November 26, 2025 • 15 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Pleased to say that.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Joining me in the studio, City of Darwin CEO Simone Saunders.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Good morning to you, Simone, morning Katie.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Been a very busy few days for you guys post cyclone.
Feena talk us through where things are at with the facilities.
What's now opened.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Look, our buildings and facilities are slowly coming back online
and we've had the parrap Pool is open. Casuarina Pool
also opens yesterday and I'm pleased to say that Nightcliff
Pool will open.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Today, So it's going to open today, will be back open.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Our community centers are open, our libraries are open, our
general facilities are also open. What we're still working through
is the next priority at the moment is our sporting ovals.
Kids and adults want to get back to sport and
we've still got work to do to get those ovals
safe and up and up to speed. And also one
of our community center, unfortunately Lions, had a massive tree
(00:53):
fall on the roof, so that won't be open. It
is going to be structural damage and tree removal. So
we really ask anybody that books that facility just be patient.
We'll offer other facilities as we can, but that's still closed.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
In terms of some of those big, massive trees, Like
I know we've had a lot of discussion like, oh,
it's business as usual, let's get back into things. But
the fact is it's kind of hard to get back
to business as usual for a lot of it. So
I know there's still people without power. I've still got
a tree, you know, a massive tree in my yard.
I know there's like you've just touched on, there's council
facilities with trees still.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
On top of them.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
But there's also some massive trees on roadstea.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
And I think this narrative potentially that on Monday we
were back to business as usual because people that could
go back into offices were in that space. But it's
definitely not from a broader perspective. And where I say
that is that it's not business as usual for finance
officers that are sitting in emergency operations centers both within
the Northern Churchard government or City of Darwin invoices still
(01:52):
coming in their normal job and they've still got to
do that. For kids that haven't been able to access
their sporting ovals, for kids that haven't been able to swim,
it's not business as usual and it's not definitely not
business as usual for our concrete team that aren't doing
foot paths at the moment, they're clearing debrian roads.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
And helping to remove green waste and trees.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
So I think from a community perspective, this cleanup will
take the City of Darwin will take months and we
really ask for that patience. We'll work through prioritized systems,
but it is it was a Cat three cyclone, the
biggest one that we've had since Tracy and whilst the
tree damage is definitely not cyclone Marcus. City of Darwin's
(02:30):
just got some stats and numbers now we've been working
with the CSRO to ascertain what we've got. We've got
one hundred and seventy thousand tons of green waste to
clear and.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Just is that just council greenways, That is.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Just council green waste.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
We have seven hundred and thirty foot paths and walkways
to clear, four hundred and seventy five kilometers of roads,
and our green spaces and parks two hundred and twenty
one parks, let alone all the other green space that
we have. The cleanup is huge and I think when
you drive down the street at the moment main roads.
It's good, they're cleary, looking good. Go back a couple
(03:05):
of streets there is massive foliage still down.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
But there's also some huge tree still down, you know.
Like as I understand it, I think even over the
course of this weekend we may see some of our
roads like some closures. I don't know whether that is
the council or whether that's the department, but my understanding
is even some of those areas like ros Smith Avenue
where there's a massive tree that's come down. Then you
go along dick Word Drive there's further trees that are
(03:30):
still down.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
So no doubt there is.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Going to be a little bit more disruption overcoming days.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Yeah, there definitely will be so off the road work
in the NT approximately ninety percent of the roads. City
of Darwin where a small team. We are four hundred staff.
Every single contractor and resource in Darwin is out.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
At the moment.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
We had three trucks out yesterday with contractors. So I
start again eighteen trucks, over three contractors and nearly fifty
staff just working through starting to get some of the
verge clearing and getting it out to the Hidden Valley's site.
But it will take time. And just to give people
a bit of a I guess an indication. If you
fill up your normal standard trailer that you have at home,
(04:12):
you would need to fill that up approximately three times
to get one ton.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
We have one hundred and seventy thousand tons of.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Green waste to move, and that's why that Hidden Valley
facility is so important, and we thank the NTG for
standing it up in accordance with their emergency waste management plan.
