Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Matt Hepworth spoke with Deckchair Cinema's General Manager and Darwin RSL President Stephen Gloster

Transcript

Matt Hepworth spoke with Deckchair Cinema's General Manager and Darwin RSL President Stephen Gloster · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Plenty of calls and comments coming through on the RSL
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: and the Dick Chest Cinema and of course Darwin Council's
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: decision last night. Well basically we were covering that all
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: day yesterday, their proposal to build a new clubhouse on
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: the Esplanade. But Lord Mayor convat Scalas there's some last
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: minute information came to hand delaying that decision last night.
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: To talk more about it is James Parker from the
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: Dick Chess Cinema. James, Good morning home mate, James, boy,
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: oh boy, what on earth happened last night?
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: Oh?
• 0:32
  Speaker 3: I mean, I don't think anybody was expecting that it. Firstly,
• 0:38
  Speaker 3: about four hundred people came up, came to show that
• 0:41
  Speaker 3: it was a beautiful site. It was a lot of
• 0:43
  Speaker 3: older a lot of long term Territorians who obviously care
• 0:49
  Speaker 3: about the city enough to come to a council meeting
• 0:52
  Speaker 3: on a Tuesday at five point thirty. To see that
• 0:55
  Speaker 3: many people there. The queue out the door, they couldn't
• 0:59
  Speaker 3: set everybody in, so I was I was actually a
• 1:04
  Speaker 3: little bit emotional to see that many people showing showing
• 1:07
  Speaker 3: their support. It was. It was pretty special. We all
• 1:11
  Speaker 3: went inside and sat down and the first thing that
• 1:14
  Speaker 3: happened was that they got taken off. You know, the
• 1:17
  Speaker 3: vote was canceled. So I've heard this morning on the
• 1:23
  Speaker 3: ABC that it was because of potential cultural significance on
• 1:27
  Speaker 3: the side. Of course, that's understandable, and you need to
• 1:31
  Speaker 3: do your due diligence before you vote on these things.
• 1:36
  Speaker 3: It's been going on for almost a year for us,
• 1:39
  Speaker 3: so we hope it doesn't drag on for too much longer.
• 1:44
  Speaker 3: But we respect the mayor and that's his privilege that
• 1:47
  Speaker 3: he can put in the mirror or minutes. If it's
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: something that he believes is groundbreaking and important, that's something
• 1:54
  Speaker 3: that he can do. I'm just sorry that everybody, everybody
• 1:58
  Speaker 3: came out to in support and it just nothing happened.
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: Basically, James, as as you mentioned, a cultural significance was
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: cited as for the reason why this vote didn't go
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: ahead last night. Based on what information you know so far,
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: do you think it will then be enough to stop
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: this development?
• 2:20
  Speaker 3: All I know is what the mayors said. I know
• 2:23
  Speaker 3: that there are significant sites behind the cinema and Lamary Beach,
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: and it would make a lot of sense if there
• 2:32
  Speaker 3: are other significant sites in the area. But all I know,
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: is what the mayor said. He said that if it's
• 2:40
  Speaker 3: there's different claims in and if the proven that he
• 2:45
  Speaker 3: might not support the development and that something more appropriate
• 2:52
  Speaker 3: or or just rezoning might occur on the site. Yes,
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: I guess we're really just waiting to see what happens now. Well,
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: we'll keep an eye on it, of course, keep all
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: our supporters updated. It's good that it's that people are
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: looking at the bigger picture now and it's not just
• 3:10
  Speaker 3: deck chair Cinema, because you know, there is a much
• 3:14
  Speaker 3: bigger picture here about public space. And I think that
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: the people that came to the council meetings last night
• 3:21
  Speaker 3: care about the city, and they loved the city, and
• 3:25
  Speaker 3: they wanted to you know, they wanted to be looked
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: after properly.
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: James, Given what happened last night, what's next for you
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: and the deck chair Cinema.
• 3:35
  Speaker 3: Uh, well, we'll just have to We'll just have to
• 3:37
  Speaker 3: keep an eye on it. We'll have to stay strong,
• 3:39
  Speaker 3: stay alert and just watch it as it progresses, keep
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: an eye on the council minutes, and continue to keep
• 3:47
  Speaker 3: everybody informed.
