Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Darwin’s Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis says the Council is considering replacing old bitumen footpaths with concrete ones but acknowledges there will be significant costs

Transcript

Darwin’s Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis says the Council is considering replacing old bitumen footpaths with concrete ones but acknowledges there will be significant costs · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Joining me in the studio right now is the Lord
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Mayor of Darwin conbat scarlets.
• 0:04
  Speaker 2: Good morning Corn, good morning kid in the Really, really
• 0:06
  Speaker 2: is the situation that we haven't seen before in Australia.
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: And I can understand how people feel at the moment,
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: because when you put the information your credit card details
• 0:15
  Speaker 2: in a company, you trust this company will have adequate
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: security measures in players to protect them. I wish you're
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: the best, but if I was in your situation, I'll
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: be going and asking for changing some of this vital
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: information and ask optors to pay for it. I believe
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: they've got security insurance, multimillion dollar insurance. I was listening
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  Speaker 2: thereader this morning, Well go for it. Make the companies
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: be careful twice or three times more one hundred percent.
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  Speaker 1: It's unbelievable, isn't that what's going on? The Northern Territory government,
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: the Chief Minister confirming just a short time ago, if
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: you are somebody here in the Northern Territory that's been impacted,
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: they will obviously help you to get your driver's license
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: for free, a new driver's license, but you goin, I
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  Speaker 1: need to do it.
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  Speaker 2: You have to do it right. To do the license
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: probably the passport. Now we believe made Care has been affected.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, this is really really crazy.
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  Speaker 3: It's unbelievable.
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  Speaker 2: News. First of all, the Rabbit Creek Bridge will be
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  Speaker 2: talking about it for a long time. We got the quotes.
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  Speaker 2: Now we're going to start walking the next two weeks
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  Speaker 2: putting new braces to make it safe for the time being,
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  Speaker 2: and will start work to actually replace completely the bridge
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  Speaker 2: with a new one.
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  Speaker 3: And so that'll start next week.
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  Speaker 2: We will start the next two weeks, next two weeks.
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  Speaker 2: At this stage, we believe all the parts are here.
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  Speaker 2: We believe the company has got under control. But our
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: timeline is next two weeks. So I let you know
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  Speaker 2: how this.
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  Speaker 1: One got any idea how long you reckon it'll take
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  Speaker 1: to replace?
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  Speaker 2: To replace will take more than a year because we
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  Speaker 2: have to do a lot of studies where we're going
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: to put it. You can't just put it where this
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  Speaker 2: one is, otherwise you close it. So but at the moment,
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  Speaker 2: we will do it safe for the public to use it,
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  Speaker 2: so it will reopen as soon as practically posuca.
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  Speaker 1: So the old one will reopen so people can still
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  Speaker 1: use that, but a new one.
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  Speaker 3: The replacing of it's going.
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  Speaker 2: To be fine manufacturer installed fantastic hundred news. Yes, you
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: know how we talked before about the Casurina Aquatic Legers
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  Speaker 2: Center closed on the third September. It came to my
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  Speaker 2: attention that actually there was a competition in the para pool,
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  Speaker 2: and that competition actually was until the fourth of October.
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  Speaker 2: That wouldn't allow people to use the parap pool as.
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  Speaker 3: The cashup as usual.
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  Speaker 2: So we walked together with the contractor in Kashna Pool. Now,
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  Speaker 2: the Kahuna Pool will be open on Monday and Tuesday
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  Speaker 2: from nine to two the third and fourth of so
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  Speaker 2: it's school holidays, it's hot, the kids can have some fun,
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  Speaker 2: especially from nine to two pm for two days and
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  Speaker 2: until the competition finishes, then they can use it.
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  Speaker 1: It's a massive competition, the Australian Country Championships taking place.
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  Speaker 1: Wonderful about three hundred and seventy nominations I've already had.
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  Speaker 3: I think it's a fantastic thing to do.
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  Speaker 2: Well. Did you know that some of the Libyans that
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  Speaker 2: actually won gold medal in the recent Olympics they trained
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  Speaker 2: in the pool.
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  Speaker 1: I know, I know. I don't think we can take
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  Speaker 1: credit for them.
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  Speaker 2: I think they you can't train Barners three degrees, can
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  Speaker 2: you at least we were here? And the other one
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  Speaker 2: is the Kim Farah, the new councilor was sworn yesterday.
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  Speaker 2: Is it's a local person's been here for a long
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  Speaker 2: long time and she had different positions as real estate agent,
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  Speaker 2: her own business and now she will be representing the
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  Speaker 2: Water's world. She was thrown in yesterday and she took
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  Speaker 2: part in the first meeting.
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  Speaker 3: Good stuff.
