needed to consider the potential of all who have been elected. Hasty decision-making in critically essential areas is not wise – and our new leaders have plenty of wisdom.

Waters Ward and Malak improvements

The Waters Ward councillors (including Brian O” Gallagher until elected to the NT Assembly seat of Karama) are to be commended for their proactivity and the way they represent the needs of their ward to the City of Darwin Council.  It is a shame that their ‘modus operandi’ appears not to be emulated by councillors representing other wards. 

The Top End seasons

We have seasons in the Top End.

The ‘wet’ is sometimes wet, but Darwin and Palmerston have been somewhat skirted with heavier rainfall to the east, south and west for the past two or three years.

The dry doubles as the smoky season, which is with us day after week after month until finally, we get to late October. Smoke and humidity are not the most desirable of companions.

Make-up of the NT Assembly

Is this the beginning of a new and different era in NT Politics and the characteristics of elected members? Will the accountability of politicians be more front and centre in voters’ minds than may have traditionally been the case? Time will tell.

Come tourists, come

To all potential tourists; 

Come see the NT, 

The best views by far, 

Share time in the NT, 

See how lucky we are, 

To live in a place, 

So worthwhile to share, 

Come and enjoy,

Is my entreaty and prayer.

Pre-40 persons lifting the Territory

How blessed and lucky is the Territory, and how thankful and inspired we should feel to know these pre-40 contributors from all walks of life are doing so much to lift this place to new heights of recognition and success.  Futuristically speaking, we are in good hands.

Bushfires and the rural area

I went for a long drive in the rural area this weekend and was amazed at how much drying bush and undergrowth there is in many places. I also wondered about the propensity of building homes and constructing sheds in heavily bushed and uncleared areas. This helped me appreciate the sterling job that volunteers, bush firefighters, and brigades do to preserve property when these tinder-dry areas ignite.

Senate Inquiry sought

Senators Liddle and Price have identified an enormous problem and made it more relevant in the light of Geoff Clarke, NAAJA, and the Anindiliakwa Land Council findings, outcomes, and concerns. Accountability by all people and organisations invested with liberal funds needs to apply.

Iconic venue restricts trade

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Closures and trade restrictions enacted by iconic venues are, sadly, a part and parcel of the present in which we live. We can ill afford to have organisations restricted by trading stringencies and environmental challenges – including wanton damage and vandalism.

New CLP cabinet

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All in all, this is a carefully crafted and well-rounded cabinet. There is no criticism from this old man, but the proof will be in the effectiveness demonstrated by the raft of ministers dealing with their new responsibilities.

Karen Weston replaced by Susan Bowden as Education CEO

I don’t imagine that Ms Weston will be the only CEO to be replaced. But I hope that changes do not impact negatively on  Education or any other Department providing services to the NT community. Notwithstanding, I think we may well be in for some further changes.

The new government

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My heart is singing with joy at the prospect of what our new government and departmental leaders will be able to do to progress the Northern Territory, uplifting outcomes and assuring our prospects and development into the future. 

Mr Cercarelli heads key department

Appointing Mr Cercarelli to this position is a smart move on the part of our new government.  I hope there will be significant resurrection and progress within his and all other departments. Labour tried, but in so many ways, it was time for a change – and NT voters have spoken.

VAD futures

As an aging septuagenarian, fortunately still in one piece but very much scared of a future that may lead to physical incapacity or cognitive impairment, I most certainly hope that the need for VAD legislation is not headed for the nether regions of prioritisation.  I would hate to live as a mindless vegetable or physical wreck.

Labor opposition and shadow ministries

The four will have to work very hard indeed and there will be little time for rest. They may hope the CLP government did what happened when last elected in 2012 – but I don’t think there will be a repeat of that unseemingly implosion.

Watch house woes

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The issue of managing those alleged to have offended, where they are housed pending process and how things are progressed, continues to be a headache to both police and corrections.  This is but one aspect of the issue of law management confronting our new government.

The new CLP Government and its commitments

The new CLP Government has many promises and undertakings to deliver. Still, with a fine and committed team of ministers and equally capable backbenchers, I am sure they will work to ensure that commitments are met. I will print and keep the list of undertakings on my desk. As things are undertaken and commitments fulfilled, I will tick them off. Maybe others will do the same.

Anzac Oval is saved

Sense and sensibility are prevailing. The Anzac Oval, a historically significant and ongoing essential recreational area, must be preserved. The Arts Centre should have always been accorded a different location for its construction, and well done to the CLP on reversing what was a contentious decision.

Parap Bakery  finger buns

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Well done to the Parap Bakery staff. I wish I could share some of the delightful products my daughter and son-in-law (Estelle and John Carter) produce at the Peninsular Bakery and Cafe in Nhulunbuy. So many people visiting the region and patronising the business are blown away by the quality of product produced.