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: James, are you aware of when this might be voted
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: on next?
• 3:53
  Speaker 3: There's no timeline, so it's sort of back to limbo.
• 3:58
  Speaker 3: I mean it may it may not be very it
• 4:00
  Speaker 3: on again, it might just it might be found. You know,
• 4:02
  Speaker 3: there might be significance there that it doesn't go to
• 4:05
  Speaker 3: a boat, but there's no you know, you learn about
• 4:09
  Speaker 3: the Council minutes on a Friday before the Tuesday meeting,
• 4:14
  Speaker 3: so basically you have three days over your weekend to
• 4:18
  Speaker 3: get across what's in the Council minutes. This is quite
• 4:21
  Speaker 3: a I mean it's a really important subject for Darwin.
• 4:24
  Speaker 3: So the media is really across this now, so anything
• 4:28
  Speaker 3: that goes in the Council Minutes is you know, we're
• 4:31
  Speaker 3: informed almost immediately, which is great. But yeah, we don't
• 4:38
  Speaker 3: know how long it could draw on.
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: For James, we'll have to leave it there place keeping contact.
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: This is one that we'll be covering. We are just
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: about to catch up with Steven Gloucester and after ten
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: this morning we'll be catching up with the Lord mayor
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: convat Scalas. So we'll see what more we can find out.
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: But yeah, look, keep in contact with us, and yeah
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: we'll see where this guy's next.
• 4:55
  Speaker 3: Yeah, thanks Matt, thanks for ham on the show.
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: Thanks James, that's James Parker from the dict Chair Cinema
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: there and as we mentioned all day yesterday we've been
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: covering this issue. What was supposed to be d day
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: for the decision from Darwin Council on whether to allow
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: the RSL to build a new clubhouse on the esplanade.
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: But as we've just heard, Lord met condat Scala says,
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: some last minute information came to hand which has delayed
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: that decision. You've just heard from the deck Chair Cinemas
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: James Parker, who were one of the key stakeholders in
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: this debate. The other one is the Darwin RSL sub
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: branch president Stephen Glocester in the studio with me now. Stephen,
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: good morning, Good morning, that good morning listeners. Step and
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: a us James before what happened last night.
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: Don't know, but we've been the do I no, but
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: we've heard that there is a claim on the site
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: from the Larachia people. This will have implications on all
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: development into the city into the future. Wow, So we'll
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: all have to just sit back and see what happens here.
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: As I understand you, you had spoken to the Larachie
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: people to see if there was anything of importance at
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: that site, and they said no, is that right.
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: We spoke to them when we did the update for
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: the million dollars to do the flame and around that area. Yeah,
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: we have already spoken to them and they said there
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: was nothing in this area for us to have any
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: concerns about.
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: How are you feeling after last night?
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: Well, I would have liked to have it all over
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: and done with last night, but we'll move on. I'm
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: not sure where we'll go from here. We'll just have
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: to wait and find out what the council suddenly decides
• 6:29
  Speaker 2: to do. But you know, it is a forty five
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: year old car park and no one has said anything beforehand,
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: so it's a bit surprising.
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: Yeah, do you think it will be enough to stop
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: the development?
• 6:43
  Speaker 4: I think that's a bit outside my realms to make
• 6:46
  Speaker 4: a comment like that.
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, that's one for the politicians, i'd say.
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it was such a last minute decision. I almost
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: couldn't believe it, you know when I read it online,
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: and I guess, you know, hearing information this morning that
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: obviously is part of that first development redevelopment on the
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: Esplanade there with the eternal flame that you're saying, you know,
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: you had spoken to the Laracare people and there was
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: no objections there. It does it strikes me as odd
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: that this has, you know, come up when we were
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: still going at four point thirty, this after yesterday afternoon,
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: But something's come up between then and now which has
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: put a stop to this.