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  Speaker 2: When I come around here, I come with what do
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  Speaker 2: they say, big where Grigsbury and gifts. So now now
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  Speaker 2: one thing I would say is we had a big
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  Speaker 2: debate about the footpaths. Now, you know the two kinds
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  Speaker 2: of footpaths, the one that actually the old bitch women
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  Speaker 2: installed about fifty years ago, and we've had the new
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  Speaker 2: ones that comply with Australian standards, certain with certain strength
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  Speaker 2: that actually in one side of the road. We had
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  Speaker 2: a number of people complaining because as the old footpaths
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  Speaker 2: becoming obsolete and the fall apart, we remove them, so
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  Speaker 2: people as well can you replace them? So we actually
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  Speaker 2: sat down yesterday and we discussed it and we will
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  Speaker 2: have to say a round round for a while until
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  Speaker 2: I said, listen, we have to make a decision. The
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  Speaker 2: decision ours and we can change the policy to have
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  Speaker 2: foot paths on both streets. But the policy without money
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  Speaker 2: is nothing, So us as elected members, we have to
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  Speaker 2: sit down very carefully consider how much money is needed.
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  Speaker 2: We have to make some decisions in the new budget
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  Speaker 2: and then put money aside to start putting concrete foot
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  Speaker 2: paths in both sides of the road.
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  Speaker 3: You're essentially now reviewing the.
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  Speaker 2: Decision, the policy, and we will have to find the
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  Speaker 2: money and we will sit down and find the money.
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  Speaker 2: Because if we're going to put foot paths, we cannot
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  Speaker 2: just slap some pitturemen the on the on the road.
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  Speaker 2: It has to be done properly, so people with will chairs,
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  Speaker 2: people with disabilities, we have to actually see how we're
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  Speaker 2: going to do so we don't have to cut down
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  Speaker 2: mature trees. And if unnecessarily how.
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  Speaker 3: Many people of rices with you?
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  Speaker 2: Is paying an issue a lot of people in when
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  Speaker 2: the problem is it becomes an issue when people turn
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  Speaker 2: up and start digging out the foot paths. Then people
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  Speaker 2: become aware you're taking my footpath away. The reality is
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  Speaker 2: we don't take a foot by a way. We actually
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  Speaker 2: make sure you don't get injury walking in uneven footpath
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  Speaker 2: or footpath that's broken down. But I can understand people says, well,
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  Speaker 2: if we want to be a city, we actually we
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  Speaker 2: don't rely on cars. We want to walk. Okay, as
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  Speaker 2: the bitchamin footpaths become solely the stuff for in a part,
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  Speaker 2: we'll be replacing them slowly with proper footpaths or but
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  Speaker 2: that will cost money. And the elected members now they
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  Speaker 2: have to make some serious decisions how we're going to
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  Speaker 2: allocate the money.
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  Speaker 1: How much does it cost to you know, to replace
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  Speaker 1: the footpath.
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  Speaker 2: If everything is perfect and nothing else is needed, just
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  Speaker 2: rep often put in your football, will cost about fifteen
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  Speaker 2: to twenty.
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  Speaker 3: Million dollars in how many locations throughout that.
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  Speaker 2: Well, we have the old bitchmen footpaths.
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  Speaker 1: So fifteen to twenty million dollars for us to have
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  Speaker 1: duplicate footpaths on both sides.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, However, if we find underground underground services and trees,
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  Speaker 2: the plush will go up. So this is why I
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  Speaker 2: said to the councilors. You can talk about it as
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  Speaker 2: much as you like, but at the end of the
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  Speaker 2: day you have to make a decision.
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  Speaker 3: Do you reckon that's money? Well, spent.
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  Speaker 2: Look, I believe so if we're going to bring people out,
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  Speaker 2: if people with disability can walk safe in the footpath,
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  Speaker 2: and if it's not throughout Dowwin, you have to remember
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  Speaker 2: that the new subdivisions have got one big footpath in
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  Speaker 2: one side. However, if this is school, it's a bigger material.
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  Speaker 2: They've got in both sides. So it's going to be
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  Speaker 2: a small part of Darwin. But I can't do it
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  Speaker 2: in one lot. It's too much money. We're going to
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  Speaker 2: do it in a period of time, slowly, steadily replaced.
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  Speaker 3: Okay, So just talk me through that fifteen to twenty million.
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  Speaker 1: So that is the work that's already happening, or that's
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  Speaker 1: if we decide to do it, it will happen.
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  Speaker 3: It will happen.
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  Speaker 2: It's about for eight thousand square meters of footpath.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, so eight thousand square mesas Now what happens though,
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  Speaker 1: if the councilors go out they speak to everybody in
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  Speaker 1: their electorate. Everybody says, no, no, we want foot parts
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  Speaker 1: on both sides of the road. Are we talking then
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  Speaker 1: between thirty million and forty million.
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  Speaker 2: Look, we have nobody's complaining where they've got the proper footpaths.
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  Speaker 2: The builder complaining of the ones they had a beachmin
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  Speaker 2: one and they're falling apart, so we start from that one.
