Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now joining me in the studio right now, very big
change of pace. It is the Lord Mayor of Darwin
convat scarlets. Good morning Conn, Good morning Katie.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
How are you yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Really good? Con Good to have you in the studio now.
I know that you have indeed confirmed that you are
planning to run for mayor again. I believe Sam Western's
put his hand up, and Sylvia Clenaris, I believe it's
also put her hand up. Is it gonna be like
a Melbourne cup Field con.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Well, it was last time. If you remember, there are
quite a few people with their hands up. We're living
in a democracy.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Come on, absolutely sure.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
We live in democracy. People are entitled to stand for
elections wherever they want to. The decision is rest with
the public. It depends what the public wants and what
to see in this city. They have to make up
their minds. My record is well known. I mean people
can see it by driving down Daily Street or going
to Bandilla or even going to Warators. Remember the story
with the lights. I'm not just making promises. I will
(00:55):
do things. I already done things and I will continue
to do things.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Corn is the fact that other counselors are putting their
hand up to run against you, an indication that they
maybe feel you could do more.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Well, look, everybody's good ideas, but you have to remember
also these councils put their hands up for counselors and
Lord Mayor, while I'm putting my hand only for Lord Mayor.
So in some cases a lot of councilors put their
hands up to increase their visibility and their profile so
they can actually then claim whatever they want to claim.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Busy man, this morning, colors, it's.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Been absolutely crazy because I've got things happening, like finalizing
the bandilla and finalizing another three playgrounds Smith Street.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Well, thank god, we'll get all that in a second
before we go there. Though I know the nominations do
indeed open for the councilors or yeah, this Friday, Friday
the eleventh, and as I understand that the Counselor is
actually hosting candidate information sessions.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Yes, we do that. We do that every time. We
just want to let people know what the responsibilities is
because it's easy to put your hand up, but you
have to know what you'd expected from you and what
your obligation, your sility expects, the community expects for you.
How to behave about conflict of interest, about things that
actually you have to know before you put your hand up.
It's not just standing up he says, I'm going to
(02:10):
be a counselor. Great, but you know what, it's a
lot of work, and a lot of work that sometimes
doesn't pay. But the other hand is, you know, it's
all my fault. If the weather it's bad, it's my fault.
If the weather's good, it's not my my thing. Somebody
else is said.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Good, why do you reckon? I mean, you are somebody
who with the people like you or not. You're somebody
who's been a minister. You have dedicated a large part
of your life as the mayor as well to public service.
Why do you reckon? People should put their hand up.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
To run because if you don't put your hand up,
you don't have You have no right to complain. If
you're not going to actually decide that you're going to
do something for the community, don't pick up the phone
and talk to Katie Woolf on the radio and complain
about everything when you've done nothing about the community. And
I'm saying that one because some people says, oh, stuff it,
I'll go fishing. I'm not going to vote, and the
first one is to ring you complain about things. Guys,
(03:01):
we live in a democracy, and living in a democracy
has got some obligation responsibilities. Don't take it for granted.
The people out there in other countries that they're not
allowed to vote, they can't vote, and if they ask
for their right to vote, they go to prison. We'll
live in a lucky country. I've lived in a country
like that before, and that's what I said to you before.
I don't care who put the hand up. It's a
good indication that we're living in a very healthy democracy.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Con Look, we'll move along. There's quite a bit happening,
as you touched on before Smith straight those fences have
come down in some areas, and I will say I've
given you lots of stick about this over the last
few weeks, and those businesses contacted me immediately to say Katie,
the fences have come down. They're happy.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Well, Katie, I told you before we had a plan
and we wanted to accelerate. We sympathize with the business.
I was the first to say it had to be done,
but in order to be done, we had to take
some precautions because required by a low to protect the
public and our workers. I know it was difficult, and
I promise that we're going to actually accelerate the end
of the area where the business are. And we did
it and now I passed the other day. Yes, there
(04:05):
are some fences, especially around the excavator because for obvious reasons,
but the rest get been removed and continue to do
the work to beautify it. It already looks beautiful because
plans are planted, will start now having the stencils on
the road and it's going to be a beautiful, beautiful place.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Con In relation to night Okuak, we know that obviously
night or quake celebrations kicked off. Yesterday the council hosted
a flag rising ceremony to kick things off, had at
Old Guy.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
It went extremely well. There was significant number of people there.
