Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
With Christmas just around the corner, many of us are
getting cracking on our Christmas shopping and the owner of
Darwin's largest shopping center, Casarina Square, and also the CEO
of Sentinel Property Group, Warren Ebbitt.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Joins me in the studio. Good morning to you, Warren.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Good morning Katie. Another beautiful day in Darwin.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
It is nice.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
We've had a bit of overcast weather, which is always nice,
cool things down slightly.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Every day's beautiful day and we don't care what it.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Is now, Warren.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Look, there has been I know there's been massive efforts
by a Sentinel Property Group at Casuarina in an effort
to really try to keep people safe when they head
out there and to try to minimize some of the
anti social behavior and crime that you've had to deal with.
How are things going out there from your perspective at
the moment.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Every day's a new day, Katie. You know we spend
over two and a half million on security. According to
the Property Council, the average spend on major shopping centers
in Queensland is seven dollars per square meter. We spend
forty two, so we spend six times a mount on security.
(01:04):
In Darwin as they do in Queensland, so a terrific number.
Now our crime everywhere is getting worse, and we know
in Queensland particularly towns, well it's terrible, but it is
worse here and people I talk to our center manager
and banks, it's the worse they've seen it.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
What do they attribute that to? What are they saying
to you?
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Well, you get a lot of repeat offenders and they
don't spend enough time in jail. And I know they
might say that jail doesn't change people, but when they're
locked in chart and they're not doing crime, so that's
one positive thing. I think it does come back to education.
A lot of the children just don't know any better.
You know, their parents aren't doing you know, I'm getting
(01:52):
older now, I know we got into a kickup the
bum or something and you can't chastise children. You've just
got to let them burn the house down and give
them another box of matches. Well, they're just out of control.
So it's a complete reset and it's not something at
Casina Square we can change. Hopefully the governments will do
something soon, but it's a we do the best. We
(02:13):
put on another We have a canine patrols. We've put
on another another two dogs have we're now starting to
try and step that up and it's yeah, it's not enjoyable,
but every man, woman, child in Darwin goes to catherinea
square five point one times a month and most of
the time it's good, but it's yeah, it's a challenge
(02:34):
for us.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
So in terms of those dog patrols, by the sounds
of it, you're increasing those.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Is that ahead of Christmas? Ahead of the Christmas?
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Certainly we've had one started yesterday, a very friendly day berman.
His teeth do look extra sharp and we have a
German shepherd and he's come up from Sydney for the
Christmas holidays. Apparently the people who have trained him have
sat over twenty up to Darwin in the last twelve months.
For Wow, different different things, so.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Different for different locations.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Yes, yes, goodness may I mean that just shows you
that there are a lot of businesses, a lot of
different areas around the Northern Territory that are grappling with
this issue of crime. Warren weapons still an issue around
the complex, or have police wanting and those other security
patrols and that kind of thing seen a reduction.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
I can't say for sure, Katie, but I haven't heard
any incidents in the last week. I'm not saying there
isn't any. I take it all all the reports, you know,
because there's dozens every day just of alcoholism and those
types of things. And we're working on the alcohol side
with a new design for bottle shops where you can't
contact you can't contact any staff, you won't be able
(03:44):
to obtain any any anything at all without having your
identification verified, and a number of number of other issues
just to try and cut down crime completely bottle shop
so that there's a lot of areas that we're working on,
and that where we're with the anti government. We've had
a couple of meetings with the with the Chief Medicine.
(04:05):
She's been very supportive of that. And while we're targeting
getting that in Casina Square first, hopefully it's something that
we could roll out across the whole.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Of the NT SO new designs for bottle shops.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
I mean, how quickly are you expecting that to happen
at Casarina Square.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
I think it probably won't be for twelve months because
this is a completely completely new new concept, so we
have to test it a bit and just make sure
it gets right now. We don't want a retrograde step
where you've got everything behind steel mesh. That's not what
we're after. Where I actually got the idea from America
because there's a very large pharmacy chain called Walgreens, and
(04:43):
they're doing this in a in Chicago.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
And so how does it kind of look. You've got
to you know, you still go in to purchase.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
You should just go up.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
You have a few massive, massive prison prisons that are
all bat licked, so there's a bit of theater with it.