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  Speaker 2: You can always change the planning guidelines and demand footpaths
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  Speaker 2: on both sides for the new subdivisions. But the other time,
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  Speaker 2: I mean, I leave in Nightcliffe it had one footpath
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  Speaker 2: in one side of the road. There was no problem
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  Speaker 2: about it. People used it because big white footpath. I
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  Speaker 2: lived in near here. There was one footpath in the
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  Speaker 2: one side of the road. People didn't complain. They used
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  Speaker 2: that one. But at the moment, if we have in
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  Speaker 2: some of the oldest suburbs the two footpaths, will consider it.
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  Speaker 2: But as I do. You before you're elected there to
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  Speaker 2: make decisions. You know, the elected they had to win
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  Speaker 2: and carry on. So if you want to put two footpaths,
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  Speaker 2: you have to sit down and carefully consider where you
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  Speaker 2: find the money. I can because we don't have infinite
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  Speaker 2: resources and we can't run the deficit. So guys be
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  Speaker 2: prepared to actually put your thinking caps on and do
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  Speaker 2: it and have to think about where you borrowing money
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  Speaker 2: we have within the resources. Yeah, so everybody now it's
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: happy with that. They finally reached the stage I second
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  Speaker 2: chart of listening people complaining and carry on and nothing happens.
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  Speaker 2: If we're going to do something, let's do it all right.
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  Speaker 1: So the council is reviewing that decision, and you're going
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  Speaker 1: to be reviewing where those footpaths are corn. Let me
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: talk to you though about the situation with well with
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: bulky items, as we've seen them all around the place.
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  Speaker 1: There's basically people are putting all sorts of things out
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  Speaker 1: on the footpaths across the city for the cyclone clean up.
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  Speaker 3: Where's it at at the moment as we come.
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  Speaker 2: As I was coming here, they were cleaning the area
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  Speaker 2: near the center and I saw a big bob cut
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  Speaker 2: with a huge ridge in it, putting the fridge in
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  Speaker 2: the druck. We asked before about people we actually got
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: problems like pensions or people. Give us a ring. We'll
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  Speaker 2: try to help you as much as we can. People
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  Speaker 2: with disabilities, give us a ring. We'll try to help
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  Speaker 2: you as much as we can. It's important that we
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: remove these heavy items because I don't know if you've
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: seen the film or the video or the photographs. There
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: was a car dragged up all the way in one
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  Speaker 2: of the hotels in the esplanade during Cyclone Tracy and
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: then I was thrown to the poor. He was dragged
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: up to the third floor. Yeah right, the strength of
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: a cycling so the fridge will be nothing. Yep. I
• 9:00
  Speaker 2: want to say something more and sad news. The day,
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: the night before yesterday, Consul Jape passed away. Everybody knows
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: the Jay family. I had the privilege to know Consul personally.
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: And actually the last trip to dilly Alan, his son
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: took me to the place where he was born and
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: grew up. And I can tell you what. He grew
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: up in a very small village, in a small house
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: and his father was a baker. But from this little
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: baker boy, he became an investor, multi millionaire, a person
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: who put faith in Darwin and a person who actually
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: helped a lot of community here in Darwin and in Timour. Actually,
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: as a fact, opposite his old house in Bara in
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: Timour there's a brand new municipal office complex that all
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: was paid by the Jape family.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, incredible, making mention of the two.
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: Abulances he donated to Timol government for tim more people
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: and all the things they're done here. But the most
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: important thing is look the investment They came from tim
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: More in seventy six and they decided Dowin's the place
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: to be. They're stading down, investing down and reinvest in Dowen.
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: He will be suddenly mistake.
• 10:09
  Speaker 3: He will be our thoughts certainly with his family. Corn.
• 10:12
  Speaker 3: A couple of questions from listeners this morning. I've got
• 10:14
  Speaker 3: one here.
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: Paul says he's noticed people putting bulky items on the
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: streets of Malac for council cyclone clean up. But the
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: collection's already been done in this area. What happens in
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: this instance? Are there fines or who needs to remove
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: those items?
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: If they put the items outside the collection time, they
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: have to take themselves to the tip. It was well advertised.
• 10:35
  Speaker 2: We spoke about it many times. It was the media,
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: It was on television. It was not the radio or
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: the anting news putting them up. Now take them back,
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: get the trailer and take them to the tip yourself, Corne.
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: We can't just keep going back and back.
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: No, exactly, it's a bloody waste of time. Now there's
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: one here from Allan and it says, Hi, Candy, your
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: question for Corn. The Leania water Park's been under renovations
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: for what seems like the last six months.
• 10:56
  Speaker 3: Now, do you have an update?
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: I don't because that's an odory government park. I believe
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: they were upgrading some areas there ahead already. The other
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: day they run out of time because of you know,
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: the big problem now is either lack of resources or
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: lack of material, so they're running behind. But speak to
• 11:13
  Speaker 2: your local member, Naria Kid and are pretty sure she
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: will have an answer.
• 11:17
  Speaker 3: Coron Khan as always good to catch up with you.