And what I like very much. I like the theme
of NADOC this time is look into the future. Look
we starotyping sometimes and there are a lot of people
that actually blame everything because somebody in a community group
did something, they blame the whole community group. I don't
look at I don't wake up in the morning thinking
who am I going to hear today? I wake up
(04:54):
in the morning thinking how am I going to work
with somebody today to do something better? And I was
so pleased to see James Parkert there and Michael Routema
and others there, and Mike Long and so many French
who live in Darwin. It didn't French who live in
Darwin to actually look to the future. And we have
to look at the future. We can't complain what's happening.
It will do nothing to prevent from happening or correct it.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Conne in terms of the Council providing grant funding for
activities and events, what groups were successful and what if
they organized?
Speaker 2 (05:24):
I can't tell you because I tried to tell you,
but I was told I was embargoed until tomorrow. Okay, well,
there are some three groups, very very well known. It's
very important and I don't want to steal there they
want to do it. But I'll tell you what first
thing tomorrow morning. Will send you least and you can
actually announced. I wanted to announce it.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
I was ready to go. You know, usually follow rulest.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
I have to. I have to otherwise they won't talk
to me, they won't give me any inform it. But
that's one other thing. I have to remind you that
being an elected member you do it.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
You do have to follow rules. How can you hey,
I know that the council has also We spoke to
the CEO of Anti Swimming last week about the new
facility there a per rap. What are the next steps
from council's perspective.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Well, we provided the land yep. Now I know there
were quite a few people says, oh, coun'try give away
the land. We don't. The land belonged to us. And
you know what, when you build something and somebody else land,
that building belongs to you. However, what we want to do,
it was a strategic step for us because we attracting
more talent to training Darway and we put it down
now in the focus in the map of Streaming Australia.
(06:32):
We are going to have a recovery area, a gym,
a meeting room and storage space support professional high performance
aquatic training. And the building with the fund that Streaming
Northern Territory has already secured, will start in July twenty
twenty five, which is actually now.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Yeah, look it is. It is good news. And as
I said, I spoke to the CEO of Anti swimming
last week about us and talked more about what it
is going to mean for swimming in the Northern Territory.
So a good step and and you know, I think
it's a positive thing. We've got to see these kinds
of things happening in the Northern Territory. If we want
to make this place attractive for our young people and
(07:07):
want our young people to stay living here as well,
they've got to have opportunity.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
That Katy, I mean, we've got to build up now
the Defense Forces. A lot of the Defense Force personnel
decide to retire or leave, we should keep them here. Absolutely,
they're not going to stay here with provides.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
We've got no opportunity for their children.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
And that's exactly what we're doing.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Absolutely. Hey, I'm just following on from Territory Day last week.
Was there any damage to counsel infrastructure?
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Fortunately, we had the usual idiots and I say that
to one because that's what it is. They actually put
the fire crackers inside the toilets in this point again destroyed.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
I guess again the gun Tara.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
I think so they were near there, which is actually stubid, stupid, stupid.
This is this is what is going to cause the
government to ban the fire crackers and then everybody will
complain the stubid act of a very small minority is
going to affect the law by decisions or another territory.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
This happened last year as well.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Done last year, have you got the life, guys, do
something else better rather than actually put a fire crag,
put it in your own toilet. What's this happening?
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Exactly? Well? And last year you told us it was
going to cost a bloody arm and a leg to fix.
Do you know how much it's going to fix?
Speaker 2 (08:16):
You try to fix a toilet lately. It cost probably
about one hundred thousand dollars one hundred grand. They're completely
destroyed inside.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
That's insane. Does the counsel have any idea? Who's done us?
Speaker 2 (08:27):
No, we can't because you can't put into.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
A toilet area. But can you just outside?
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Well, dark time and probably two o'clock in the morning,
believe it or not, they're still here eleven o'clock, twelve
o'clock midnight, a fire crack is still going on. I mean,
you're going to destroy a very good tradition with another
territory because you're a child.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
But I thought the gates closed to this point at
a certain time of night, and then surely you can lock.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Up the toilet where you can go in if you
want to. Again, but even if even before closing eleven
o'clock somebody doesn't does it. But it must take a
lot of effort and a lot of fire crackers, so
it costs a bit of money.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
But again, guys, real, yeah, life absolutely, Hi, com before
I let you go. I know, construction started on the
northern expansion of Stage two of the waste sell at
shoul Bay. What's that all about?
