Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis says Lake Alexander has been closed after elevated levels of bacteria were detected in water testing

Transcript

Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis says Lake Alexander has been closed after elevated levels of bacteria were detected in water testing · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Joining me in the studio right now, the Lord Mayor
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: of daw And convat Scarlus.
• 0:03
  Speaker 2: Good morning, Katie, and before you start asking me questions,
• 0:06
  Speaker 2: let me give you an answer. Last week we had
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: somebody who ran from down a court and the crumbling
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: roads and about the footpath. I have to say that
• 0:17
  Speaker 2: our team now is visiting the area to find out
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: the condition of the roads, to see if the road
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: is crumbling and if it needs repair. With regards to
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: the footpath, we've got a program for footpath. Yes, the
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: current program for twenty two three is fully committed, so
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: we have to go to the new program and the
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: new budget, and certainly we're going to have a look
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: at it, find out how many people it serves and
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: if it's critical, and if it is, it will include
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: the new program. However, if people want to actually safely
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: cross Garrimella Boulevard, they can use the Tiger Brean Gonzales
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: Road in the intersection. There are science there and they
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: can cross it.
• 0:55
  Speaker 3: But again but it's further up then it's a bit act.
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: There's no way I can do all their foot path
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: once we programmed them. Yeah, and certainly we look at it.
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: But so it's more so if you're like, it's fair
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: enough if you're going up into the city on Tiger
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: Brennan and you're all Gurrimella Boulevard. But it's it's if
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: you're actually going in towards like the Stuart Park area
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: and you.
• 1:17
  Speaker 3: Can't like that it's around that corner area.
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: I know because I went there myself for a ride
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: with my son and I was not going to let
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: him right up around that corner because it was dangerous.
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: Because it's dangerous and I don't forget a very high
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: speed road. You don't want anybody to cross the road
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: to try to go on the other side. So my
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: strong advice is use the traffic lights. I know it
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: might be a bit feather up, no.
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: I know. But then once like if you live in
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: the estate, there's actually you know, it's it's not City Valley.
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: I can't think of the name of it right now,
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: but it's like the Stuart Parker State. You actually like
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: you're not like you're talking about going up that part
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: of the road, so you're not talking about crossing Guramilla
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: because once you get across there, there's not a footpath
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: anyway to go up there.
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: But I said to you before it would be include
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: the program, but in this year's program, because twenty to
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: twenty three is fully committed. We already programmed it, but
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: certainly might We'll be looking at it and find out
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: and advice council accordingly what we have to do and
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: if it's something very urgent and they come to me
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: it says it has to be done. Certainly comes from
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: find a way to actually bring it forward.
• 2:16
  Speaker 3: Yeah, because it's around there near the quarry area.
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: I think you know you know where I mean, like
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: up there a bit further so it's sort of you know,
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: if you're going up that way, you're not going up
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: Gara Miller. It's it's going in different directions. So, and
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: there are a lot of young families that live in
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: that area. I know a large number of them, you
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: know that that are in that area, And I guess
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: it's about making sure the safe.
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: Currently we've got a lot of requests for footpath. So
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: we've got requests on the other side of the road
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  Speaker 2: that comes from Stuart Park towas Carmela, opposite the one
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: mile camp camp. We've got requests about Warner so a
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: lot of people asking for that one but yeuys, I'm sorry.
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: I can't do everything at once. It has to be
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: programmed and will happen.
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: But you have got a team going out that happen.
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: Are going to have a look at the road and
• 2:57
  Speaker 3: they will come back.
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 2:58
  Speaker 3: Perfect, Let us know.
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: I keep us now Coln like Alexander, we know that
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: it's been closed due to the water quality.
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: How are things tracking along there?
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: It's unfortunately when we have a heavy rain event, Lake
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: Alexander gets water and gets contaminated because they sentiments stirred.
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: We find out it was a high We do regularly tests,
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: we find out a high bacterial load, so we close
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: the shop. We don't put people's life in danger. We're
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: flashing it with the fresh sea water and in a
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: couple of days or three days, it will be completely
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: flashed and will open it again. Keep an eye on
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: our Facebook page, on our website and you find out
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: when exactly it's open. I'm not going to risk your
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: life or your health. Just keep it open. I'm sorry
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: it happens. This is down when it happens everywhere. We've
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: got these kind of events.
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: I did get told yesterday, we did get a message
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: from a listener siying tidie. There's somebody in there swimming.
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: There's two people in there swimming at the moment. Will
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: I can crook?
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: I don't know.
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  Speaker 2: And that's why we don't take the risk. The problem
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: means they know it's closed. If they swim, that means
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: they take their own risk. They can't blame they can't
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: for that one, because everybody knows it's closed. It was
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: in the newspaper, it was the news, it was your program,
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: it was on television. Everybody knows about it. It's son posted.
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: So don't well, don't do it.
• 4:11
  Speaker 3: Yeah, well that's the thing. It's closed for a reason.
• 4:13
  Speaker 3: That's right. You know it's not closed because I just
• 4:16
  Speaker 3: felt like, yeah, that's exactly right.