Sealink deserves accolades

Fair shake of the sauce bottle, I say. Sealink has done its absolute best to restore regular services for Cox Peninsula residents as quickly as possible. The company deserves bouquets, not brickbats, for all its managers are trying to do to minimise disruption.

Musical entertainment goes remote

I am delighted that this outstanding music festival is being shared with those living in the remotest areas of our country.  So often, those supporting our country from the vastness of isolation miss out on sharing the good things of life – not this time, and that is excellent news.

Cattle truck and Ghan mishap

How glad I am that this accident, which could have been so much more disastrous, did not result in the death or serious injury of the train passengers, the truck driver and livestock. Rather than rushing to judge on fault finding, we should wait until the factors leading to this accident are examined.

Theft of caravan

For anyone to commit such a heinous crime is an act of pure bastardy. I hope the caravan is recovered and that the damage is repairable. Were I the magistrate handling this case – if the thieves are caught – part of my sentence would be the garnishing of their income to pay for the damage wrought by their wanton actions.

Lowering the criminal age of responsibility

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The CLP resoundingly won government in the NT because the vast majority of voters were fed up with the criminal behaviour and antisocial caprices of a growing number of people, including younger and younger offenders.  I hope the CLP will discount the concerns of those organisations and their members – who too often are not connected with the daily crime confronting NT citizens.

September rain out of leftfield

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I have been in Darwin since 1987 and cannot recall September rain like this! But it is refreshing and certainly most welcome. We do have to exercisee extreme caution as motorists – and that should be each and every day.

Art Gallery for Alice Springs?

The traditions, culture and artwork of Aboriginal Territorians are well and truly represented by the plethora of museums, galleries, cultural centres and key events – Barunga, the Tiwis, and Garma, to name three – already in place. This begs the question of why we need yet another gallery.

Zone Rebates

May the residents of the NT and Northern. Australia come – and in the not-too-distant future to be supported by an upgrade in the Zone Rebate allowances. 

Key Alice Springs event in swansong time

 God bless the people calling Alice Springs ‘home’. It isn’t very good to think of key events occupying prime space on events calendars, having to be discontinued in future years. Alice Springs was once a peaceful, idyllic place, but things have changed.

Removing roadside memorial

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For the City of Darwin Council to respond to ONE expression. of complaint in the way it will act is beyond common sense and reasonableness. It also opens the door to copycat opportunities. If other residents complain about other memorials, just for the sake of getting a response, then the Council might have to remove many of these tributes of remembrance.

Palmerston Indoor Cricket Centre closes

For a long time, sporting organisations have looked to government grants and financial support to sustain budgets. There used to be a time when sports associations and clubs self-sustained through fundraising and enterprise. Those days, it seems, are largely gone, with taxpayers having to bear the cost of keeping sports viable. Sometimes, for some groups, that sponsorship comes to an end.

25 years since Timor Leste

I remember the 5/7 RAR leaving from Darwin to go to Timor Leste. It was a dangerous and harrowing time for our forces and one of worry and concern for families left behind. The day the troops left was also the day the old Darwin Hotel was demolished. The forces went on a Saturday, the hotel was partly dismantled that night, and Ian MacNamarra hosted Australia All Over from the Stokes Hill Wharf on Sunday. Those two days are days I will never forget.

NT economic uplift

Goodness! With the change of government, enthusiasm has not taken long to deepen and widen on the NT economic front. It seems that the blessings of government will bring us a return to economic prosperity.

The new government will be open and honest

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I am sure that Chief Minister Finnochario and her ministers will, as they settle into their new roles of territory leadership, reveal themselves as being open, honest, and transparent in their dealings with the NT Community. They, of course, cannot breach ‘commercial in confidence’ limitations, and we cannot ask them to breach negotiating trust.

The government will consolidate our future

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The more I learn about the way the Finocchario government is setting up, the more confident I feel that the way forward for us will be one of carefully considered policies that will lead to a future laced with positive outcomes.

Barossa nearing completion

I am delighted that the Barossa Project is near completion. Santos has earned my huge admiration for perseverance in the face of multiple challenges, many of them based on very flimsy points of contestation. NT will never become self-sustainable sense, and sensibility developmental projects are continually delayed and thwarted by self-centred objections.

Caravan recovery – along with Alladin’s hoard

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Such flagrant and mind-numbing threats, as revealed by the Trident Task Force discovery and recovery program, are sadly part and parcel of life forced on us by the criminal underside of life in the NT. One can hope those responsible receive commensurate sentences matching their crimes – but I am not holding my breath.

Groote Eylandt mining

I hope GEMCO and South 32 can restore the manganese mining operation as soon as possible, hopefully without the intervention of the weather gods during the upcoming wet season. What happened last wet resulted in pure devastation, and the company is to be commended on persevering with restoration.

