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Katie Woolf spoke with Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: The Lord Mayor of Darwin Combat Scarlets, joins me in
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: the studio.
• 0:02
  Speaker 2: Good morning, con.
• 0:03
  Speaker 3: Good morning Kate, and what the beautiful week has been
• 0:06
  Speaker 3: with all this rain coming dar Isn't it good? I
• 0:08
  Speaker 3: don't have to pay for watering my plants.
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: What about the council? Do we still have to do?
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: You still have to do? You turn the sprinklers off
• 0:15
  Speaker 2: for a bit.
• 0:16
  Speaker 3: Or some of most of them are automatic only when
• 0:19
  Speaker 3: something goes wrong. So my five and sixty nine trees
• 0:22
  Speaker 3: will be watered, and my sixty thousand bushes, they'll be
• 0:25
  Speaker 3: watered and I don't have to pay for it, which
• 0:27
  Speaker 3: is great. And they will grow fast.
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: Are you trading them like they're your baby's corn? Do
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: you talk to them?
• 0:32
  Speaker 3: You walk down the straations, baby, it's more flowers and
• 0:35
  Speaker 3: next morning all they come out. You know they need
• 0:37
  Speaker 3: some tilc you know, they're living things. They grow, they die,
• 0:41
  Speaker 3: and most of the time they flower.
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: Yeah, well, I think I think it is going to
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: be wonderful. The city is going to be incredibly beautiful
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: and grain and the northern suburbs, which is you.
• 0:49
  Speaker 3: Can talk to your plants, Kate. You have to worry
• 0:51
  Speaker 3: where they start talking back to you.
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: That's right that it certainly is corn.
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: Speaking of grain space, this area at the centerta, the
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: car park there at the deck chair stairs, it's been
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: controversial for some time. We know that the RSL obviously
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: wanted to build there. Now one of your council aldermen,
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: as I understand it, wants to see it turned into
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: total green space. This isn't the first time I've heard
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: this argument or this discussion.
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: What are your thoughts.
• 1:21
  Speaker 3: I don't have a problem with that one, but for
• 1:23
  Speaker 3: the past forty years has been a car park and
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: that particular parcel of land is actually zoned CBD. So
• 1:29
  Speaker 3: before we do anything, we have to go to DYA
• 1:31
  Speaker 3: and change the zoning of the of the park. Make
• 1:33
  Speaker 3: it green space great. I don't have a problem with
• 1:35
  Speaker 3: that one, and make it nice, but flowers. The only
• 1:38
  Speaker 3: thing I spoke to Justina, I said, we have to
• 1:40
  Speaker 3: care that about the army because when we've got the
• 1:42
  Speaker 3: bombing of daw on the Queen's birthday, they tend to
• 1:44
  Speaker 3: bring heavy equipment in and they bring the cannons. If
• 1:47
  Speaker 3: you put grass there, there's no way they can actually
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: put the heavy equipment the cannons through it.
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: So we wouldn't be able to have our normal the
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: normal celebrations or the normal things happen.
• 1:57
  Speaker 3: Then we do we can, but we have to consider
• 1:59
  Speaker 3: the army needs and there are engineering solutions so that
• 2:02
  Speaker 3: it can put brick bapers actually the grass can go
• 2:06
  Speaker 3: through it by the same type, provide a stable area
• 2:08
  Speaker 3: for the heavier commit to go through. Also people with disabilities.
• 2:11
  Speaker 3: We've got a number of people attending the bombing of
• 2:14
  Speaker 3: Darwin that are the infirm or wheelchairs, so we have
• 2:18
  Speaker 3: to drive them somewhere very close to there rather at
• 2:20
  Speaker 3: the top of the end.
• 2:21
  Speaker 4: So we'll take this all this into consideration.
• 2:23
  Speaker 3: We find the engineering solution and we have another beautiful
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: green space.
• 2:26
  Speaker 4: In the full shows.
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: So it's going to happen.
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: You reckon, Yeah, I'm supporting it to nice it's a
• 2:31
  Speaker 3: good idea. Look, I'll support it. Just then we'll support it.
• 2:34
  Speaker 3: Hopefully all the other council will support it. Again, we're
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: thirteen individuals with one vote. It's not what the mayor wants,
• 2:42
  Speaker 3: is what the collective council wants.
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: So it's also what the people want, because you guys
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: are all voted in by the people.