You scan your ID to make sure I'm not sure
that the acronym what is to make sure you're the
B yeah, yeah, to make sure you're not banned from
perching alcohol, make sure the right aides. There'll have to
be some face scanning to make sure that that is
(05:14):
your is your license. That's before you can select, and
then you can look at all the hundreds of different
types and then you can select which one you want
and you'll go down the back and it'll be packaged
up for you and pay with the credit cards. So
you can't steal it. You can't. You can't get to
any staff. There will still be staff there, so if
(05:34):
you want to ask about a particular wine or something,
we're not trying to not have staff there. Yeah, we
want it so that it doesn't matter what happens. The
staff can never be attacked, because you know it's not
only a lot of places think about the theft of
their goods, but you know, we want to make sure
that staff can't get attacked. And if people if you
can't get the troublemakers there, they'll move on somewhere.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
And so Warren, would that be with the existing bottle
shops that are already there, or would there be additional
body shops up bottle shops to set up this way.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
I don't think we're in a position to force existing
bottle shops to spend a lot of money, And it'll
be part of any new leases that come up. We
will we will enforce that. Now while it certainly will
cost more money, you'll you will be able to cut
back on security staff. So you know, one of the
options that some people want it was just to get
(06:22):
rid of the bottle shops all together, which I know
when we come up, we'll do our shopping at Coal's
and then we go to liquorand and you know, ninety
ninety well everywhere else it's ninety nine percent, or honest
I think here it's ninety five percent or whatever it is.
But you know, why should most people have to go
make another trip? You know, I don't think we should
punish the average shopper. So the alternative is to make
(06:44):
it one hundred percent, you know, not just fifty percent safe,
but one hundred percent safe. So you know, if you
intend on causing trouble at a bottle shop or stealing,
then it'll be no good coming to casarin A Square.
You'll have to go.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Somewhere else, which I think is fair enough.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
You know, you've got to take measures to try to
keep everybody safe.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
I do want to ask you.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
We know that there has been well I've noticed myself
when I've been out there at Casuarina.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
There's a couple of.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Different things that some of the stores out there are
doing to try to reduce that anti social behavior. I
know that one that's got two entrances, it's just got
one entrance open. Now I've noticed that that Mimco is
no longer operating in one of those you know, one
of the major sort of corridors where there's various shops.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Is that something like?
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Is that something that you know that you guys as
the owners are concerned about that. You have got a
situation where where some of those retail outlets maybe aren't
real comfortable with some of the behavior that's going on one.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Hundred percent, Katie. You know the situation with Mimco, because
they are in a kiosk what you call a pop
up yep, and you only had one person. Someone would
talk to the to the to the worker, keep them talking,
and then people would steal something behind. Now we tried
to get them to go into a shop where you
didn't have that situations, but they just had enough and
(07:57):
want to get out of there. So certainly it is
a major concern. Now I can't talk about it today,
but there is a particular tenant we have in the
center that is a bit of a drawer card for
a lot of trouble makers. Now we have issued with
them of a notice of non renewal next year and
they are a very major national tenant, so they will
no longer be in that position next year. So you
(08:21):
get people come in there and start queuing up of
the morning and then they start causing trouble then that
flows on to other tenants. So we're taking serious measures
and we'll do whatever we can to improve it. And
I know speaking to some of the shopkeepers. We had
one particular new tenant there a couple of months ago
and they had problem with issues out the front, so
(08:42):
we shifted the seeding from there so we didn't have
the loitering. So we'll do whatever we can to help
each individual tenant and help the overall center.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Or on what's happening with the quarter.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
We have big plans to that, Katie. I'm glad you asked.
We are looking at at enclosing an air condition the
entire quarter.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Right.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
We are making good headway with putting in a micro brewery. Now,
I know there'll be people who don't like drinking up here.
I'm yet to need a person up here in Darwin
who doesn't like drinking, but I'm sure there's one here side.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Well, look, we always do it responsibly, Warren.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
So you know they are from Western Australia and they
have a four or five micro breweries there and they're
about family food and beverage. They're not they're not nightclubby.
It's we've visited the operations in Perth and it's very,
very impressive. So we hope to finalize an agreement with
(09:38):
them by Christmas and that will be on the Trail
Road frontage, so there'll be some big changes there, and
as I say, we'll e condition the whole quarter. The
previous owners spent tens of millions on doing the quarter
and it would be fine if it was eighteen degrees
twenty degrees most days. Unfortunately it's not, so I don't
think it hasn't ever really worked. So we're going to
(09:58):
spend some money on there completely change it, and that's
probably going to take I would think twelve to eighteen months.
We've got plans here to make major changes there. Kadia Warren.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Before I let you go, I do want to ask
you a little bit more about some of Sentinel's plans
when it comes to housing in the Northern Territory. I
know that you and I have spoken about this before.