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: So just do avoid it, and and yeah, take care,
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: maybe head off to one of the swimming pools. Although
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: I know Nightcliff was closed yesterday, will for maintenance. But
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: is it back open today?
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: You will be open when the men's frontalage. We have
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: to actually meant it is like your car you have
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: to put for service, you catch a taxi.
• 4:32
  Speaker 3: Oh, absolutely, just the same thing without its frastructure.
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: I grew up my father was a swimming coach con
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: so I know that you've got to make sure that
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: you go after those pools. You've got to make sure
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: that you know that the levels that everything's working correctly
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: in their backyard.
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: Knows very well if you want to have a safe
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: swimming pool, you have to look after it and maintain.
• 4:48
  Speaker 3: You certainly do now.
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: Con we had a bit of a discussion yesterday with
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: Keyesier Puric, the Member for Goida, about the Northern Territory
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: Library which is based at Parliament House now. She questioned
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: in parliament last week why it's moving now. Apparently the
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: word on the street is that it's going to be
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: moving to the Charles Darwin UNI campus when it opens,
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: which is still a little while away.
• 5:10
  Speaker 3: Is this anything to do with council?
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: Nothing to do with Council's government. It was part of
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: the city deal. When the new university campus is finished,
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: then there was an idea to move the library, the
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: reference library, from the Panama House there. It's not a
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: council issue, that's a Territory government.
• 5:26
  Speaker 3: Issue, Mika.
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: I will follow it up with the Northern Territory Government,
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: but nothing to do with the Council at this point
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: in time.
• 5:32
  Speaker 3: Con, what else has been happening? I know that.
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: You know, we are continually obviously talking about issues with
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: crime and anti social behavior, but what are different problem.
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: I've got a problem with one of the trees at
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: the mall. We find out that the tree is not
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: in a very good health. We find out actually the
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: root ball has really not performing very well and there
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: is a danger for the tree to fall down. Which
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: tree problem is the tree is very close to the
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: playground and if it falls down it will do damage
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: and I don't want any kids help to be at risk.
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: So we made a hard decision. We have to cut
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: it down. We're going to cut it down. It's a
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: yellow flame tree near the children's play area. We're going
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: to remove it very soon. But not to worry about.
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: We're going to replant another tree in the area to
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: replace one for one. But as again, I don't want
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: to be in the front page of the news if
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: something cause seriously.
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: Oh absolutely, but also you want to make sure that
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: those kids are safe. So it's the one that's just
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: right there near the children's playground and it's leaning. How
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: long is it going to take to cut down? And
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: Wednesday can do.
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: It after hours when the all is out. It won't
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: take long one overnight will just disappear. But they say,
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: as I'm driving here, my crew is out there in
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: the try in the daily street cleaning up the beautiful
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: landscape area to make sure that the plants got place
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: to grow and grow beautifully. And what I was speaking
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: now people are in Goider Road completely digging it out
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: in stuff, in reticulation and everything else, because that's going
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: to be exactly the street with a number of beautiful
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: flowering trees and undergrowth.
• 7:08
  Speaker 3: When will it be finished a right?
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: We expect to finish in about six weeks, okay, depending
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: on the weather everything and Downwe depends.
• 7:14
  Speaker 3: On the web absolutely, especially this time of the year. Hey,
• 7:17
  Speaker 3: just with that playground so and with.
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: The tree that's there, is it is the playground still
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: open at the moment?
• 7:23
  Speaker 3: Is there a.
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: Danger? But it can be endangered, especially because it was
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: built in a raised bed and that doesn't work very
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: well with trees. And the other thing is if there's
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: a big weather event and the soil becomes soft, usually
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: trees fall off when the soil is soft because of
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: the rain and then a wind comes and we've seen
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: that one in many occasions here and.
• 7:42
  Speaker 1: Now, So how quickly do you anticipate that that work
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: will happen to take it down and the next.
• 7:47
  Speaker 3: Few days coupla dation. We will do it all right,
• 7:50
  Speaker 3: no worries. Well, convat scarlets. I've just got one very
• 7:53
  Speaker 3: quick question.
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: Paul wants me to ask you what can be done
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: about large items left on the footpath in the northern suburbs,
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: saying the cyclone cleanup has well and truly finished. He
• 8:03
  Speaker 1: is aware obviously that it's finished. Maybe his neighbors aren't,
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: Paul ring.
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: But let us know what it is our rangers brotabile
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: A Division to tell them to take them to the
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: tip themselves, and if they don't broughably these you're fine.
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: As you said correctly, the cycling cleanup he has now
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: finished and people should take the responsibility of their own items.
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: Don't expect somebody else to do it for you. The
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: tip is free, you can take it there well.
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: But also there was a whole period of time where
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: you could actually do that and the council was coming
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: to collect it. So that service is finished. So you
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: are going to have to take it to the troption.
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: Is it a good item? Somebody will brought the nikki tonight,
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: so there wuldn't be anything left to do.
• 8:38
  Speaker 3: For a while. Probably not.
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: Just let us know, Convat scarlis the Lord Mayor of Darwin.
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: Always good to catch up. Thank you very good morning
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: you too,