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Well, one other things we have is actually we're start
in the beginning with the rubbistip that was going to
last about fifty to twenty years. We have now expanded
a live span of the rab of the rabbit step
to go further than thirty to forty years, because we
call it a very good management, very good compaction increase recycling.
The problem we've got is now all every time the
(09:37):
standards changed, so where we have to bury some of
the noxious waste waste that contained us best and everything else,
it has to be done in a certain way. We
have a plan for three seals. We have already the
first one, but We're not waiting until that one completed
and then start it will be terrible. So we start
now the second stage. We're going to actually do it properly,
(09:59):
line it, material design it properly. And the other thing
we do very well is actually we dig water them
and we put pipeline to actually take the gas out
and send it to the generator that generates power to that. Actually,
the one we've got now powers one thousand houses. We
tend to put another generator or private sector we put
(10:19):
another generator generator to increase the capacity. Instead of actually
leaving the methane going to the air, we just use
it to power houses and actually recycling it rather let
it destroy the atmosphere.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Con Before I let you go, I understand there is
a bit of an update as well on the recycling
shop there at the tip What's Ago. It's been operating
now for about six months.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Well, we had some really results and we had about
fifteen thousand people coming through. They had about twelve thousand sales.
They diverted one hundred and fifty nine tons of material
from landfill. They've sold thirty five one thousand items, eleven
and a half tons of scrap metal. The other thing
is employed. Some of the three members of HPA that
(11:00):
you used to good before, they keep them back. Currently
the employee eight members people they had difficulty finding a
job of had difficulty of adjusting to a job, and
we've got a lot of people now that actually go there.
It's a totally different environment. I have to admit in
the beginning when I saw that thought who it looks
like a supermarket. But boy, people like it because now
(11:21):
things are stack at properly arranged. Probably people can find
whether they want much much easier. The interesting thing is
two towns of White Cold and two point one times
of e West and they have donated a lot of
material like clothing and other things to this thrifty shops
we've got around Darwin. So they're doing a good job.
I'm really repleased about it. And the most important is
(11:42):
that actually employ HPA people they want to stay and
also the employee people they can't find a job that
they've got differently.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Fine, good to hear well, contact scholars the Lord Mayor
of Darwin. Good to catch up with you. Thanks so
much for your time.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
You have a great day and a great week in
this beautiful weather.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
You too, Thank you
Now joining me in the studio right now, very big
change of pace. It is the Lord Mayor of Darwin
convat scarlets. Good morning Conn, Good morning Katie.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
How are you yeah?
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Really good? Con Good to have you in the studio now.
I know that you have indeed confirmed that you are
planning to run for mayor again. I believe Sam Western's
put his hand up, and Sylvia Clenaris, I believe it's
also put her hand up. Is it gonna be like
a Melbourne cup Field con.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Well, it was last time. If you remember, there are
quite a few people with their hands up. We're living
in a democracy.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Come on, absolutely sure.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
We live in democracy. People are entitled to stand for
elections wherever they want to. The decision is rest with
the public. It depends what the public wants and what
to see in this city. They have to make up
their minds. My record is well known. I mean people
can see it by driving down Daily Street or going
to Bandilla or even going to Warators. Remember the story
with the lights. I'm not just making promises. I will
(00:55):
do things. I already done things and I will continue
to do things.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Corn is the fact that other counselors are putting their
hand up to run against you, an indication that they
maybe feel you could do more.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Well, look, everybody's good ideas, but you have to remember
also these councils put their hands up for counselors and
Lord Mayor, while I'm putting my hand only for Lord Mayor.
So in some cases a lot of councilors put their
hands up to increase their visibility and their profile so
they can actually then claim whatever they want to claim.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Busy man, this morning, colors, it's.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Been absolutely crazy because I've got things happening, like finalizing
the bandilla and finalizing another three playgrounds Smith Street.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Well, thank god, we'll get all that in a second
before we go there. Though I know the nominations do
indeed open for the councilors or yeah, this Friday, Friday
the eleventh, and as I understand that the Counselor is
actually hosting candidate information sessions.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Yes, we do that. We do that every time. We
just want to let people know what the responsibilities is
because it's easy to put your hand up, but you
have to know what you'd expected from you and what
your obligation, your sility expects, the community expects for you.
How to behave about conflict of interest, about things that
actually you have to know before you put your hand up.
It's not just standing up he says, I'm going to
(02:10):
be a counselor. Great, but you know what, it's a
lot of work, and a lot of work that sometimes
doesn't pay. But the other hand is, you know, it's
all my fault. If the weather it's bad, it's my fault.
