Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now, as you would have heard on the show over
recent days, we've taken a lot of calls from Cyclone
Tracy survivors in recent days, yesterday particularly unhappy with the
council's decision to continue ahead with what they are now
describing as a public artwork at Bundilla Beach. Now. The
Remembering Cyclone Tracy Committee, though, is today due to hold
(00:20):
a media event in view of recent controversy over the
Cyclone Tracy memorial, and they're going to be revealing the
memorial that they had proposed for erection at East Point.
The memorial as we know it is well, it sounded
like it was going to be spectacular. Joining us in
the studio right now to talk a little bit more
about this is Richard Creswick, the chair of Remembering Cyclone Tracy.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Good morning to you, rich At.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Good morning Katie. Thanks again for having me on.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Richard.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
I bet you're thinking to yourself, goodness me, you've had
more media in the last week than you probably imagined.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
It's been. It's been an interesting time. And you know
what they say about the adult is proverb may you
live in them?
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Yeah, well, look it has been a very interesting time. Now,
why have you decided to hold the media event today.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
We had Techi's proposal put to us, and we have
shown it around to many many people, to almost universal
love and appreciation, but we had not put it out
to the public, and Techi felt and we agreed that
(01:30):
she at least should have the right to have her
her vision out in the public for the public to see, acknowledge,
and hopefully support, even though it's difficult.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Look, I agree, I actually think it's a really good
idea for people to be able to see what she
had proposed and what she would do if there was.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
More funding that six hundred thousand.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
It was nice about that.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Yeah, And you know, I like what I love is
the idea behind it as well, that's sort of emerging
out of you know, out of the water as well.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
At low tide it would have been spectacular, and even
at high tide, just you know, sitting sticking out of
the water, it would have been it would have been
a major tourist attraction. But as you say, we we
we could not raise the six hundred thousand, So our
fallback position became Techi's second element, which is what we've
(02:29):
been calling the Frangipani flowers and they would be on land.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Now, Richard, I know that you're bound by confidentiality being
on the on the committee that is obviously trying your
best to work with counsel on you know, on everything
that's being planned for the fiftieth anniversary commemorations.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Look, I suppose I for me earlier in.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
The week, I was quite surprised by some of what
the Lord Mayor had said. And please just tell me.
You can't talk about something if I if I ask
you something that you can't answer. But the Lord Mayor,
I mean, had essentially said that the reason that they've
gone with this public kinetic art work at Bundilla Beach
is because that was what the committee, what you.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Guys have wanted. Are you able to comment on that
in any.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Way only to say that there's a little bit of
fudging going on there, that's all I can say about that.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
In terms of and again you and I did speak
about this last week in terms of the amount of
money now that's going to a connectic art work at
Bundela Beach comparatively, because that's what the Lord Mayor has
now described it as as a public artwork at Bundela Beach.
He said, it is not for Cyclone Tracy. So when
you look at the amount of funding that's in going
(03:50):
towards that comparatively to a memorial for Cyclone Tracy, does
that seem unfair.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
We would like to propose that the the the city
Council work with us and on putting up our proposal,
our proposed memorial. Now they say they're committed to the
to the kinetic sculpture. That's locked in as far as
(04:19):
they're concerned. The money from the federal government, which of
course we we believe was going to a Cyclone Tracing memorial,
which which the monument is now not. It's no longer
a memorial to Cyclone Tracy, as was clearly stated originally,
it's now a public artwork. But that's that is apparently
(04:41):
locked in as well. So we are back to funding
our own proposals ourself. Yeah, there was just one other thing.
The the Lord Mayor did did talk about some money
to us for landsc gaping or whatever associated with our
(05:02):
our sculptures. We as I understand it, that money. There
is no money that has not been committed, and the
council has has not given my committee any money whatsoever
for this proposal.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
He made it sound to me on Tuesday there was
going to be two hundred thousand dollars going towards east Point.
Has that figure ever been raised with you guys?