Government home building initiative

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There is only one difficulty that might mitigate against this otherwise excellent scheme. If developers know that particular homes are being constructed under the auspices of this program and hike home building prices, the initiative will likely lose some of its gloss.  Profiteering must not be allowed to detract from this initiative.

Alex Bruce new Chief of Staff

The news of Mr Bruce’s appointment as the Chief of Staff to our Chief Minister fills me with optimism. Mr Bruce has few peers regarding effectiveness and efficiency in his various roles over time.

Darwin a defence hotspot

Given the ever-growing warning of the threat being mounted by evermore countries toward others, we will need every vestige of protection against a threat that can be mustered. Darwin’s position as a significant defence base makes us particularly vulnerable to threats from abroad.

The new $20 million Jabiru Medical Precinct

This outstanding facility, if staffed, will significantly benefit those living in the area and may also reassure tourists concerned about the possibility of medical care when visiting the remote fastnesses of this area. However, I wonder if it is over the top in terms of what is provided. I also imagine staffing this centre – other than by fly-in/fly-out staff – might be impossible.

Relaxing alcohol sales restrictions for Alice Springs visit

It should be the same rules and regulations – including restrictions – for all. Making exceptions for one outlet is the start of something likely to multiply, for a precedent on sales hours for this business has now been set. Watch and wait as other outlets seek the same concessions.

History is important

How blessed is the NT to have people like Jane Munday, Derek Pugh, Peter and Shiela Forrest and others who research and, through their writings,  preserve our history?  History is important and too often overlooked – or slanted toward one particular aspect called ‘colonisation’ or ‘invasion’. History is a broad canvas and needs to be recorded in terms of its breadth and depth, for a narrow focus leads to biased interpretations.

Thank you Luke and Kon

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We are blessed to have a far-sighted Member for Solomon in Luke Gosling OAM and a visionary, focused and ‘on the ball’ Lord Mayor in Kon Vatskalis. We are so lucky to receive their balanced yet visionary outlook and perspectives.

Support services in schools

There was a time I remember well when schools were supported by school-based dental therapists, school nurses and school-based police. Those programs have either been substantially reduced or removed. Students now compared with students then are less well supported than used to be the case.

‘Unable’ public servants and compulsory retirement

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I think this is an understandable judgement. However, there needs to be an ability for people in other arms of the public service – including teaching – to be opted out and into retirement, without this option first requiring a long-winded and tedious panel management process.

Bush rents – then and now

When we worked in NT remote communities in the 1970’s and 1980s, rent for homes was paid by employees. Departments did not pay the rent bill. For the most part, homes were poorly maintained and necessary repairs took a long time coming.

Just one difference between then and now.

Odd bits

It is wonderful that our Prime Minister and his betrothed are prepared to put their nuptials on hold until after the next election. How many others, I wonder, would delay such a momentous personal occasion for the sake of others? This attests to the dedication of our PM and his wife-to-be for the good of our nation.

I do not feel reassured about the security vetting of those being rushed into Australia willy-nilly at the behest of our Federal Government. Too many hasty decisions in all sorts of areas are being made by ministers in the Albanese Government because they want to soft soap and persuade voters in their electorates, lest they be turfed at the next election. This is a prime example of putting yourself ahead of our population’s wants and needs – both economically and in security terms – at large. I hope this government has only one term of tenure. 

I looked and listened to the interviews of the Democratic hopefuls on TV.  It seemed to be a staged production focussed on ‘non-commitment’ as an outcome to be gleaned by viewers.  Given the calibre of key candidates on both sides of the political equation, I shudder at the likely future confronting America. God help us all, for we are at a significant political crossroads.

I despise and hate the motivations of all terrorists.  What happened in Israel on October 7 was and is reprehensible. However, I also question the motivations of Israel’s PM Netanyahu, whose actions as a leader seem to paint him as someone hell-bent on deflecting those legal problems he confronts in Israel because of his leadership strategies.  He is singularly minded to the point of discounting what millions of Israelis are feeling and wanting. Is the West wise to follow him with what seems like one hundred per cent compliance with his whims?

I am 78 years  of age and sh.t scared of becoming a victim of the Australian-aged care system. I think of aged care as being a shark tank into which people who are old and frail can be tossed.
Non-compliance with standards is far too common. There seems to be a falsification tendency that exists within the system.
Aged care costs plenty but care in far too many places seems to be minimal.
Too many people going into nursing homes become shrouded in blankets of sadness that smother them and their families.

My advice to those with mortgage concerns. Prioritise payments and get ahead of the debt curve. Eliminate expenditure on alcohol, cigarettes, and gambling and cut back hugely on entertainment and attendance at sporting venues – how many of the 92,088 at the MCG to watch Geelong and Brisbane were people in dire mortgage straits – fast food delivered by Uber and so on.