But we need that facility to process and to get
this green waste.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
The crety of Darwin's corped a bit of stick over
recent days about the and some of it from me,
you know, in recent days about the Shoal Bay waste
facility closing for green waste. You'd said to me though
on Monday, that that was something that you'd announced on
Friday that it was going to be closed over the
course of the weekend. Now, I guess, first off, where
are things at with Shoal Bay.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Yeah, So the closure of schol Bay to the public
is part of at a CAT through our emergency response plan.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
It's a large site.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
So the assessments happened on Sunday and we found that
there was road collapse and also other systems, so it
wasn't open for the general public and we had to
work through that. It was open though for curbside collection
emergency waste to start coming through where we are at
the moment with that facility. Though, it did open to
the public again yesterday morning at seven am for household waste,
(05:23):
so the public can come in. So if you've got petriciples,
you had rotting food in your fridge, get all that clear.
What it's not open for is green waste. So green
waste all still needs to go to Hidden Valley, and
the reason for that is on site at shel Bay,
we can cope with two and a half thousand tons
of green waste per month. That's the footprint that we
(05:43):
have for green waste. It's not designed to cope with
a Cat three cyclone and we've got one hundred and
seventy thousand tons to process.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
So following on from Cyclo markets, this is obviously something
that had been sort of deemed necessary to do should
we have another cyclone, making sure that Hidden Valley opens
up so that there is enough space for people to
be able to take their green waste out there. So
totally understand that that's something though, so who stands that
up the council or the government.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
No, so that's the Northern Territory Government's responsibility. In their plan,
they've actually got twenty three emergency waste sites nominated because
if we had a CAT five, for instance, it won't
just be green waste we'll be talking about. So the
sites done, but they stand that up and they run
that site. So from a federal funding perspective, the funding
flows into different to other states and jurisdictions where council
(06:34):
might get that funding directly, it flows into the Northern
Terretary Government, and the Northern Territory Government can claim for
a whole lot of things that can't council come. There
is some funding that does fly to councils, but it's
very specific. For instance, what councils can do, we can
clear the streets, put it on the verge and then
take that verge rubbish away. That's something that we can claim,
(06:55):
but we claim back through the Northern Territory Government. And
to give you another example, people have talked about, Hey,
the skip bins.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
That were.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
That on Monday, there was one hundred and ten skip
bins putting it put out during cyclone Marcus for private
property as well. That was done by the Northern Territory
Government and that does it sits within the remit. Even
in the Local Government Act it says in an emergency,
the lead agency is the Northern Territory Government.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
So I mean, are we at the point now? Like
you and I had spoken about this on Monday, we'd
had a wonderful business get in contact with the sky
and Katie, we're happy to put our skip bins out.
Is that something that is being now looked into?
Speaker 1 (07:31):
But what is being looked into?
Speaker 3 (07:33):
And I've still got to get in touch with that person,
and I don't know who you are, so I'll do
that later today. But what Lord may mentioned the other day,
he's currently in conversations with the mayor of Palmerston and
she is working on directly with the federal government to
try to get some support programs for seniors in the territory,
so that seniors in the territory or vulnerable people or
(07:53):
people that need specific assistance, that's what that's what they're
working on.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
You've had a lot of people contactors that are seeing
is that are vulnerable, like I know, even up my
own street, you know, there's people that are more senior
that they've got trees or they've got greenway sets.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
On the verge.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
They don't have room in their yards to be able
to move it anywhere else at this point in time.
But they're you know, maybe not in a situation where
they can actually get that to Hidden Valley themselves. So
what's going to be the process here? I mean, are
we going to see the councils or the government sort
of step up and go, do you know what We've
got so much of our own green waste to clear?
I mean one hundred and seventy tons for you guys,
(08:29):
one hundred and seventy thousand, sorry tons for you guys.
But you know, is there ways that the community that
some of those seniors can be helped as well?
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Yeah, look, I think this program specifically will be great. Otherwise,
I encourage people, it takes a bit of time. If
you have insurance, your process with inside your private properties,
back ya your insurance and get a contractor to do that.