If the weather's good, it's not my my thing. Somebody
else is said.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Good, why do you reckon? I mean, you are somebody
who with the people like you or not. You're somebody
who's been a minister. You have dedicated a large part
of your life as the mayor as well to public service.
Why do you reckon? People should put their hand up.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
To run because if you don't put your hand up,
you don't have You have no right to complain. If
you're not going to actually decide that you're going to
do something for the community, don't pick up the phone
and talk to Katie Woolf on the radio and complain
about everything when you've done nothing about the community. And
I'm saying that one because some people says, oh, stuff it,
I'll go fishing. I'm not going to vote, and the
first one is to ring you complain about things. Guys,
(03:01):
we live in a democracy, and living in a democracy
has got some obligation responsibilities. Don't take it for granted.
The people out there in other countries that they're not
allowed to vote, they can't vote, and if they ask
for their right to vote, they go to prison. We'll
live in a lucky country. I've lived in a country
like that before, and that's what I said to you before.
I don't care who put the hand up. It's a
good indication that we're living in a very healthy democracy.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Con Look, we'll move along. There's quite a bit happening,
as you touched on before Smith straight those fences have
come down in some areas, and I will say I've
given you lots of stick about this over the last
few weeks, and those businesses contacted me immediately to say Katie,
the fences have come down. They're happy.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Well, Katie, I told you before we had a plan
and we wanted to accelerate. We sympathize with the business.
I was the first to say it had to be done,
but in order to be done, we had to take
some precautions because required by a low to protect the
public and our workers. I know it was difficult, and
I promise that we're going to actually accelerate the end
of the area where the business are. And we did
it and now I passed the other day. Yes, there
(04:05):
are some fences, especially around the excavator because for obvious reasons,
but the rest get been removed and continue to do
the work to beautify it. It already looks beautiful because
plans are planted, will start now having the stencils on
the road and it's going to be a beautiful, beautiful place.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Con In relation to night Okuak, we know that obviously
night or quake celebrations kicked off. Yesterday the council hosted
a flag rising ceremony to kick things off, had at
Old Guy.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
It went extremely well. There was significant number of people there.
And what I like very much. I like the theme
of NADOC this time is look into the future. Look
we starotyping sometimes and there are a lot of people
that actually blame everything because somebody in a community group
did something, they blame the whole community group. I don't
look at I don't wake up in the morning thinking
who am I going to hear today? I wake up
(04:54):
in the morning thinking how am I going to work
with somebody today to do something better? And I was
so pleased to see James Parkert there and Michael Routema
and others there, and Mike Long and so many French
who live in Darwin. It didn't French who live in
Darwin to actually look to the future. And we have
to look at the future. We can't complain what's happening.
It will do nothing to prevent from happening or correct it.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Conne in terms of the Council providing grant funding for
activities and events, what groups were successful and what if
they organized?
Speaker 2 (05:24):
I can't tell you because I tried to tell you,
but I was told I was embargoed until tomorrow. Okay, well,
there are some three groups, very very well known. It's
very important and I don't want to steal there they
want to do it. But I'll tell you what first
thing tomorrow morning. Will send you least and you can
actually announced. I wanted to announce it.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
I was ready to go. You know, usually follow rulest.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
I have to. I have to otherwise they won't talk
to me, they won't give me any inform it. But
that's one other thing. I have to remind you that
being an elected member you do it.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
You do have to follow rules. How can you hey,
I know that the council has also We spoke to
the CEO of Anti Swimming last week about the new
facility there a per rap. What are the next steps
from council's perspective.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Well, we provided the land yep. Now I know there
were quite a few people says, oh, coun'try give away
the land. We don't. The land belonged to us. And
you know what, when you build something and somebody else land,
that building belongs to you. However, what we want to do,
it was a strategic step for us because we attracting
more talent to training Darway and we put it down
now in the focus in the map of Streaming Australia.
(06:32):
We are going to have a recovery area, a gym,
a meeting room and storage space support professional high performance
aquatic training. And the building with the fund that Streaming
Northern Territory has already secured, will start in July twenty
twenty five, which is actually now.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Yeah, look it is. It is good news. And as
I said, I spoke to the CEO of Anti swimming
last week about us and talked more about what it
is going to mean for swimming in the Northern Territory.