• 2:49
  Speaker 3: Exactly, but there are people actually says no, we like
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: the KRPA because it's easier for us to go there
• 2:52
  Speaker 3: and Sunday afternoon.
• 2:53
  Speaker 4: But again, if we can make it in such a
• 2:55
  Speaker 4: way you can accommodate the needs of the people. And
• 2:57
  Speaker 4: you're grinned. Yep, there's no problem.
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: Well have you put it out to the people. I
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: ask them what they want to see happen with that space?
• 3:03
  Speaker 4: Okay.
• 3:03
  Speaker 3: The role of the Olderman and the councilors and everybody
• 3:06
  Speaker 3: else is actually to go out and canvas their people,
• 3:08
  Speaker 3: so they should talk to them. I go out to
• 3:10
  Speaker 3: night markets every Sunday or nearly every Sunday, and I'll
• 3:14
  Speaker 3: tell you what I mean. So many people, many people
• 3:16
  Speaker 3: tell me things and I bring them back to council
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: and advise my officers. We have to do that. That
• 3:21
  Speaker 3: person complaining about this, that's our role. If you're elected
• 3:24
  Speaker 3: by the people, you have to listen to what the
• 3:26
  Speaker 3: people have to say and bring it back to the
• 3:28
  Speaker 3: to the organization.
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: So conn, is this the end of the plans for
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: the rsl oh The plan?
• 3:33
  Speaker 4: The end of the plan has been for a long time.
• 3:35
  Speaker 4: I said to you before.
• 3:36
  Speaker 3: When we hear bilavar Ali coming up and tell us, look,
• 3:39
  Speaker 3: there might be problems there because of secret sides.
• 3:42
  Speaker 4: That marked the end of the proposal.
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: And Torsel and I said, guys, you better look for
• 3:48
  Speaker 3: another site. It's great to have anyw RSL, but you
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: have to look for another site. And I think they
• 3:53
  Speaker 3: have accepted that all right.
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: So so definitely no RSL there.
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: How much is it going to cost for that area
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: to be turned into green space there at the car park.
• 4:02
  Speaker 3: It's not going to be a enormous amount of money
• 4:04
  Speaker 3: because you only do it once. It's the maintenance that's
• 4:06
  Speaker 3: going on. But again, if you've got something that looks
• 4:08
  Speaker 3: good and something you can actually go and sit down
• 4:10
  Speaker 3: and keep a look at the beautiful harbor, why not?
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: And so then what happens in terms of the car
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: parking spaces? Do you have to then make those up
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: somewhere else in the city or.
• 4:18
  Speaker 3: Now there aren't many currently, despite what people say about
• 4:23
  Speaker 3: forty percent of our Chinatown car park is empty. We've
• 4:26
  Speaker 3: got the car park which is next to the Parliament House.
• 4:29
  Speaker 3: There's plenty of car park. If you go further out
• 4:31
  Speaker 3: of the CBD in Zone B and so see their
• 4:34
  Speaker 3: car park empty all the time. There's no lack of
• 4:37
  Speaker 3: car park in the city. There's plenty of car pack
• 4:39
  Speaker 3: not utilized.
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: All right, con let's talk about these e scooters.
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: Now, you I believe that that lease or the.
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: What do you call it the deal?
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: I suppose you would say on the scooters it's due
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: to expire.
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: Are you going to extend us?
• 4:52
  Speaker 3: We're going to extend for another twelve months. We want
• 4:54
  Speaker 3: to get more information. What we receive is people love.
• 4:58
  Speaker 4: It or people hate it. The reality is peep they
• 5:01
  Speaker 4: love it.
• 5:01
  Speaker 3: At the young generation that goes from point eight to
• 5:03
  Speaker 3: point B peep they hated. Sometimes are the the all
• 5:08
  Speaker 3: the generation or pedestrians. I have to say that some
• 5:12
  Speaker 3: of the people who are the scooters, they don't do
• 5:13
  Speaker 3: the right thing right. You don't part a scooder in
• 5:16
  Speaker 3: the middle of the bloody footpath, put on the side yep.
• 5:19
  Speaker 3: I think the company and now has put penalties. If
• 5:21
  Speaker 3: you put it on a on a on a footpath,
• 5:24
  Speaker 3: your penalized, so you're paying it.
• 5:26
  Speaker 4: Yes.
