Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Workers relying on the Casuarina Kascom car Park say that
they're outraged about the fees being charged in what was
previously a free car park. So one man contacted the
show yesterday saying his wife and quido job as she
was paying sixty dollars a day for parking, which worked
out to be about three hundred dollars a week, which
he said just wasn't viable on the income that she
(00:21):
was getting. Now joining us on the line is Sentinel
Property Group CEO Warren Ebbertt. Good morning to you, Warren.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Good morning, Katie. I hope it's another beautiful cool day
up there in h It.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Is very warm, there's no doubt about that. Hash Now, Warren,
when were these fees introduced and how much does it
cost for parking?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Katie? We actually had fleas have been introduced there for
some years, but it was an honor system and what
we found that a lot of the staff weren't very honest.
We've had a two hour parking there for a number
of years and people were just ignoring it. But Katie,
one thing that they forget is we ye, there was
a fair bit of violence up there and we had
(01:03):
request from the tenants for better security, so we put
in CCTV and fencing, and so we've got to there.
But I know that the rates have changed with the government.
We're waiting for signage to change. Because we had communicated
with all of the tenants there a number of times,
let them know what's happening, and normally and then people
(01:25):
don't respond and then when it all starts happening, they
start complaining about it.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
So it had always been the plan, or there'd always
been a plan that they were going to have to
pay for parking, and you reckon you'd communicated that, or
certainly Sentinel had communicated that to all all of those
those tenants that are in that Tascon building.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Numerous times, Katie, And it goes back some years. So
there was a number of the tenants paid for a
certain number of bays and then all the other parking
was a maximum two hours. So all those people are
now complaining. What they're acknowledging is that they were just
using it all this time and now that they've actually
had to pay for something that they don't like it.
(02:05):
So it has been like that for years. But we
have some of the tenants we have there now, I
actually got an email just afternoon at three point fifty
three from went to our Casarine Square Center manager Hi Alisa,
just wanted to say how much better the car park
is with the boomngates working. There are no complaints from
(02:26):
our clients, that's for sure. Some of the tenants we
have there, the Black Bank, we will know that does NTCAT,
who provide services to the public, NT Family Services for
domestic violence, and Indigenous Housing head Space which provide mental
health services, Steps who provide vacation training for refugees and
(02:47):
immigrants so they can integrate into the community. Now, all
of those tenants need parking for their clients, and what
was happening is they couldn't get it because you had
selfish workers whore who think they're entire the free parking
all the day.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Oh look, I don't know. I don't know if i'd
call them selfish workers, Warren. I get the point that
you're trying to make. But you know, but at the
end of the day, you're talking about, you know, people
there that are actually providing those services, you know, so
for to call, you know, the wonderful people working at
some of those incredible organizations selfish workers, I think they'll
be pretty upset to be hearing that. I mean, I
(03:24):
get that that you guys are a commercial entity and
that you need to provide that parking. There needs to
be that parking provided to those to those clients. But
I mean, is there any solution that could be found
here or is it just simply a matter of Sorry, guys,
you're not going to be able to park there anymore.
You've got to find a park somewhere else.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Well, I don't know what you call people who knew
that they were legally parking for years. I don't know
what you call a person like that. Anyway, you didn't
say the selfish No.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Well, look, because the people that have contacted me are actually,
you know, like great people that are working in some
of those health spaces that are saying, you know, we
didn't like at sixty bucks a day, it's an obscene
amount of.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Money or work. It's not voluntary work they're doing. No,
it's not.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
It's not, but sixty bucks a days insane.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Well, yeah, but they don't have to pay it, they
don't have to park there. Why don't they catch a bus?
Why they get a right for someone else? Maybe there
is a limited number of car packs. We can't create
any more car parks, so you've got to work out
what we do with those limited number. And while I
understand it's important for the staff to get the work
to provide the services the clients that they have, So
(04:34):
we have had people turn up the blood bank to
donate blood, so you actually have good people and they
can't get a car pack, so they drive off, so
there's not a blood supply. Because you've got staff parking
there for free when the site has said for years
to our maximum parking. And then you've got domestic violence
people who need a car pack. You don't think they're
(04:55):
in a die need of car pack. You have permanent
you have staff parked there all day for f do
we actually have We actually have a couple of landlords
who pay for parking for their staff. But at the
end of the day, even if they want to pay
one hundred dollars a day if they wanted to, there
are limited number of car parks that we have to
manage for the tenants so they can get clients. So
(05:16):
I don't know what suggestion people have. What these people
are saying is no, we just should all be able
to park there for free.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Are you worried they might park across the road? Are
you worried they might end up parking at Casarina Square?
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Well, why should they park at Casarina Square? They're there
not shopping there.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Well I know, but I know there's just nowhere around.
