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Katie Woolf spoke with candidate for Palmerston Mayor Athina Pascoe-Bell · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Right now. I believe that I've got on the line.
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: I believe I am joined by Athena Pasco Bell. Right now,
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: let me make sure that I've got it all organized.
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: Good morning to you, Athena.
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: Good morning, Athena.
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: Thank you so much for your time. Now are you
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: ready to get started?
• 0:17
  Speaker 2: I am ready, all right.
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: We've got four minutes now. Athena, let me ask you first.
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: I know that you're obviously in the mayor's role now,
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: but what job were you in before you became mayor?
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: Previously I managed a small team of photographers, data analysts
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: and geographic information system stuff, and we managed databases and systems.
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: Undertook data analysis to the Northern Territory government and developed
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: a number of web applications for what was the Department
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: of Environment Natural Resources a few years ago. So that
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: was me data analysis and databases.
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: And Athena, how long have you lived in Palmerston.
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: We moved here in two thousand and four and my
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: kids were born here as well.
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: And why did you decide to put your hand up
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: to run for there? Not only initially but this time round?
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: Well, initially because there was a need to overhaul the
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: way council operated and service the community. So I've seen
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: significant changes in the way. I've overseen significant changes in
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: the way that council operates, including new strategic direction through
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: the community Plan, finding efficiencies. So we found nine hundred
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: thousand dollars savings annually in our waste services by converting
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: to LED street lights, five hundred thousand dollars in maintenance
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: and running costs every year. We are continuing to find
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: those efficiencies through the installation of LED lighting and solar
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: to council facilities. We're in the process of redeveloping Gray
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: Community Hall and we've got plans to redevelop the swimming
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: pool site into a very modern and contemporary community facility
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: and an additional community facility out of the Collie as
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: a COALA Community Hub, which we've just secured a lease over.
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: Its still a lot of work that needs to be
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: done and I'm the person with the proven track record
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: and the skills to keep delivering for Palmerston and Asina.
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: What are some of the bigger issues do you feel
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: for Palmerston at the moment.
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: Look, crime is always an issue, It's always at people's forethoughts.
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: It's not completely a council responsibility, but I have been
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: meeting regularly with the local MLA Police Northern Territory Government
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: to work collaboratively on those sort of solutions. We have
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: assisted police to get additional CCTV cameras in our city
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: center and some of the surrounding areas. There's also changing
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: technology which the City of Palmerston needs to keep on
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: top of, and that's to help with our service improvements
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: and efficiencies. There is a need to improve efficiency in
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: water use across a number of areas, including our notable
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: water supply and the groundwater which I know Ryan mentioned
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: it's not unknown, it is very well known that that
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: system is overutilized and we've already started to look into
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: things like manage groundwater recharged in order to protect that
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: system and also reducing consumption of that water. The smartest
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: way to undertake countful business, and this is part of
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: the work I did in government was redeveloping systems in
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: order to make our business more efficient. We're upgrading council fability,
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: so that needs to be done as well. We cater
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: to the requirements of the Palmerston community and we're looking
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: at age appropriate services and opportunities. We have a community
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: Reporting studio which is currently being built in the library.
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: There's a need for strong economic growth and development of
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: industries and we'd like them to set up in Palmerston.
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: So there is the Palmerston Local Economic Plan that was
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: developed and we need to implement that.
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: Sena, you've only got about only got about thirty seconds left.
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: Do you want to tell us? Why do you reckon?
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: People should vote for you?
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: Look, I am and that's member of the community. I'm
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: involved in various community groups as a volunteers. I'm independent,
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: I work with all stakeholders. I've been an effective lobbyer
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: with both tiers of government. I don't really care for
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  Speaker 2: what political persuasion they are. We just need to get
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: on and do the job. And I have a demonstrated
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: track record in government as a public service and also
• 4:20
  Speaker 2: as mayor on the council. I just get in there
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: and get the job done. I don't bring my personal mayor.
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: We have run out of time a Sena Pasco Bell,
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: thank you very much for your time. All the best
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: on the weekend. Thank you, thank you.