• 5:27
  Speaker 3: I also found out lately all the helmets they actually
• 5:31
  Speaker 3: locked into the into the scooder, so when you pick
• 5:34
  Speaker 3: it up, you have to take it out of there
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: and put it back otherwise you're penalized. So they've done
• 5:38
  Speaker 3: quite a few changes with really good but it's a
• 5:40
  Speaker 3: mode of transport.
• 5:41
  Speaker 4: People like it. They go for point eight.
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: Point before very little to me, they look so incredibly popular.
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: I see people on those the scooters all the time.
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: Sometimes I feel like grabbing one myself when I've run
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: the deck chair stairs a few too many times and
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: I'm tired.
• 5:54
  Speaker 3: I've got these silly thoughts myself, but I never never
• 5:57
  Speaker 3: make them a reality. But again, why not, I'm mean
• 6:00
  Speaker 3: if they don't, they are rules to be followed.
• 6:02
  Speaker 4: If they break the rules.
• 6:03
  Speaker 3: They can be penalized, either by the company or if
• 6:05
  Speaker 3: you go down there, you know, twenty more than twenty
• 6:07
  Speaker 3: kilometers per hour in a place where you shouldn't be
• 6:09
  Speaker 3: doing it, you should be penalized.
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: So another twelve months and then who knows what will.
• 6:13
  Speaker 4: Happen after We'll find out after that.
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: Okay, sounds interesting and I think, well, from my opinion,
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: that's going to be a good thing. I actually think
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: it's a good thing to extend it from what I
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: can gather about four hundred thousand trips taken since January.
• 6:26
  Speaker 3: Yes, now people talk about the scooters, but don't forget
• 6:29
  Speaker 3: people riding bikes too. Bikes can go thirty kiloves per hour,
• 6:32
  Speaker 3: fort kilos per hour, fifty kilos per hour.
• 6:35
  Speaker 4: People have to obey to the rules.
• 6:36
  Speaker 3: You can legislate by the schools as much as you like,
• 6:38
  Speaker 3: you can't legislate against you PD well.
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: But also I think if we're you know, if we're
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: talking a lot about about different ways that we can
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: do things more environmentally friendly, if it means that people
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: aren't driving their car from one end of the city
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: down to the other end and taking a car space,
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: they're catching a scooter or using a scooter, then surely
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: it's a good thing.
• 6:56
  Speaker 4: Why not.
• 6:56
  Speaker 3: I mean, if people choose to use scuoda, let them
• 6:58
  Speaker 3: use just could it. The only thing says, use it carefully,
• 7:01
  Speaker 3: don't injure yourself, don't insure anybody else, just follow the role.
• 7:04
  Speaker 4: Simplest that.
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: Now, where are things that with the Council's climate change policy.
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: I understand there's been a bit of movement in this space.
• 7:11
  Speaker 4: Oh yes, there is.
• 7:12
  Speaker 3: We now produce the discussion paper, a very detailed and
• 7:15
  Speaker 3: very well written discussion paper which we're going to actually
• 7:18
  Speaker 3: present a Council date to be adopted and be put
• 7:21
  Speaker 3: out for public consultation.
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: So what major changes can we expect as people that
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: live in the Darwin municipality.
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: What are you guys going to do differently?
• 7:29
  Speaker 3: Well, we're starting from every single thing about trip planting,
• 7:34
  Speaker 3: waste disposal, recycling, footpaths, bike paths, all the little things
• 7:40
  Speaker 3: that people says, oh it won't make a difference. One
• 7:42
  Speaker 3: of it might not collectively can. But one other thing
• 7:46
  Speaker 3: is read it. Consider it. If you've got any ideas,
• 7:49
  Speaker 3: if you got any good ideas, come and tell us.
• 7:51
  Speaker 3: If you think something is right, come and tell us.
• 7:54
  Speaker 3: That's not my book, that's not a council book. It's
• 7:57
  Speaker 3: our book that goes out and our collective decision. So
• 8:01
  Speaker 3: read it carefully. What's happening in this place. It will
• 8:03
  Speaker 3: affect every single of us, not one person corn.
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: Is there a cost attached to the changes?
• 8:10
  Speaker 4: Look, it's going to cot more.
• 8:13
  Speaker 3: It would cost even more if we do nothing, if
• 8:15
  Speaker 3: the climate change in such a format that we can't
• 8:18
  Speaker 3: do the things we take for granted.