But what the messaging that I've been saying is that
we really appreciate anybody that did clear debris off the
right and put it on the side, and absolutely thank you.
(08:59):
For doing that, and the teams went to some neighborhoods
where they were expecting to have to clear a street
residents that already done so fantastic and the community's been great.
It's not unable to bring it off the private property. However,
what I can say is that City of Darwin will
be clearing vergers at some stages part of this process,
and you'll notice the trucks are starting to move to
(09:20):
clear vergers. We can't prioritize verges, and I ask for
people's patients because we need to prioritize sporting fields, getting
them back up and running, getting our parks open, and
working with any other I mean, we're providing resources too
as needed to the Northern Territory government.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
We need to get the schools and playgrounds clear. We
just get our playgrounds open.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
So there will be waste on your verge in certain
areas for a while, but it will be cleared.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
I'm pretty sure. Well, we certainly know that a couple
of the local members Jins and Charles I believe also
Brian o' gallagher of both I think they've written to
the councils now in terms of that verge collection and
seeing whether the Council might be able to step up
and help out with that verge collection. Like, I know
you guys got a massive job on your hands, but
could it be that over the next few weeks that
(10:05):
is something that you know, if there is still stuff
on the vergers greenways, that that is something that the
council can help with, because it feels like prior or
post cyclone markers, some of that stuff happened, but we're
sort of not hearing that this time round.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
No, and I don't think we are.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
But I think the question to the Northern Territory Government
and those MLAs is how are you going to assist
you put one hundred and ten skip bins out. The
funding flows to the Northern Territory government in an emergency.
You are the Northern Terretory Government is the agency and
they're responsible for the emergency. So any any green waste
that's caused by the cyclone is the responsibility of the
(10:41):
Northern Territory government to step up.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
So how are they going to do that to assist residence?
Speaker 2 (10:46):
So they could actually get some funding here from the
federal government to be able to get the greenwayte disposal
potentially from the vergers to get the skip bins going.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
That they could, but I think but at the moment
I'm saying, is that not then sorry, this city of
done and we'll be going through and doing the vergeres.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
So we don't want to both be in the same space.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
But if they did want to do skip bins, there
might be other challenges that come with skip bins with
you know what type of waste you end up we're
putting their other garbage in.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
We just want the.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
Green waste, But that would be a decision for the
Northern Terretary government. But I think focusing on seniors and
vulnerable people and people that need assistance and specific programs
to support them will be something great, and councils working
on that at the moment.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
So it sounds like there's going to be some more
sort of movement in this space. I guess at the moment,
it's just getting through that real emergency management of what's
still on the roads and what's still around, you know,
like you said, the sporting grounds and that kind of thing.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
Yeah, absolutely, and we just need to keep those priorities.
The Emergency Operations Center is open, so there's a number
that you can call it's on all the media and
you press one and you'll go through to the City
of dum And Emergency Operations Center, and we encourage people
to report anything through there. But it's all being triaged
and it's all being categorized in a prioritize system. We
have an emergency management system sitting behind that. So just
(12:03):
know that things are moving, but we need patience and
things will take time.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Someone, I know this is not one for you, but
I've just said. Somebody comment and say, Katie, insurers won't
remove a tree from your you know, from your yard.
They won't. They won't cover you for that removal to
a waste facility. I guess these are the kinds of
issues that we're hearing, you know, every day from everyday
territorians where they're I guess, feeling a bit stuck in
(12:31):
a lot of ways, and you know, wondering whether we're
going to see the council, the government, whoever it may be,
help out with some of that stuff that they might
not be able to do themselves. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Look, I think with you, different insurance if you get
a contractor in I know on my insurance that would
cover that. So different insurance and different requirements, so please
check check the details and I can't comment on that. Yeah,
but Citty of Darwin is doing an amazing job and
the teams are doing an amazing job. We are what's
gone through in the last four days and what they've
achieved is just amazing. So, like I said, we've had
(13:05):
all resources out, all trucks on the street out yesterday,
another fifty teams doing this.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
We are at full capacity at the moment.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
If the NTG wants to step up and do additional stuff,
Like I said, we really appreciate Hidden Valley is a
great thing and we need that to keep going and
we need the government to keep supporting that to move
the volumes that we've got through over the next period
of time. But any specific programs that they want to
do like they did last time with the skip bins,
we'll also welcome that provided works for the municipality.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
So either skip bins or you know, further verge removal.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Yeah, if they can get contractors as well, because we'll
be looking in the same space to do additional verge
removals and clean up that process.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Absolutely, that would be ideal.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
If we can get more trucks on the street moving
that greenways to Hidden Valley that would be really welcome.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
But is the reality here at the moment from council's
perspective that you know, you guys do not have the
resources to do that additional verge removal.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
No, our contractors are fully utilized at the moment. We
have no resource yet, and we've got all these contracts
already in place as part of our cyclone cyclone preparations.