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Know? And as I understand it, it does not exist. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Look there, my mind is blowing over this whole situation,
I think, Richard, and I know it is for so
many people that are Cyclone Tracy survivors. And I think
probably the most important thing for me over the last
couple of weeks has been that it's actually like this
whole situation has made me realize how important it is
(05:51):
that we actually get it right. I've had a number
of people speak to me over the last couple of
days who can hardly even speak about their experience following
on from Cyclone Tracy because it is still so emotional
for them.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
And I do wonder in some ways whether.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
This really hasn't been treated with the respect that it
actually deserves. You know, that maybe the council didn't, you know,
they haven't. They don't seem to have gotten this right
from my perspective, that is my perspective. But actually, you know,
sitting down and making sure that we do because it
means so much to so many people, whether you're a
(06:30):
Cyclone Tracy survivor or not.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Well, we we, as you know, formed as a committee
out of the Cyclone Tracy Survivor's Facebook page in January
last year. We approached the city Council and the government
and various other government bodies about supporting us in our
proposals for Cyclone Tracy commemoration, saying that we would we
(06:55):
wanted to represent the survivors and ensure that their voice
as were heard and respected. Council told us after six
or seven months that they wouldn't be supporting us, and
they financially or in any other way, but they were
forming their own committee, which is how come that the
(07:17):
council's committee was formed. I've been in that I was
invited to be on that committee representing Cyclone Tracy survivors,
but or my committee representing remembering Cyclone Tracy.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
But I have.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
When I've not felt that our voices in fact were heard.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Yeah, and you know, I'd wondered that I had really
wondered that earlier in the week after the discussion with
the Lord Mayor, I felt as though you guys, and
these are my words, certainly not yours, but i'd felt
as so you guys have been thrown under the bus
a little bit, to to put it pretty bluntly, and
I actually, you know again, I also I think we've
got to get this right. And I know that it's
(08:06):
so important to you, to all of the other Cyclone
Tracy survivors. I do just want to I want to
just read this press release out that came out from
the Prime Minister earlier this year in relation to to
Bundulla Beach and that funding proposal. Because it sees fifty
years after Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin, the Albanezi and Lawla
(08:27):
governments are going to honor the memory of those who
died and those whose lives were irrevocably changed with a
permanent monument and separate permanent memorial in Darwin.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
That press release.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Reads the Australian Government is giving a total of six
hundred thousand dollars to the Northern Territory Government to work
in partnership with stakeholders to install a kinetic monument at
Bundilla Beach as well as a memorial designed by a
local artist at East Point. So to me, that is
(09:01):
six hundred thousand dollars that should be going towards well
Cyclone Tracy and a memorial and a monument to Cyclone Tracy.
To me, that pressure release does not say that it's
going towards a kinectic art work and to redevelop Bundilla Beach. Again,
my words not yours, but I feel you know, I
(09:26):
feel for you guys, because I really do believe that
we have to get this right.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
The issues there as it stands at this moment, there
are several issues for us. One is around the funding
for that proposed memorial in the sea. The second is
the hoops we have to have to jump through if
that were to go ahead. The Aboriginaria's Protection Authority wants
(09:57):
once is required to issue an authority. Now, we had
early indications from them as far back as March that
there were no sacred sites implications. I've spoken to representatives
of the relevant aboriginal organizations, no sacred sites implications at all.
(10:18):
But the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics requires that
we get an upper certificate, an upper authority to guarantee
that there are no sacred sites in it. Now, this
proposal takes up the space of about a cricket pitch
(10:39):
on the rocky reef looking out over from East Point.
We're not marine biologists, experts, or even oceanographic experts, so
we can't talk about things like erosion, things like impacts
on wading shore birds, potential roosting places, turtle, turtle hatcheries
(11:06):
or whatever. We can't talk about that because we don't know.
These are some of the issues that we are being
forced to confront.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Richard. Where to from.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
Here short of of some major benefactor coming out, the
Council's made it clear that we will not get their money,
the Bundela Beach money, and that's understandable.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Short of a major benefactor coming up with six hundred thousand,
we will go with just the Frangipanni, the land based component,
which the Council have said, con has said and the
Council are working with us to ensure that that goes
at an appropriate place, and we really appreciate that because
that's important. But we now have the funding required for that,
(11:57):
following the Chief Minister's announcement of one hundred thousand dollars
to us and the Prime Minister's three hundred thousand, so
we're away and clear on that, and we just have
to now meet all the other requirements like site works,
traffic management, ensuring that people's safety is considered not the
(12:24):
rest of it.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Richard, we have just got a statement from the Member
for Solomon Luke Gosling. He has just issued a statement
and said earlier this year, the Australian Government announce sday
total six hundred thousand dollars in funding towards a permanent
monument at Bundilla Beach and separate permanent memorial at East
Point in Darwin to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Cyclone Tracy.
Luke Goslin continues by saying, I'm aware of community feedback
(12:49):
and uncertainty around the planned City of Darwin project and
the distress that it has caused some survivors and those
connected to Cyclone Tracy. I've written to the City of
Darwin Lord Mayor and asked for clarity around their planned
permanent monument at Mandila Beach and how it relates to
the fiftieth anniversary of Cyclone Tracy. So look, we'll stay
(13:10):
on to this issue. Please keep us up to date
with how everything progresses as well. I appreciate you coming
back into the studio for the second time in a
few days.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
That's look, Katie. We appreciate your interest in the topic
and in our project, and we really do appreciate your support.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Thank you very much, anytime, anytime. Thank you so much
for your time this morning.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
We'll talk to you again soon.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Thanks, thank you.