What plans are underway and what exactly is happening from
your perspective.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Katie Well, I want to make it clear that we're
not home builders. We don't do that and we'd rather not.
That's not our business. But you know we have Centinel's
got over six hundred million invested in the Northern Territory
primary Darwin, so we're a major investor here and one
of the attractions to us was we've got one point
five billion invested Mackai North, so we're very long. We're
(10:45):
the largest investor in Northern Australia, a private investor. So
the plans of the Northern Territory government to get the
economy from twenty six billion in twenty twenty to forty
billion in two thousand and thirty and to get and
to add thirty five five thousand new jobs between twenty
twenty two I think it was and twenty and thirty.
(11:05):
Now every new job creates has a multiply three to
five our partner children, whatever it is. So thirty five
thousand jobs is one hundred and thirty one hundred and
fifty thousand people. Now you need fifty sixty thousand new
homes for that, which means every working day for the
next seven years you must build forty homes. I think
most people would say that's not happening.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Yeah, that's not going to happen.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
And no chance in the world and across Australia when
we have unemployment of three point seven percent. I think
pretty much every person who wants a job has got
a job. So we have to do something. And I've
spoken to other builders here. They're all busy doing the
normal methods, so there's no reason for them to change.
But something has to give. So we've got a business
(11:48):
overseas doing modular homes and the federal government has got
billions of dollars to put into housing. Now, if they
were to decide to give you a few hundred million
for you to build some more homes, you would have
to take my staff, other people's staff. So you could
pay people more to work for you because of what
(12:08):
you've got off the government. You could pay more for materials.
But between all of us, there's no more capacity. We
haven't created any more homes. You might have delivered what
the government want, but we have delivered less. So we
have to do something.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
And so you want to go down the modular homes path.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
I have to know, Katie, I don't want to, but
I don't think there's any other choice. Yeah, right, you
know these homes where now?
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Yeah, I mean how many could you build? Well, how
many could you get moving in the northern territory over
a short period.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
How many do you want?
Speaker 2 (12:35):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
We can do a few hundred years, absolutely, no problem
watching I guess the.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Problem always is, or one of the things that has
been raised over the years, is that you need housing
that's purpose fit, particularly if it's going out to remote
communities for example. I mean, is that something that like
that you guys see as being an issue or would
you be able to do it purpose fit?
Speaker 3 (12:54):
These are built to eight on the Richter scale. Now,
the earthquake that demolished Morocco a couple of months go,
that was a six point seven. The earthquake that demolished
christ Church was a twenty sixteen some time ago, that
was six point seven. These are built to eight, so
they're almost indestructible. They're built out a structural steel, not
(13:18):
the thin steel framing that you might see in some places.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Here.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
As part of the strength testing, there's star pickets that
are hurled at these at five hundred kilomes an hour
to see how they stand up in the cyclone. I
wouldn't say they're indestructible. If you've got a big enough
bulldaers you could knock them over. But yeah, these are
you know they have twenty mili compressed five ro or
(13:43):
compressed cement. You can't break through that with sledgehammers.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
And so Warren, is this something that you're in talks
with the Northern Territory Government.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
About yep Katie with this, the Northern Territory Government have
been fantastic. Just before last Christmas, the Northern Terreft Government
has a very good relationship Vietnam. So as one of
the trips over there, Nicole Manison, they Chief Minister her
Sean Drabs and some very senior people from the Northern
Territory Government were able to visit the factory while they're
(14:12):
over there. Until you see, you cannot believe the quality
and the work conditions its own and managed by Australians,
are very good working conditions and the quality is far superior.
So we're not talking about building something. These aren't cheap,
but they are far superior quality to anything you'll find here.
They're insulated on six side, four walls, roof ceiling, double
(14:34):
glazed windows. And then also early this year January of February,
some senior people from Dipple were over in Vietnam and
they went to the factory as well, and they couldn't
believe the quality. They have a QR code, so you
can click on that and you'll see who made it,
when it was made, when materials were sourced, absolutely everything.
These are far superior to anything that we produce here.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
Well, Warren, we have unfortunately run out of time, but
I think it's a really interesting discussion to have you
know about those modular homes, so I no doubt that
it is going to be something that will continue to
talk about. As always, Warren Ebbittt, the CEO of Sentinel
Property Group and the owners of Casarina Square, we appreciate
you coming into the studio when you're in town.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Thank you, Thanks Courtie, look forward to seeing you again soon.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Thank you.