The verge removal will happen, but it will just take
a little bit of time. You're seeing some of it
happening at the moment in priority errors, but we need
to have the teams and those contractors working on the
clearing of the green spaces at the moment.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
All right, Well, Simone Saunders, the CEO of the City
of Darwin, certainly sounds as though, you know, things have
really started to get moving. I know there are still
plenty of people out there that are frustrated, you know,
or maybe not frustrated, but at a bit of a loss.
I suppose, particularly some of those seniors that are trying
to you know, get stuff off their verge, etcetera. And
(14:41):
I can't imagine how it would feel, you know, if
you're in your eighties and not able to do it
yourself and wondering what are the next steps. But it
does sound as though all of the councils are trying
to make sure that you're helping as best you can
within your remat and hopefully you know, we can all
sort of get together and make sure that we get
the place cleaned up, but it might take a little while. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
No, and my last thing is again and a big
shout out to all the City of Darwin teams you
are doing an absolute amazing job and also to the
Northern Territory government teams and all the teams we worked
with over not only pre cyclone, but Post and all
the agencies involved. People are working so hard behind the
scenes to get things done for residents and residents too,
(15:25):
like I said, doing an amazing job to support the community.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Simone Saunders, thanks so much for your time this morning.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Thanks Katie,
Pleased to say that.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Joining me in the studio, City of Darwin CEO Simone Saunders.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Good morning to you, Simone, morning Katie.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Been a very busy few days for you guys post cyclone.
Feena talk us through where things are at with the facilities.
What's now opened.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Look, our buildings and facilities are slowly coming back online
and we've had the parrap Pool is open. Casuarina Pool
also opens yesterday and I'm pleased to say that Nightcliff
Pool will open.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Today, So it's going to open today, will be back open.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Our community centers are open, our libraries are open, our
general facilities are also open. What we're still working through
is the next priority at the moment is our sporting ovals.
Kids and adults want to get back to sport and
we've still got work to do to get those ovals
safe and up and up to speed. And also one
of our community center, unfortunately Lions, had a massive tree
(00:53):
fall on the roof, so that won't be open. It
is going to be structural damage and tree removal. So
we really ask anybody that books that facility just be patient.
We'll offer other facilities as we can, but that's still closed.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
In terms of some of those big, massive trees, Like
I know we've had a lot of discussion like, oh,
it's business as usual, let's get back into things. But
the fact is it's kind of hard to get back
to business as usual for a lot of it. So
I know there's still people without power. I've still got
a tree, you know, a massive tree in my yard.
I know there's like you've just touched on, there's council
facilities with trees still.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
On top of them.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
But there's also some massive trees on roadstea.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
And I think this narrative potentially that on Monday we
were back to business as usual because people that could
go back into offices were in that space. But it's
definitely not from a broader perspective. And where I say
that is that it's not business as usual for finance
officers that are sitting in emergency operations centers both within
the Northern Churchard government or City of Darwin invoices still
(01:52):
coming in their normal job and they've still got to
do that. For kids that haven't been able to access
their sporting ovals, for kids that haven't been able to swim,
it's not business as usual and it's not definitely not
business as usual for our concrete team that aren't doing
foot paths at the moment, they're clearing debrian roads.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
And helping to remove green waste and trees.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
So I think from a community perspective, this cleanup will
take the City of Darwin will take months and we
really ask for that patience. We'll work through prioritized systems,
but it is it was a Cat three cyclone, the
biggest one that we've had since Tracy and whilst the
tree damage is definitely not cyclone Marcus. City of Darwin's
(02:30):
just got some stats and numbers now we've been working
with the CSRO to ascertain what we've got. We've got
one hundred and seventy thousand tons of green waste to
clear and.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Just is that just council greenways, That is.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Just council green waste.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
We have seven hundred and thirty foot paths and walkways
to clear, four hundred and seventy five kilometers of roads,
and our green spaces and parks two hundred and twenty
one parks, let alone all the other green space that
we have. The cleanup is huge and I think when
you drive down the street at the moment main roads.