So a good step and and you know, I think
it's a positive thing. We've got to see these kinds
of things happening in the Northern Territory. If we want
to make this place attractive for our young people and
(07:07):
want our young people to stay living here as well,
they've got to have opportunity.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
That Katy, I mean, we've got to build up now
the Defense Forces. A lot of the Defense Force personnel
decide to retire or leave, we should keep them here. Absolutely,
they're not going to stay here with provides.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
We've got no opportunity for their children.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
And that's exactly what we're doing.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Absolutely. Hey, I'm just following on from Territory Day last week.
Was there any damage to counsel infrastructure?
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Fortunately, we had the usual idiots and I say that
to one because that's what it is. They actually put
the fire crackers inside the toilets in this point again destroyed.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
I guess again the gun Tara.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
I think so they were near there, which is actually stubid, stupid, stupid.
This is this is what is going to cause the
government to ban the fire crackers and then everybody will
complain the stubid act of a very small minority is
going to affect the law by decisions or another territory.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
This happened last year as well.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Done last year, have you got the life, guys, do
something else better rather than actually put a fire crag,
put it in your own toilet. What's this happening?
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Exactly? Well? And last year you told us it was
going to cost a bloody arm and a leg to fix.
Do you know how much it's going to fix?
Speaker 2 (08:16):
You try to fix a toilet lately. It cost probably
about one hundred thousand dollars one hundred grand. They're completely
destroyed inside.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
That's insane. Does the counsel have any idea? Who's done us?
Speaker 2 (08:27):
No, we can't because you can't put into.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
A toilet area. But can you just outside?
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Well, dark time and probably two o'clock in the morning,
believe it or not, they're still here eleven o'clock, twelve
o'clock midnight, a fire crack is still going on. I mean,
you're going to destroy a very good tradition with another
territory because you're a child.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
But I thought the gates closed to this point at
a certain time of night, and then surely you can lock.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Up the toilet where you can go in if you
want to. Again, but even if even before closing eleven
o'clock somebody doesn't does it. But it must take a
lot of effort and a lot of fire crackers, so
it costs a bit of money.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
But again, guys, real, yeah, life absolutely, Hi, com before
I let you go. I know, construction started on the
northern expansion of Stage two of the waste sell at
shoul Bay. What's that all about?
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Well, one other things we have is actually we're start
in the beginning with the rubbistip that was going to
last about fifty to twenty years. We have now expanded
a live span of the rab of the rabbit step
to go further than thirty to forty years, because we
call it a very good management, very good compaction increase recycling.
The problem we've got is now all every time the
(09:37):
standards changed, so where we have to bury some of
the noxious waste waste that contained us best and everything else,
it has to be done in a certain way. We
have a plan for three seals. We have already the
first one, but We're not waiting until that one completed
and then start it will be terrible. So we start
now the second stage. We're going to actually do it properly,
(09:59):
line it, material design it properly. And the other thing
we do very well is actually we dig water them
and we put pipeline to actually take the gas out
and send it to the generator that generates power to that. Actually,
the one we've got now powers one thousand houses. We
tend to put another generator or private sector we put
(10:19):
another generator generator to increase the capacity. Instead of actually
leaving the methane going to the air, we just use
it to power houses and actually recycling it rather let
it destroy the atmosphere.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Con Before I let you go, I understand there is
a bit of an update as well on the recycling
shop there at the tip What's Ago. It's been operating
now for about six months.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Well, we had some really results and we had about
fifteen thousand people coming through. They had about twelve thousand sales.
They diverted one hundred and fifty nine tons of material
from landfill. They've sold thirty five one thousand items, eleven
and a half tons of scrap metal. The other thing
is employed. Some of the three members of HPA that
(11:00):
you used to good before, they keep them back. Currently
the employee eight members people they had difficulty finding a
job of had difficulty of adjusting to a job, and
we've got a lot of people now that actually go there.
It's a totally different environment. I have to admit in
the beginning when I saw that thought who it looks
like a supermarket. But boy, people like it because now
(11:21):
things are stack at properly arranged. Probably people can find
whether they want much much easier. The interesting thing is
two towns of White Cold and two point one times
of e West and they have donated a lot of
material like clothing and other things to this thrifty shops
we've got around Darwin. So they're doing a good job.
I'm really repleased about it. And the most important is
(11:42):
that actually employ HPA people they want to stay and
also the employee people they can't find a job that
they've got differently.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Fine, good to hear well, contact scholars the Lord Mayor
of Darwin. Good to catch up with you. Thanks so
much for your time.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
You have a great day and a great week in
this beautiful weather.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
You too, Thank you
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