Now, as you would have heard on the show over
recent days, we've taken a lot of calls from Cyclone
Tracy survivors in recent days, yesterday particularly unhappy with the
council's decision to continue ahead with what they are now
describing as a public artwork at Bundilla Beach. Now. The
Remembering Cyclone Tracy Committee, though, is today due to hold
(00:20):
a media event in view of recent controversy over the
Cyclone Tracy memorial, and they're going to be revealing the
memorial that they had proposed for erection at East Point.
The memorial as we know it is well, it sounded
like it was going to be spectacular. Joining us in
the studio right now to talk a little bit more
about this is Richard Creswick, the chair of Remembering Cyclone Tracy.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Good morning to you, rich At.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
Good morning Katie. Thanks again for having me on.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Richard.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
I bet you're thinking to yourself, goodness me, you've had
more media in the last week than you probably imagined.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
It's been. It's been an interesting time. And you know
what they say about the adult is proverb may you
live in them?
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Yeah, well, look it has been a very interesting time. Now,
why have you decided to hold the media event today.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
We had Techi's proposal put to us, and we have
shown it around to many many people, to almost universal
love and appreciation, but we had not put it out
to the public, and Techi felt and we agreed that
(01:30):
she at least should have the right to have her
her vision out in the public for the public to see, acknowledge,
and hopefully support, even though it's difficult.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
Look, I agree, I actually think it's a really good
idea for people to be able to see what she
had proposed and what she would do if there was.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
More funding that six hundred thousand.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
It was nice about that.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Yeah, And you know, I like what I love is
the idea behind it as well, that's sort of emerging
out of you know, out of the water as well.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
At low tide it would have been spectacular, and even
at high tide, just you know, sitting sticking out of
the water, it would have been it would have been
a major tourist attraction. But as you say, we we
we could not raise the six hundred thousand, So our
fallback position became Techi's second element, which is what we've
(02:29):
been calling the Frangipani flowers and they would be on land.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Now, Richard, I know that you're bound by confidentiality being
on the on the committee that is obviously trying your
best to work with counsel on you know, on everything
that's being planned for the fiftieth anniversary commemorations.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Look, I suppose I for me earlier in.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
The week, I was quite surprised by some of what
the Lord Mayor had said. And please just tell me.
You can't talk about something if I if I ask
you something that you can't answer. But the Lord Mayor,
I mean, had essentially said that the reason that they've
gone with this public kinetic art work at Bundilla Beach
is because that was what the committee, what you.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Guys have wanted. Are you able to comment on that
in any.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Way only to say that there's a little bit of
fudging going on there, that's all I can say about that.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
In terms of and again you and I did speak
about this last week in terms of the amount of
money now that's going to a connectic art work at
Bundela Beach comparatively, because that's what the Lord Mayor has
now described it as as a public artwork at Bundela Beach.
He said, it is not for Cyclone Tracy. So when
you look at the amount of funding that's in going
(03:50):
towards that comparatively to a memorial for Cyclone Tracy, does
that seem unfair.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
We would like to propose that the the the city
Council work with us and on putting up our proposal,
our proposed memorial. Now they say they're committed to the
to the kinetic sculpture. That's locked in as far as
(04:19):
they're concerned. The money from the federal government, which of
course we we believe was going to a Cyclone Tracing memorial,
which which the monument is now not. It's no longer
a memorial to Cyclone Tracy, as was clearly stated originally,
it's now a public artwork. But that's that is apparently
(04:41):
locked in as well. So we are back to funding
our own proposals ourself. Yeah, there was just one other thing.
The the Lord Mayor did did talk about some money
to us for landsc gaping or whatever associated with our
(05:02):
our sculptures. We as I understand it, that money. There
is no money that has not been committed, and the
council has has not given my committee any money whatsoever
for this proposal.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
He made it sound to me on Tuesday there was
going to be two hundred thousand dollars going towards east Point.
Has that figure ever been raised with you guys?