So are you worried that that may end up being
where they park?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
No? No, But why is that? We pay our taxes,
we pay our rates, we pay all of our taxes.
Why is it up to a business to provide free parking?
Isn't that what we pay our taxes and rates for
for government to do that? Why should we do it?
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Well, look, I understand you know your side of the argument.
You guys are a commercial business, and like you've said,
there's is obviously a car park there that you know
is meant to provide parking to the clientele that are
going into those different organizations you know, I don't know. Yeah,
Well this is the thing. I don't have one. That's
(06:14):
why I'm asking you.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
We have one. We have charge a certain amount, and
it has to be an amount where where it's uncomfortable
for people, where some people say, listen, I'll get my
son to drop me off, I'll get my husband, I'll
get my wife to drop me off. I will I
will share parking with someone. What they've been used to
is just everyone, one car, one person, and we have
a limited number of car parks. If someone has got
(06:37):
a better solution for us, please tell us. But all
the solution is don't charge us. So well that doesn't
work because the property straight across the road from us
is now put in boom gates. So it's you know,
when we are not a charity and we give, we
give a lot of money the charity, so I don't
(06:57):
have people to say, you all, you're in for the money. Now.
If we don't make money, we can't reservice, we can't
do all these other things. So yes, you have to
make you have to make money.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Well, look, I don't know, I don't know what. I
don't know what the solution is, you know, but I
know people are upset, and obviously you know we wanted
to provide you. We wanted to provide you the right
of replies well or the opportunity to explain it to people,
because I think that that's important. Warren, Look, before I
let you go, how are things tracking at Casarina Square
(07:29):
at the moment? I know that you know that last
time we spoke there've been a big drop in some
of the issues that we've been seeing around crime and
anti social behavior. How is it tracking along?
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Still getting better every month now? One of our larger
tenants there are Two months ago they told us that
they have been a tenant there for over forty years
and their lowest theft on record was for May this year.
Now they've been told us that September this year is
now the lowest ever in forty years. Now that's symptomatic
(08:03):
of the whole center. We are finding so much better.
And I know that the particularly people in the state
will complain about sinok Ara government and some of the
laws so brought in, but I'll tell you, I think
most people in the nt have seen the benefits. And
we have another twenty CCTVs coming in to clamp down
on anti sexual behavior before it starts, so we couldn't
(08:26):
be happier with the way it's gone. And we've actually
had some presentations for some queens and politicians to show
what we've done and put up facts and figures where
the crime was, the type of crime, and what we
put in place. And now they are starting to investigate
some of that in cans and they've seen the difference.
So it's a partnership. Governments can only do so much,
but then you have to have a landlord's business owners
(08:48):
prepared to take advantage of those. And you know, I'd
rather no one get upset. We all dance around the
flagpole holding hands, but sometimes you've got to upset people
to achieve the results. So as far as the crime
is going, we're very very happy and the tenants are
absolutely over the moon. And one thing we've seen, Katie,
(09:10):
the new Tennessees we're creating with the quarter, we've got
a number of local restaurant food operators who twelve months
ago were wanting to cut back their operations at CATHERINEA
Square now wanting to add additional services because they've seen
the crime is reduced so much. Well that is good there,
gone really good up there.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Yeah, that is good. Use just on the point you've
made about you know, like some people obviously having concerns
around the Finocchiaro government's legislative changes. So you reckon that
those legislative changes for you, like at Casarina Square, for
you know, for the owners of Casarina Square. You reckon
that those legislative changes have had a positive.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Impact without a doubt. One of them is we now
have two of our security guards who are licensed to
tip out alcohol. Now, if you've got a six pack
in your shopping trolley, they don't those that tip them out.
That's people who are drinking in public. Now, these just
aren't any security guards. I've got to go through all
the proper courses how to de escalate everything else. And
(10:10):
what's happening now is we're getting those people who want
to drink in the car park. They've moved on now.
We could not do that under the previous regime. And
there's a heap of other things that are happening, and
it's you know, we actually have police back at the
Kasarina police station. Before there was hardly anyone there. It
has been enormous Cadian. Next time I'm up there, we've
(10:31):
got a full video on how bad it was and
you know, the blood and it wasn't very nice, and
how it's changed. So if you have time up there,
I'd love to get you and your staff and just
sit down with our management at casine Is Square and
have a look at it. So you've actually got the
facts and figures. It is enormous change.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Well, it's good to hear. I mean, it is good
to hear, and I think that it's good for everybody
to feel like it's safer when you go shopping wherever
it is. But Warren, we are going to have to
leave it. They're really good to speak to you this morning.