With Christmas just around the corner, many of us are
getting cracking on our Christmas shopping and the owner of
Darwin's largest shopping center, Casarina Square, and also the CEO
of Sentinel Property Group, Warren Ebbitt.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Joins me in the studio. Good morning to you, Warren.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Good morning Katie. Another beautiful day in Darwin.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
It is nice.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
We've had a bit of overcast weather, which is always nice,
cool things down slightly.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Every day's beautiful day and we don't care what it.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Is now, Warren.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Look, there has been I know there's been massive efforts
by a Sentinel Property Group at Casuarina in an effort
to really try to keep people safe when they head
out there and to try to minimize some of the
anti social behavior and crime that you've had to deal with.
How are things going out there from your perspective at
the moment.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Every day's a new day, Katie. You know we spend
over two and a half million on security. According to
the Property Council, the average spend on major shopping centers
in Queensland is seven dollars per square meter. We spend
forty two, so we spend six times a mount on security.
(01:04):
In Darwin as they do in Queensland, so a terrific number.
Now our crime everywhere is getting worse, and we know
in Queensland particularly towns, well it's terrible, but it is
worse here and people I talk to our center manager
and banks, it's the worse they've seen it.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
What do they attribute that to? What are they saying
to you?
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Well, you get a lot of repeat offenders and they
don't spend enough time in jail. And I know they
might say that jail doesn't change people, but when they're
locked in chart and they're not doing crime, so that's
one positive thing. I think it does come back to education.
A lot of the children just don't know any better.
You know, their parents aren't doing you know, I'm getting
(01:52):
older now, I know we got into a kickup the
bum or something and you can't chastise children. You've just
got to let them burn the house down and give
them another box of matches. Well, they're just out of control.
So it's a complete reset and it's not something at
Casina Square we can change. Hopefully the governments will do
something soon, but it's a we do the best. We
(02:13):
put on another We have a canine patrols. We've put
on another another two dogs have we're now starting to
try and step that up and it's yeah, it's not enjoyable,
but every man, woman, child in Darwin goes to catherinea
square five point one times a month and most of
the time it's good, but it's yeah, it's a challenge
(02:34):
for us.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
So in terms of those dog patrols, by the sounds
of it, you're increasing those.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Is that ahead of Christmas? Ahead of the Christmas?
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Certainly we've had one started yesterday, a very friendly day berman.
His teeth do look extra sharp and we have a
German shepherd and he's come up from Sydney for the
Christmas holidays. Apparently the people who have trained him have
sat over twenty up to Darwin in the last twelve months.
For Wow, different different things, so.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Different for different locations.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Yes, yes, goodness may I mean that just shows you
that there are a lot of businesses, a lot of
different areas around the Northern Territory that are grappling with
this issue of crime. Warren weapons still an issue around
the complex, or have police wanting and those other security
patrols and that kind of thing seen a reduction.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
I can't say for sure, Katie, but I haven't heard
any incidents in the last week. I'm not saying there
isn't any. I take it all all the reports, you know,
because there's dozens every day just of alcoholism and those
types of things. And we're working on the alcohol side
with a new design for bottle shops where you can't
contact you can't contact any staff, you won't be able
(03:44):
to obtain any any anything at all without having your
identification verified, and a number of number of other issues
just to try and cut down crime completely bottle shop
so that there's a lot of areas that we're working on,
and that where we're with the anti government. We've had
a couple of meetings with the with the Chief Medicine.
(04:05):
She's been very supportive of that. And while we're targeting
getting that in Casina Square first, hopefully it's something that
we could roll out across the whole.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Of the NT SO new designs for bottle shops.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
I mean, how quickly are you expecting that to happen
at Casarina Square.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
I think it probably won't be for twelve months because
this is a completely completely new new concept, so we
have to test it a bit and just make sure
it gets right now. We don't want a retrograde step
where you've got everything behind steel mesh. That's not what
we're after. Where I actually got the idea from America
because there's a very large pharmacy chain called Walgreens, and
(04:43):
they're doing this in a in Chicago.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
And so how does it kind of look. You've got
to you know, you still go in to purchase.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
You should just go up.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
You have a few massive, massive prison prisons that are
all bat licked, so there's a bit of theater with it.