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: Yes, it is a surprise to me too, but as
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: you know, these things suddenly happened, and it's probably good
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: that the council listened at the later stage. But yeah,
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: we'll just have to wait and see what the council
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: decides to do next.
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: Yes, what's next for you and the RSL? I mean
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: if the Laracare people come forward and ultimately counsel saying, look,
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: this is not a site that you can build on anymore.
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: What's next?
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: We go back to our members and we discuss where
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: we'd like to go next. Yeah we've always got Kavanagh Street.
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: But we'll go back to the members. The members decision,
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: not mine to where we want to rebuild or where
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: we want to go next. So we'll call a meeting
• 8:04
  Speaker 2: and let the members decide what they want to do.
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: Does it feel like, after this hurdle last night that
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: this almost might be too hard? I mean, you've had
• 8:11
  Speaker 1: one hundred hurdles already.
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: Well, this one might be too hard, but there's always
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: the next project if they give up on one bit
• 8:21
  Speaker 2: of a defeasis, aren't you so?
• 8:23
  Speaker 4: Yeah, we'll be.
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: Looking at new ways if this falls over, we'll be
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: looking other places to go to.
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: Yes, were you surprised it the amount of people that
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: turned up to council chambers last night?
• 8:35
  Speaker 4: No? Not really.
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: From what I could gather from the reports that we've seen,
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: most were not in favor of this proposal. Were there
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: any RSL members there last night that you're aware of,
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: or that people were there in support of this proposal?
• 8:47
  Speaker 4: I don't know. There might have been that, there was
• 8:50
  Speaker 4: a few there, Yeah, but.
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: We weren't there to bully the counsel into which way
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: we wanted to go. It's up to the councilors to
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: make it. And if people want to go there to
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: listen to it, well that's their luck.
• 9:05
  Speaker 4: Best of luck to them.
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: I did answer this question yesterday, but I'll ask it
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: again because you know, it sounds like we've reached another hurdle.
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: Are you surprised at how divisive this has been?
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: Yeah?
• 9:13
  Speaker 4: I have been a bit there.
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: I would have thought that that site down there being
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: what it means to Darwin and what it means to
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: Australia as a war site and.
• 9:27
  Speaker 4: A war grave area, that would have been a bit
• 9:30
  Speaker 4: more positive. I would have.
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: Thought if the new information that's come to hand does
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: put a stop to this. I mean, how much money
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: has the RSL put into this plan already?
• 9:40
  Speaker 2: Oh? Not very much. Well, we've done is the just done?
• 9:44
  Speaker 2: The plans are employed a couple of people.
• 9:47
  Speaker 4: We haven't. We only had the plans and the thing's
• 9:51
  Speaker 4: drawn up last week. You know.
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: The drawings came to us for nothing, and so we've
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: that's why we've been a little bit slow getting a
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: lot of the media stuff out there, because we've waited
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: to we've completed each step so we don't spend too
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: much money splashing out to make a big event of
• 10:08
  Speaker 2: it all.
• 10:09
  Speaker 4: So we've just gradually moved step by step.
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: Now, once we've got the council approval, then we moved
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: to the next step and spend more. But up to
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: date we probably wouldn't have spent five to ten thousand
• 10:19
  Speaker 2: I suppose.
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: OK, what's next? I mean you're aware of when this
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: might be voted on again. Do you feel that this
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: could be a drawn out process. Now what happens for
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: you and the RSL.
• 10:30
  Speaker 2: Next It could be drawn out. I honestly don't know
• 10:35
  Speaker 2: what will be the next step. That's up to the
• 10:37
  Speaker 2: Council's decide what they want to do, and we'll play.
• 10:41
  Speaker 4: It by year as we go along.
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: And look, we won't know exactly what's going on for
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: another week or so anyway, so we can't really surmise
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: what's going to happen here.
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: Yeah, well, we are catching up with the Lord Mayor
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: combat Sculus in around fifteen minutes time, so it will
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: certainly see what more information we can get from him.
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: The Darwin RSL sub Branch President Stephen Glouceston will have
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: to leave it there. Thank you so much for coming
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: in this morning.
• 11:05
  Speaker 4: Thank you, Matt