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Know? And as I understand it, it does not exist. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Look there, my mind is blowing over this whole situation,
I think, Richard, and I know it is for so
many people that are Cyclone Tracy survivors. And I think
probably the most important thing for me over the last
couple of weeks has been that it's actually like this
whole situation has made me realize how important it is
(05:51):
that we actually get it right. I've had a number
of people speak to me over the last couple of
days who can hardly even speak about their experience following
on from Cyclone Tracy because it is still so emotional
for them.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
And I do wonder in some ways whether.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
This really hasn't been treated with the respect that it
actually deserves. You know, that maybe the council didn't, you know,
they haven't. They don't seem to have gotten this right
from my perspective, that is my perspective. But actually, you know,
sitting down and making sure that we do because it
means so much to so many people, whether you're a
(06:30):
Cyclone Tracy survivor or not.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Well, we we, as you know, formed as a committee
out of the Cyclone Tracy Survivor's Facebook page in January
last year. We approached the city Council and the government
and various other government bodies about supporting us in our
proposals for Cyclone Tracy commemoration, saying that we would we
(06:55):
wanted to represent the survivors and ensure that their voice
as were heard and respected. Council told us after six
or seven months that they wouldn't be supporting us, and
they financially or in any other way, but they were
forming their own committee, which is how come that the
(07:17):
council's committee was formed. I've been in that I was
invited to be on that committee representing Cyclone Tracy survivors,
but or my committee representing remembering Cyclone Tracy.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
But I have.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
When I've not felt that our voices in fact were heard.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Yeah, and you know, I'd wondered that I had really
wondered that earlier in the week after the discussion with
the Lord Mayor, I felt as though you guys, and
these are my words, certainly not yours, but i'd felt
as so you guys have been thrown under the bus
a little bit, to to put it pretty bluntly, and
I actually, you know again, I also I think we've
got to get this right. And I know that it's
(08:06):
so important to you, to all of the other Cyclone
Tracy survivors. I do just want to I want to
just read this press release out that came out from
the Prime Minister earlier this year in relation to to
Bundulla Beach and that funding proposal. Because it sees fifty
years after Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin, the Albanezi and Lawla
(08:27):
governments are going to honor the memory of those who
died and those whose lives were irrevocably changed with a
permanent monument and separate permanent memorial in Darwin.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
That press release.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Reads the Australian Government is giving a total of six
hundred thousand dollars to the Northern Territory Government to work
in partnership with stakeholders to install a kinetic monument at
Bundilla Beach as well as a memorial designed by a
local artist at East Point. So to me, that is
(09:01):
six hundred thousand dollars that should be going towards well
Cyclone Tracy and a memorial and a monument to Cyclone Tracy.
To me, that pressure release does not say that it's
going towards a kinectic art work and to redevelop Bundilla Beach. Again,
my words not yours, but I feel you know, I
(09:26):
feel for you guys, because I really do believe that
we have to get this right.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
The issues there as it stands at this moment, there
are several issues for us. One is around the funding
for that proposed memorial in the sea. The second is
the hoops we have to have to jump through if
that were to go ahead. The Aboriginaria's Protection Authority wants
(09:57):
once is required to issue an authority. Now, we had
early indications from them as far back as March that
there were no sacred sites implications. I've spoken to representatives
of the relevant aboriginal organizations, no sacred sites implications at all.
(10:18):
But the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics requires that
we get an upper certificate, an upper authority to guarantee
that there are no sacred sites in it. Now, this
proposal takes up the space of about a cricket pitch
(10:39):
on the rocky reef looking out over from East Point.
We're not marine biologists, experts, or even oceanographic experts, so
we can't talk about things like erosion, things like impacts
on wading shore birds, potential roosting places, turtle, turtle hatcheries
(11:06):
or whatever. We can't talk about that because we don't know.
These are some of the issues that we are being
forced to confront.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
Richard. Where to from.
Speaker 4 (11:16):
Here short of of some major benefactor coming out, the
Council's made it clear that we will not get their money,
the Bundela Beach money, and that's understandable.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Short of a major benefactor coming up with six hundred thousand,
we will go with just the Frangipanni, the land based component,
which the Council have said, con has said and the
Council are working with us to ensure that that goes
at an appropriate place, and we really appreciate that because
that's important. But we now have the funding required for that,
(11:57):
following the Chief Minister's announcement of one hundred thousand dollars
to us and the Prime Minister's three hundred thousand, so
we're away and clear on that, and we just have
to now meet all the other requirements like site works,
traffic management, ensuring that people's safety is considered not the
(12:24):
rest of it.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Richard, we have just got a statement from the Member
for Solomon Luke Gosling. He has just issued a statement
and said earlier this year, the Australian Government announce sday
total six hundred thousand dollars in funding towards a permanent
monument at Bundilla Beach and separate permanent memorial at East
Point in Darwin to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Cyclone Tracy.
Luke Goslin continues by saying, I'm aware of community feedback
(12:49):
and uncertainty around the planned City of Darwin project and
the distress that it has caused some survivors and those
connected to Cyclone Tracy. I've written to the City of
Darwin Lord Mayor and asked for clarity around their planned
permanent monument at Mandila Beach and how it relates to
the fiftieth anniversary of Cyclone Tracy. So look, we'll stay
(13:10):
on to this issue. Please keep us up to date
with how everything progresses as well. I appreciate you coming
back into the studio for the second time in a
few days.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
That's look, Katie. We appreciate your interest in the topic
and in our project, and we really do appreciate your support.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Thank you very much, anytime, anytime. Thank you so much
for your time this morning.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
We'll talk to you again soon.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Thanks, thank you.
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