You scan your ID to make sure I'm not sure
that the acronym what is to make sure you're the
B yeah, yeah, to make sure you're not banned from
perching alcohol, make sure the right aides. There'll have to
be some face scanning to make sure that that is
(05:14):
your is your license. That's before you can select, and
then you can look at all the hundreds of different
types and then you can select which one you want
and you'll go down the back and it'll be packaged
up for you and pay with the credit cards. So
you can't steal it. You can't. You can't get to
any staff. There will still be staff there, so if
(05:34):
you want to ask about a particular wine or something,
we're not trying to not have staff there. Yeah, we
want it so that it doesn't matter what happens. The
staff can never be attacked, because you know it's not
only a lot of places think about the theft of
their goods, but you know, we want to make sure
that staff can't get attacked. And if people if you
can't get the troublemakers there, they'll move on somewhere.
Speaker 1 (05:54):
And so Warren, would that be with the existing bottle
shops that are already there, or would there be additional
body shops up bottle shops to set up this way.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
I don't think we're in a position to force existing
bottle shops to spend a lot of money, And it'll
be part of any new leases that come up. We
will we will enforce that. Now while it certainly will
cost more money, you'll you will be able to cut
back on security staff. So you know, one of the
options that some people want it was just to get
(06:22):
rid of the bottle shops all together, which I know
when we come up, we'll do our shopping at Coal's
and then we go to liquorand and you know, ninety
ninety well everywhere else it's ninety nine percent, or honest
I think here it's ninety five percent or whatever it is.
But you know, why should most people have to go
make another trip? You know, I don't think we should
punish the average shopper. So the alternative is to make
(06:44):
it one hundred percent, you know, not just fifty percent safe,
but one hundred percent safe. So you know, if you
intend on causing trouble at a bottle shop or stealing,
then it'll be no good coming to casarin A Square.
You'll have to go.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Somewhere else, which I think is fair enough.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
You know, you've got to take measures to try to
keep everybody safe.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
I do want to ask you.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
We know that there has been well I've noticed myself
when I've been out there at Casuarina.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
There's a couple of.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
Different things that some of the stores out there are
doing to try to reduce that anti social behavior. I
know that one that's got two entrances, it's just got
one entrance open. Now I've noticed that that Mimco is
no longer operating in one of those you know, one
of the major sort of corridors where there's various shops.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Is that something like?
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Is that something that you know that you guys as
the owners are concerned about that. You have got a
situation where where some of those retail outlets maybe aren't
real comfortable with some of the behavior that's going on one.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Hundred percent, Katie. You know the situation with Mimco, because
they are in a kiosk what you call a pop
up yep, and you only had one person. Someone would
talk to the to the to the worker, keep them talking,
and then people would steal something behind. Now we tried
to get them to go into a shop where you
didn't have that situations, but they just had enough and
(07:57):
want to get out of there. So certainly it is
a major concern. Now I can't talk about it today,
but there is a particular tenant we have in the
center that is a bit of a drawer card for
a lot of trouble makers. Now we have issued with
them of a notice of non renewal next year and
they are a very major national tenant, so they will
no longer be in that position next year. So you
(08:21):
get people come in there and start queuing up of
the morning and then they start causing trouble then that
flows on to other tenants. So we're taking serious measures
and we'll do whatever we can to improve it. And
I know speaking to some of the shopkeepers. We had
one particular new tenant there a couple of months ago
and they had problem with issues out the front, so
(08:42):
we shifted the seeding from there so we didn't have
the loitering. So we'll do whatever we can to help
each individual tenant and help the overall center.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
Or on what's happening with the quarter.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
We have big plans to that, Katie. I'm glad you asked.
We are looking at at enclosing an air condition the
entire quarter.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
Right.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
We are making good headway with putting in a micro brewery. Now,
I know there'll be people who don't like drinking up here.
I'm yet to need a person up here in Darwin
who doesn't like drinking, but I'm sure there's one here side.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Well, look, we always do it responsibly, Warren.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
So you know they are from Western Australia and they
have a four or five micro breweries there and they're
about family food and beverage. They're not they're not nightclubby.
It's we've visited the operations in Perth and it's very,
very impressive. So we hope to finalize an agreement with
(09:38):
them by Christmas and that will be on the Trail
Road frontage, so there'll be some big changes there, and
as I say, we'll e condition the whole quarter. The
previous owners spent tens of millions on doing the quarter
and it would be fine if it was eighteen degrees
twenty degrees most days. Unfortunately it's not, so I don't
think it hasn't ever really worked. So we're going to
(09:58):
spend some money on there completely change it, and that's
probably going to take I would think twelve to eighteen months.
We've got plans here to make major changes there. Kadia Warren.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Before I let you go, I do want to ask
you a little bit more about some of Sentinel's plans
when it comes to housing in the Northern Territory. I
know that you and I have spoken about this before.