I appreciate your time absolutely, Thank you, Thanks so much,
Workers relying on the Casuarina Kascom car Park say that
they're outraged about the fees being charged in what was
previously a free car park. So one man contacted the
show yesterday saying his wife and quido job as she
was paying sixty dollars a day for parking, which worked
out to be about three hundred dollars a week, which
he said just wasn't viable on the income that she
(00:21):
was getting. Now joining us on the line is Sentinel
Property Group CEO Warren Ebbertt. Good morning to you, Warren.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Good morning, Katie. I hope it's another beautiful cool day
up there in h It.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Is very warm, there's no doubt about that. Hash Now, Warren,
when were these fees introduced and how much does it
cost for parking?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Katie? We actually had fleas have been introduced there for
some years, but it was an honor system and what
we found that a lot of the staff weren't very honest.
We've had a two hour parking there for a number
of years and people were just ignoring it. But Katie,
one thing that they forget is we ye, there was
a fair bit of violence up there and we had
(01:03):
request from the tenants for better security, so we put
in CCTV and fencing, and so we've got to there.
But I know that the rates have changed with the government.
We're waiting for signage to change. Because we had communicated
with all of the tenants there a number of times,
let them know what's happening, and normally and then people
(01:25):
don't respond and then when it all starts happening, they
start complaining about it.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
So it had always been the plan, or there'd always
been a plan that they were going to have to
pay for parking, and you reckon you'd communicated that, or
certainly Sentinel had communicated that to all all of those
those tenants that are in that Tascon building.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Numerous times, Katie, And it goes back some years. So
there was a number of the tenants paid for a
certain number of bays and then all the other parking
was a maximum two hours. So all those people are
now complaining. What they're acknowledging is that they were just
using it all this time and now that they've actually
had to pay for something that they don't like it.
(02:05):
So it has been like that for years. But we
have some of the tenants we have there now, I
actually got an email just afternoon at three point fifty
three from went to our Casarine Square Center manager Hi Alisa,
just wanted to say how much better the car park
is with the boomngates working. There are no complaints from
(02:26):
our clients, that's for sure. Some of the tenants we
have there, the Black Bank, we will know that does NTCAT,
who provide services to the public, NT Family Services for
domestic violence, and Indigenous Housing head Space which provide mental
health services, Steps who provide vacation training for refugees and
(02:47):
immigrants so they can integrate into the community. Now, all
of those tenants need parking for their clients, and what
was happening is they couldn't get it because you had
selfish workers whore who think they're entire the free parking
all the day.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Oh look, I don't know. I don't know if i'd
call them selfish workers, Warren. I get the point that
you're trying to make. But you know, but at the
end of the day, you're talking about, you know, people
there that are actually providing those services, you know, so
for to call, you know, the wonderful people working at
some of those incredible organizations selfish workers, I think they'll
be pretty upset to be hearing that. I mean, I
(03:24):
get that that you guys are a commercial entity and
that you need to provide that parking. There needs to
be that parking provided to those to those clients. But
I mean, is there any solution that could be found
here or is it just simply a matter of Sorry, guys,
you're not going to be able to park there anymore.
You've got to find a park somewhere else.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Well, I don't know what you call people who knew
that they were legally parking for years. I don't know
what you call a person like that. Anyway, you didn't
say the selfish No.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Well, look, because the people that have contacted me are actually,
you know, like great people that are working in some
of those health spaces that are saying, you know, we
didn't like at sixty bucks a day, it's an obscene
amount of.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Money or work. It's not voluntary work they're doing. No,
it's not.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
It's not, but sixty bucks a days insane.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Well, yeah, but they don't have to pay it, they
don't have to park there. Why don't they catch a bus?
Why they get a right for someone else? Maybe there
is a limited number of car packs. We can't create
any more car parks, so you've got to work out
what we do with those limited number. And while I
understand it's important for the staff to get the work
to provide the services the clients that they have, So
(04:34):
we have had people turn up the blood bank to
donate blood, so you actually have good people and they
can't get a car pack, so they drive off, so
there's not a blood supply. Because you've got staff parking
there for free when the site has said for years
to our maximum parking. And then you've got domestic violence
people who need a car pack. You don't think they're
(04:55):
in a die need of car pack. You have permanent
you have staff parked there all day for f do
we actually have We actually have a couple of landlords
who pay for parking for their staff. But at the
end of the day, even if they want to pay
one hundred dollars a day if they wanted to, there
are limited number of car parks that we have to
manage for the tenants so they can get clients. So
(05:16):
I don't know what suggestion people have. What these people
are saying is no, we just should all be able
to park there for free.
Speaker 1 (05:21):
Are you worried they might park across the road? Are
you worried they might end up parking at Casarina Square?
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Well, why should they park at Casarina Square? They're there
not shopping there.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Well I know, but I know there's just nowhere around.
