Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Matt Hepworth spoke with Darwin RSL Sub Branch President Stephen Gloster

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Matt Hepworth spoke with Darwin RSL Sub Branch President Stephen Gloster · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: The big story of the morning, the RSL's controversial proposal
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: to build a new clubhouse on the Esplanade hits Darwin
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: Council tonight. Executive staff are recommending elected members provide in
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: principal support to the plan, but it's coming up against
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: some heavy competition from the neighboring deck Chair Cinema. They're
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: worried about noise and light pollution associated with the development.
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: More than eleven thousand people have signed a petition to
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: keep the space free. We just spoke with James Parker
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: from the deck Ches Cinema to get their side of
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: the argument. Joining me in the studio Announce to talk
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: more about it is the Darwin RSLs sub Branch sub
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: Branch President, Stephen Gloucester. Good morning, Stephen, Good morning, Matt,
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: Good morning listeners. Stephen. As I mentioned to James from
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: the deck Chair Cinema earlier, it's a big day for
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: both of you. How are you feeling about tonight's meeting?
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: Uh? Oh, quietly confident, But you can't say anything given
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: that are all politicians in the council, So we'll just
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: sit back and wait and see.
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: I read an online poll the other day that support
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: for foreign against this proposals pretty well fifty to fifty.
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: Are you surprised at how divisive this has become.
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: A little bit, Yes, but I think if we'd never
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: had the deck chair down at the bottom of the cliff,
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: it probably would have gone much smoother.
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: The deck Chair Cinema have probably been the most vocal
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: critic against this on why they don't want it on
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: the esplanade. But from your perspective, why is it so
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: important for you in the RSL to have it built there.
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: Well, this area is very significant military area. It's where
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: the first shots were fired in the Battle of Darwin.
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: There was a lot of people died in the waters
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: just in front, and it is probably the only site
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: in Australia where a battle took place.
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: The deck Chair Cinema's argument has been about noise and
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: light pollution, and James was very very courteous to you
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: and he said that they spoken to you and they understand.
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: I guess that significance that you talk about with building
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: the RSL there in the connection with well Born too.
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: When we talk about the deck chests. Cinema's argument though,
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: just how much noise and light would be generated and
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: is there any way that you could mitigate that.
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: We've had professionals look at it, and the RSL is
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: not really a night night place, and the way we're
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: developing this so it looks out over the center tarp,
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: so or the only noise that possibly possibly get would
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: be probably they get more road traffic than they'll get
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: from here because there's trees and everything in the way.
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: We can't see will that there'll be much of a
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: problem with noise. We've had experts look at it and
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: they've given us what we need to do to solve
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: that problem and light problems. So we've looked into it
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: in a great big way.
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: James did a traffic he said, refrigeration bins being empty,
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: they were all things that he said, Well, you can't
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: mitigate those issues. Do you feel that you could work
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: around those issues?
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: Though? I think so. I don't know of the rubbish
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: people working at night or usually most of these things
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: are done early morning, and I'm pretty sure the deck
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: chair don't run early morning. Features. Yes, so they made
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: a point, but I don't think it will really affect them.
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: Stephen. A question we get asked a lot, and probably
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: you get asked a lot, is why the Esplanade and
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: not any other location.
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: The Esperanade is a place that is our first option
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: because of where it is and what it stands for now.
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: Setting a building up on the Esperanade, it gives an
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: open space. We can be family friendly and move away
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: from this stereotype of RSLs just being a spot with
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: poker machines and everything. We're trying to change that image
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: and get to more of the younger people, and now
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: having a nice open area cafe is the way to
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: go because Darwin is a younger population. It's not old people.
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: I know. Last time we spoke, there was a big
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: emphasis on it being a a family friendly venue. When
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: I spoke to James Parker from the deck Chair Cinema
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: a short time ago, he accepted that that could be
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: the case, but he said that there would still be
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: too much noise generated from that that would affect their business.
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: Do you accept that argument?
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: Not really, because most of the families and things, they're
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: home in bed by seven o'clock, so I can't really
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: see that being a problem, and if it is, we'd
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: work to fix that.
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: Are you worried that those that opposed this proposal have
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: made more noise than those in support of it. I mean,
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: eleven thousand people on this petition, it's a lot. But
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: I feel like there are people out there who support
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: the proposal, but I feel like they haven't been as
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: vocal as the ones opposed to it.
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: Though.
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: Are you worried that that could affect tonight's council decision?
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: Might have a small bearing, but you quite often find
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: this happens in most things. You know, the people who
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: against things will always make more noise. And the question
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: with the deck chair was they asked whether they wanted
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: it to be moved. Now, even I don't want the
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: deck chair to move, we want to work with them.
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: How do you think council will vote tonight?
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: Interesting one. I'm not sure, yeah, honest, that's up to them.
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: What happens if it gets over the line for you guys,
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: and what happens if it's rejected.
• 5:18
  Speaker 2: Well, if it gets over the line, there's a lot
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: more steps to go in planning and things like that.
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: So this is only the very start of it. If
• 5:29
  Speaker 2: it doesn't get over, well, we'll then look at redeveloping
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: on our own site, or we'll look around to see
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: if there's something. What is more suitable.
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: What is Plan B at the moment? If it's rejected
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: Tonight James was saying, it sounds like it would be
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: the end of the line for the RSL at that venue,
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: at that particular site.
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: What's next, Well, we've always had a Plan B to
• 5:53
  Speaker 2: move back on our old site, or we'd be looking
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: at if there are any other sites for open up
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: that would be suitable. To see, our whole site's not
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: really family friendly and we're trying to get back to
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: that younger audience, so we'll be looking at areas where
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: we can. We've as a committee, we've got to look
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: for the best option for our members.
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: Plenty of messages coming in one in support here for
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: the proposal. RSL Diggers defend our country. Did the deck
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: Chair Cinema? I do find it it is unfortunate, though,
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: that I think the RSL and the deck Chair Cinema
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: have really been pitted against each other in this argument,
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: because I do think you're too both wonderful organizations. Are
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: you frustrated that it's become you versus them?
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: I think so. I personally, I couldn't see the reason
• 6:40
  Speaker 2: why there'll be any problem. We've offered right from the
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: very start back in August last year to work with
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: the deck chair. Now, all these the problems they're talking
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: about are only technical and we should be able to
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: solve them together.
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: Another message here says let them put it at the
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: seat and it's half. Obviously there would be complexities around that.
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: Another text is it's not just the deck chair against
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: this proposal. It's public land and should be put back
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: into the esplanade. No building on the esplanade. Stephen, Before
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: you guys, just want to ask what is your final
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: message for those oldermen that will vote on this issue tonight.
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: Look, it's up to the old woman to do what
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: they consciously think is the best thing. I hope they
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: support us. It's a good project. It'll be good for tourism,
• 7:28
  Speaker 2: it'll be good for the city, you know, and it
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: will work very well with the deck chair. We've got
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: to work as a team. We're going through hard times
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: and this is a time when we all need to
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: work together.
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: The Darwin RSL sub Branch President, Stephen Glocester, thank you
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: for your time this morning and all the best tonight.
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: Thank you