It's good, they're cleary, looking good. Go back a couple
(03:05):
of streets there is massive foliage still down.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
But there's also some huge tree still down, you know.
Like as I understand it, I think even over the
course of this weekend we may see some of our
roads like some closures. I don't know whether that is
the council or whether that's the department, but my understanding
is even some of those areas like ros Smith Avenue
where there's a massive tree that's come down. Then you
go along dick Word Drive there's further trees that are
(03:30):
still down.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
So no doubt there is.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Going to be a little bit more disruption overcoming days.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Yeah, there definitely will be so off the road work
in the NT approximately ninety percent of the roads. City
of Darwin where a small team. We are four hundred staff.
Every single contractor and resource in Darwin is out.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
At the moment.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
We had three trucks out yesterday with contractors. So I
start again eighteen trucks, over three contractors and nearly fifty
staff just working through starting to get some of the
verge clearing and getting it out to the Hidden Valley's site.
But it will take time. And just to give people
a bit of a I guess an indication. If you
fill up your normal standard trailer that you have at home,
(04:12):
you would need to fill that up approximately three times
to get one ton.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
We have one hundred and seventy thousand tons of.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Green waste to move, and that's why that Hidden Valley
facility is so important, and we thank the NTG for
standing it up in accordance with their emergency waste management plan.
But we need that facility to process and to get
this green waste.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
The crety of Darwin's corped a bit of stick over
recent days about the and some of it from me,
you know, in recent days about the Shoal Bay waste
facility closing for green waste. You'd said to me though
on Monday, that that was something that you'd announced on
Friday that it was going to be closed over the
course of the weekend. Now, I guess, first off, where
are things at with Shoal Bay.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Yeah, So the closure of schol Bay to the public
is part of at a CAT through our emergency response plan.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
It's a large site.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
So the assessments happened on Sunday and we found that
there was road collapse and also other systems, so it
wasn't open for the general public and we had to
work through that. It was open though for curbside collection
emergency waste to start coming through where we are at
the moment with that facility. Though, it did open to
the public again yesterday morning at seven am for household waste,
(05:23):
so the public can come in. So if you've got petriciples,
you had rotting food in your fridge, get all that clear.
What it's not open for is green waste. So green
waste all still needs to go to Hidden Valley, and
the reason for that is on site at shel Bay,
we can cope with two and a half thousand tons
of green waste per month. That's the footprint that we
(05:43):
have for green waste. It's not designed to cope with
a Cat three cyclone and we've got one hundred and
seventy thousand tons to process.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
So following on from Cyclo markets, this is obviously something
that had been sort of deemed necessary to do should
we have another cyclone, making sure that Hidden Valley opens
up so that there is enough space for people to
be able to take their green waste out there. So
totally understand that that's something though, so who stands that
up the council or the government.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
No, so that's the Northern Territory Government's responsibility. In their plan,
they've actually got twenty three emergency waste sites nominated because
if we had a CAT five, for instance, it won't
just be green waste we'll be talking about. So the
sites done, but they stand that up and they run
that site. So from a federal funding perspective, the funding
flows into different to other states and jurisdictions where council
(06:34):
might get that funding directly, it flows into the Northern
Terretary Government, and the Northern Territory Government can claim for
a whole lot of things that can't council come. There
is some funding that does fly to councils, but it's
very specific. For instance, what councils can do, we can
clear the streets, put it on the verge and then
take that verge rubbish away. That's something that we can claim,
(06:55):
but we claim back through the Northern Territory Government. And
to give you another example, people have talked about, Hey,
the skip bins.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
That were.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
That on Monday, there was one hundred and ten skip
bins putting it put out during cyclone Marcus for private
property as well. That was done by the Northern Territory
Government and that does it sits within the remit. Even
in the Local Government Act it says in an emergency,
the lead agency is the Northern Territory Government.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
So I mean, are we at the point now? Like
you and I had spoken about this on Monday, we'd
had a wonderful business get in contact with the sky
and Katie, we're happy to put our skip bins out.