So are you worried that that may end up being
where they park?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
No? No, But why is that? We pay our taxes,
we pay our rates, we pay all of our taxes.
Why is it up to a business to provide free parking?
Isn't that what we pay our taxes and rates for
for government to do that? Why should we do it?
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Well, look, I understand you know your side of the argument.
You guys are a commercial business, and like you've said,
there's is obviously a car park there that you know
is meant to provide parking to the clientele that are
going into those different organizations you know, I don't know. Yeah,
Well this is the thing. I don't have one. That's
(06:14):
why I'm asking you.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
We have one. We have charge a certain amount, and
it has to be an amount where where it's uncomfortable
for people, where some people say, listen, I'll get my
son to drop me off, I'll get my husband, I'll
get my wife to drop me off. I will I
will share parking with someone. What they've been used to
is just everyone, one car, one person, and we have
a limited number of car parks. If someone has got
(06:37):
a better solution for us, please tell us. But all
the solution is don't charge us. So well that doesn't
work because the property straight across the road from us
is now put in boom gates. So it's you know,
when we are not a charity and we give, we
give a lot of money the charity, so I don't
(06:57):
have people to say, you all, you're in for the money. Now.
If we don't make money, we can't reservice, we can't
do all these other things. So yes, you have to
make you have to make money.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Well, look, I don't know, I don't know what. I
don't know what the solution is, you know, but I
know people are upset, and obviously you know we wanted
to provide you. We wanted to provide you the right
of replies well or the opportunity to explain it to people,
because I think that that's important. Warren, Look, before I
let you go, how are things tracking at Casarina Square
(07:29):
at the moment? I know that you know that last
time we spoke there've been a big drop in some
of the issues that we've been seeing around crime and
anti social behavior. How is it tracking along?
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Still getting better every month now? One of our larger
tenants there are Two months ago they told us that
they have been a tenant there for over forty years
and their lowest theft on record was for May this year.
Now they've been told us that September this year is
now the lowest ever in forty years. Now that's symptomatic
(08:03):
of the whole center. We are finding so much better.
And I know that the particularly people in the state
will complain about sinok Ara government and some of the
laws so brought in, but I'll tell you, I think
most people in the nt have seen the benefits. And
we have another twenty CCTVs coming in to clamp down
on anti sexual behavior before it starts, so we couldn't
(08:26):
be happier with the way it's gone. And we've actually
had some presentations for some queens and politicians to show
what we've done and put up facts and figures where
the crime was, the type of crime, and what we
put in place. And now they are starting to investigate
some of that in cans and they've seen the difference.
So it's a partnership. Governments can only do so much,
but then you have to have a landlord's business owners
(08:48):
prepared to take advantage of those. And you know, I'd
rather no one get upset. We all dance around the
flagpole holding hands, but sometimes you've got to upset people
to achieve the results. So as far as the crime
is going, we're very very happy and the tenants are
absolutely over the moon. And one thing we've seen, Katie,
(09:10):
the new Tennessees we're creating with the quarter, we've got
a number of local restaurant food operators who twelve months
ago were wanting to cut back their operations at CATHERINEA
Square now wanting to add additional services because they've seen
the crime is reduced so much. Well that is good there,
gone really good up there.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Yeah, that is good. Use just on the point you've
made about you know, like some people obviously having concerns
around the Finocchiaro government's legislative changes. So you reckon that
those legislative changes for you, like at Casarina Square, for
you know, for the owners of Casarina Square. You reckon
that those legislative changes have had a positive.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Impact without a doubt. One of them is we now
have two of our security guards who are licensed to
tip out alcohol. Now, if you've got a six pack
in your shopping trolley, they don't those that tip them out.
That's people who are drinking in public. Now, these just
aren't any security guards. I've got to go through all
the proper courses how to de escalate everything else. And
(10:10):
what's happening now is we're getting those people who want
to drink in the car park. They've moved on now.
We could not do that under the previous regime. And
there's a heap of other things that are happening, and
it's you know, we actually have police back at the
Kasarina police station. Before there was hardly anyone there. It
has been enormous Cadian. Next time I'm up there, we've
(10:31):
got a full video on how bad it was and
you know, the blood and it wasn't very nice, and
how it's changed. So if you have time up there,
I'd love to get you and your staff and just
sit down with our management at casine Is Square and
have a look at it. So you've actually got the
facts and figures. It is enormous change.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Well, it's good to hear. I mean, it is good
to hear, and I think that it's good for everybody
to feel like it's safer when you go shopping wherever
it is. But Warren, we are going to have to
leave it. They're really good to speak to you this morning.
I appreciate your time absolutely, Thank you, Thanks so much,
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