• 8:19
  Speaker 4: Now, how much that will cost.
• 8:21
  Speaker 3: If it's too hot, if we don't have water, it
• 8:24
  Speaker 3: will got the severe cyclones or severe storms, and the
• 8:27
  Speaker 3: dam is the cost the couse, how much this will
• 8:30
  Speaker 3: cost you don't see it, or I have to pay
• 8:32
  Speaker 3: five cents more in this area. Think what will happen
• 8:35
  Speaker 3: in ten or twenty years time, and how much collectively
• 8:38
  Speaker 3: it will cost to our city, to our territory, to Australia.
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's certainly becoming one of those things
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: that you know that any of the skeptics that are
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: out there, I suppose you know, even myself at different
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: times I've thought, well, how much are these changes going
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: to cost and what are the actually going to save us?
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: But the way of the world is changing and we
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: do need to change our thinking a little bit more
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: to make sure we're doing the right thing by the I.
• 9:00
  Speaker 4: Don't think that man is kept in the North of Australia.
• 9:03
  Speaker 3: Have you lived here for more than ten years, you
• 9:05
  Speaker 3: have seen yourself that things have changed. We get hotter,
• 9:09
  Speaker 3: we get a drier seasons, we get severe cyclones, and
• 9:13
  Speaker 3: we catch severe cyclons more often than we used to
• 9:15
  Speaker 3: get ten fifteen, twenty years ago. I lived in the
• 9:18
  Speaker 3: North of Australia since nineteen ninety. I've seen so many
• 9:22
  Speaker 3: changes in the weather that in such a short period
• 9:24
  Speaker 3: of time that I think, yes, the weather is changing.
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: Can anything else we should know about very quickly before
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: we wrap up the sum.
• 9:31
  Speaker 4: I need to tell you something, but you have to
• 9:33
  Speaker 4: keep it a secret.
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: I don't know if I can do that. Not very
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: good with secret.
• 9:37
  Speaker 3: My Darwin vouchers are going to be relaunched. We're going
• 9:40
  Speaker 3: to have two lots, one in December, one in January,
• 9:44
  Speaker 3: so be prepared. We put in two hundred thousand dollars.
• 9:47
  Speaker 3: And on top of that today Canberra which both our system,
• 9:51
  Speaker 3: they launched it today and Cottering is launching their system today.
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: So hang on.
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: So December and January two lots of my Darwin vouchers
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: rolling out again to the value of two hundred thousand dollars.
• 10:03
  Speaker 4: And I hear in the grapevine that the Endergy might
• 10:06
  Speaker 4: put some money to.
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: Hell come you've decided to roll it out again.
• 10:09
  Speaker 3: Look, we don't leave the normal way as we lived before.
• 10:12
  Speaker 3: We still don't get the visitors we get from down south.
• 10:15
  Speaker 3: If you look around, yes there are some tourists, but
• 10:17
  Speaker 3: not as many, and usually December is very quiet. So
• 10:20
  Speaker 3: we try to help the local residents, and we try
• 10:24
  Speaker 3: to help the local businesses. From my experience and what
• 10:27
  Speaker 3: I hear from the businesses from the previous brought out.
• 10:30
  Speaker 3: It was a significant boost. Let's go through that one.
• 10:33
  Speaker 3: Let's survive this Christmas the way things are really bad
• 10:36
  Speaker 3: and tough, and then your year with vaccine coming on
• 10:39
  Speaker 3: and the border's opening again, it might be much better.
• 10:42
  Speaker 3: So we're here to help our people and help our community.
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: Conjust very quickly, I know this.
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: We'll talk next week, probably a bit more about the
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: lighting of the Christmas decorations and all that kind of thing.
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: But can you just tell me very quickly.
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: Are we going to need to pay for parking over
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: the Christmas period.
• 11:00
  Speaker 4: I'll tell you that one.
• 11:00
  Speaker 3: Here has to be a concil decision tonight. But I'll
• 11:02
  Speaker 3: tell you what. The Christmas lights start appearing in them all.
• 11:06
  Speaker 3: I saw the first one yesterday and it's Merry Christmas,
• 11:09
  Speaker 3: not seasonal greetings or happy holidays.
• 11:13
  Speaker 2: Combat scarlets, good on you, good to catch up, make
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: thank you again. Thanks.
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: That's the Lord Mayor of Darwin Conbat scarlets