Is that something that is being now looked into?
Speaker 1 (07:31):
But what is being looked into?
Speaker 3 (07:33):
And I've still got to get in touch with that person,
and I don't know who you are, so I'll do
that later today. But what Lord may mentioned the other day,
he's currently in conversations with the mayor of Palmerston and
she is working on directly with the federal government to
try to get some support programs for seniors in the territory,
so that seniors in the territory or vulnerable people or
(07:53):
people that need specific assistance, that's what that's what they're
working on.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
You've had a lot of people contactors that are seeing
is that are vulnerable, like I know, even up my
own street, you know, there's people that are more senior
that they've got trees or they've got greenway sets.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
On the verge.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
They don't have room in their yards to be able
to move it anywhere else at this point in time.
But they're you know, maybe not in a situation where
they can actually get that to Hidden Valley themselves. So
what's going to be the process here? I mean, are
we going to see the councils or the government sort
of step up and go, do you know what We've
got so much of our own green waste to clear?
I mean one hundred and seventy tons for you guys,
(08:29):
one hundred and seventy thousand, sorry tons for you guys.
But you know, is there ways that the community that
some of those seniors can be helped as well?
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Yeah, look, I think this program specifically will be great. Otherwise,
I encourage people, it takes a bit of time. If
you have insurance, your process with inside your private properties,
back ya your insurance and get a contractor to do that.
But what the messaging that I've been saying is that
we really appreciate anybody that did clear debris off the
right and put it on the side, and absolutely thank you.
(08:59):
For doing that, and the teams went to some neighborhoods
where they were expecting to have to clear a street
residents that already done so fantastic and the community's been great.
It's not unable to bring it off the private property. However,
what I can say is that City of Darwin will
be clearing vergers at some stages part of this process,
and you'll notice the trucks are starting to move to
(09:20):
clear vergers. We can't prioritize verges, and I ask for
people's patients because we need to prioritize sporting fields, getting
them back up and running, getting our parks open, and
working with any other I mean, we're providing resources too
as needed to the Northern Territory government.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
We need to get the schools and playgrounds clear. We
just get our playgrounds open.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
So there will be waste on your verge in certain
areas for a while, but it will be cleared.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
I'm pretty sure. Well, we certainly know that a couple
of the local members Jins and Charles I believe also
Brian o' gallagher of both I think they've written to
the councils now in terms of that verge collection and
seeing whether the Council might be able to step up
and help out with that verge collection. Like, I know
you guys got a massive job on your hands, but
could it be that over the next few weeks that
(10:05):
is something that you know, if there is still stuff
on the vergers greenways, that that is something that the
council can help with, because it feels like prior or
post cyclone markers, some of that stuff happened, but we're
sort of not hearing that this time round.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
No, and I don't think we are.
Speaker 3 (10:20):
But I think the question to the Northern Territory Government
and those MLAs is how are you going to assist
you put one hundred and ten skip bins out. The
funding flows to the Northern Territory government in an emergency.
You are the Northern Terretory Government is the agency and
they're responsible for the emergency. So any any green waste
that's caused by the cyclone is the responsibility of the
(10:41):
Northern Territory government to step up.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
So how are they going to do that to assist residence?