What plans are underway and what exactly is happening from
your perspective.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Katie Well, I want to make it clear that we're
not home builders. We don't do that and we'd rather not.
That's not our business. But you know we have Centinel's
got over six hundred million invested in the Northern Territory
primary Darwin, so we're a major investor here and one
of the attractions to us was we've got one point
five billion invested Mackai North, so we're very long. We're
(10:45):
the largest investor in Northern Australia, a private investor. So
the plans of the Northern Territory government to get the
economy from twenty six billion in twenty twenty to forty
billion in two thousand and thirty and to get and
to add thirty five five thousand new jobs between twenty
twenty two I think it was and twenty and thirty.
(11:05):
Now every new job creates has a multiply three to
five our partner children, whatever it is. So thirty five
thousand jobs is one hundred and thirty one hundred and
fifty thousand people. Now you need fifty sixty thousand new
homes for that, which means every working day for the
next seven years you must build forty homes. I think
most people would say that's not happening.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Yeah, that's not going to happen.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
And no chance in the world and across Australia when
we have unemployment of three point seven percent. I think
pretty much every person who wants a job has got
a job. So we have to do something. And I've
spoken to other builders here. They're all busy doing the
normal methods, so there's no reason for them to change.
But something has to give. So we've got a business
(11:48):
overseas doing modular homes and the federal government has got
billions of dollars to put into housing. Now, if they
were to decide to give you a few hundred million
for you to build some more homes, you would have
to take my staff, other people's staff. So you could
pay people more to work for you because of what
(12:08):
you've got off the government. You could pay more for materials.
But between all of us, there's no more capacity. We
haven't created any more homes. You might have delivered what
the government want, but we have delivered less. So we
have to do something.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
And so you want to go down the modular homes path.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
I have to know, Katie, I don't want to, but
I don't think there's any other choice. Yeah, right, you
know these homes where now?
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Yeah, I mean how many could you build? Well, how
many could you get moving in the northern territory over
a short period.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
How many do you want?
Speaker 2 (12:35):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
We can do a few hundred years, absolutely, no problem
watching I guess the.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Problem always is, or one of the things that has
been raised over the years, is that you need housing
that's purpose fit, particularly if it's going out to remote
communities for example. I mean, is that something that like
that you guys see as being an issue or would
you be able to do it purpose fit?
Speaker 3 (12:54):
These are built to eight on the Richter scale. Now,
the earthquake that demolished Morocco a couple of months go,
that was a six point seven. The earthquake that demolished
christ Church was a twenty sixteen some time ago, that
was six point seven. These are built to eight, so
they're almost indestructible. They're built out a structural steel, not
(13:18):
the thin steel framing that you might see in some places.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Here.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
As part of the strength testing, there's star pickets that
are hurled at these at five hundred kilomes an hour
to see how they stand up in the cyclone. I
wouldn't say they're indestructible. If you've got a big enough
bulldaers you could knock them over. But yeah, these are
you know they have twenty mili compressed five ro or
(13:43):
compressed cement. You can't break through that with sledgehammers.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
And so Warren, is this something that you're in talks
with the Northern Territory Government.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
About yep Katie with this, the Northern Territory Government have
been fantastic. Just before last Christmas, the Northern Terreft Government
has a very good relationship Vietnam. So as one of
the trips over there, Nicole Manison, they Chief Minister her
Sean Drabs and some very senior people from the Northern
Territory Government were able to visit the factory while they're
(14:12):
over there. Until you see, you cannot believe the quality
and the work conditions its own and managed by Australians,
are very good working conditions and the quality is far superior.
So we're not talking about building something. These aren't cheap,
but they are far superior quality to anything you'll find here.
They're insulated on six side, four walls, roof ceiling, double
(14:34):
glazed windows. And then also early this year January of February,
some senior people from Dipple were over in Vietnam and
they went to the factory as well, and they couldn't
believe the quality. They have a QR code, so you
can click on that and you'll see who made it,
when it was made, when materials were sourced, absolutely everything.
These are far superior to anything that we produce here.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
Well, Warren, we have unfortunately run out of time, but
I think it's a really interesting discussion to have you
know about those modular homes, so I no doubt that
it is going to be something that will continue to
talk about. As always, Warren Ebbittt, the CEO of Sentinel
Property Group and the owners of Casarina Square, we appreciate
you coming into the studio when you're in town.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Thank you, Thanks Courtie, look forward to seeing you again soon.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
Thank you.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.