Speaker 2 (10:46):
So they could actually get some funding here from the
federal government to be able to get the greenwayte disposal
potentially from the vergers to get the skip bins going.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
That they could, but I think but at the moment
I'm saying, is that not then sorry, this city of
done and we'll be going through and doing the vergeres.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
So we don't want to both be in the same space.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
But if they did want to do skip bins, there
might be other challenges that come with skip bins with
you know what type of waste you end up we're
putting their other garbage in.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
We just want the.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
Green waste, But that would be a decision for the
Northern Terretary government. But I think focusing on seniors and
vulnerable people and people that need assistance and specific programs
to support them will be something great, and councils working
on that at the moment.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
So it sounds like there's going to be some more
sort of movement in this space. I guess at the moment,
it's just getting through that real emergency management of what's
still on the roads and what's still around, you know,
like you said, the sporting grounds and that kind of thing.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
Yeah, absolutely, and we just need to keep those priorities.
The Emergency Operations Center is open, so there's a number
that you can call it's on all the media and
you press one and you'll go through to the City
of dum And Emergency Operations Center, and we encourage people
to report anything through there. But it's all being triaged
and it's all being categorized in a prioritize system. We
have an emergency management system sitting behind that. So just
(12:03):
know that things are moving, but we need patience and
things will take time.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Someone, I know this is not one for you, but
I've just said. Somebody comment and say, Katie, insurers won't
remove a tree from your you know, from your yard.
They won't. They won't cover you for that removal to
a waste facility. I guess these are the kinds of
issues that we're hearing, you know, every day from everyday
territorians where they're I guess, feeling a bit stuck in
(12:31):
a lot of ways, and you know, wondering whether we're
going to see the council, the government, whoever it may be,
help out with some of that stuff that they might
not be able to do themselves. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Look, I think with you, different insurance if you get
a contractor in I know on my insurance that would
cover that. So different insurance and different requirements, so please
check check the details and I can't comment on that. Yeah,
but Citty of Darwin is doing an amazing job and
the teams are doing an amazing job. We are what's
gone through in the last four days and what they've
achieved is just amazing. So, like I said, we've had
(13:05):
all resources out, all trucks on the street out yesterday,
another fifty teams doing this.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
We are at full capacity at the moment.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
If the NTG wants to step up and do additional stuff,
Like I said, we really appreciate Hidden Valley is a
great thing and we need that to keep going and
we need the government to keep supporting that to move
the volumes that we've got through over the next period
of time. But any specific programs that they want to
do like they did last time with the skip bins,
we'll also welcome that provided works for the municipality.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
So either skip bins or you know, further verge removal.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
Yeah, if they can get contractors as well, because we'll
be looking in the same space to do additional verge
removals and clean up that process.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Absolutely, that would be ideal.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
If we can get more trucks on the street moving
that greenways to Hidden Valley that would be really welcome.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
But is the reality here at the moment from council's
perspective that you know, you guys do not have the
resources to do that additional verge removal.
Speaker 3 (14:01):
No, our contractors are fully utilized at the moment. We
have no resource yet, and we've got all these contracts
already in place as part of our cyclone cyclone preparations.
The verge removal will happen, but it will just take
a little bit of time. You're seeing some of it
happening at the moment in priority errors, but we need
to have the teams and those contractors working on the
clearing of the green spaces at the moment.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
All right, Well, Simone Saunders, the CEO of the City
of Darwin, certainly sounds as though, you know, things have
really started to get moving. I know there are still
plenty of people out there that are frustrated, you know,
or maybe not frustrated, but at a bit of a loss.
I suppose, particularly some of those seniors that are trying
to you know, get stuff off their verge, etcetera. And
(14:41):
I can't imagine how it would feel, you know, if
you're in your eighties and not able to do it
yourself and wondering what are the next steps. But it
does sound as though all of the councils are trying
to make sure that you're helping as best you can
within your remat and hopefully you know, we can all
sort of get together and make sure that we get
the place cleaned up, but it might take a little while. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
No, and my last thing is again and a big
shout out to all the City of Darwin teams you
are doing an absolute amazing job and also to the
Northern Territory government teams and all the teams we worked
with over not only pre cyclone, but Post and all
the agencies involved. People are working so hard behind the
scenes to get things done for residents and residents too,
(15:25):
like I said, doing an amazing job to support the community.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Simone Saunders, thanks so much for your time this morning.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Thanks Katie,
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