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Katie Woolf spoke with Darwin City Council CEO Scott Waters on the Council Meeting last night · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie Wilf Thanks to Joyce Main Darwin
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Homes on Stuart Highway, Bereromart.
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  Speaker 2: Joining us on the line right now for a real
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  Speaker 2: change of pace. Darwin City Council CEO Scott Waters, Good morning.
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  Speaker 1: Scott, Hey Katie here you going.
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  Speaker 2: Very well, Scott. Quite a few things happened in the
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  Speaker 2: council meeting overnight by the look of it. First off, though,
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  Speaker 2: keen to find out with Nuttall straight near Monsoon's there.
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  Speaker 2: It looks like it's going to have a temporary closure
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  Speaker 2: at different times of the week.
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  Speaker 1: Look it will, Katie. It'll only be a temporary closure
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  Speaker 1: and we really must stress that that's to ensure that
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  Speaker 1: we have the safety of patrons utilizing that particular part
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  Speaker 1: of the city mainly late at night. So from eight
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  Speaker 1: pm until four am Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings not
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  Speaker 1: a place will be closed. Council will be reviewing that
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  Speaker 1: though when they meet again after the election in the
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  Speaker 1: thirty to September at the absolute laterst so it'll be
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  Speaker 1: closed predominantly during the dry season. At the moment, Council
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  Speaker 1: had a number of different safety concerns and our number
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  Speaker 1: of matters is Brore to our attention in January of
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  Speaker 1: this year and then working through that consultation process, we
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  Speaker 1: had the decision last night.
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  Speaker 2: So what were some of those matters?
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  Speaker 1: Look, it really comes down to that those that are
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  Speaker 1: trying to enter that particular venue, being Monsoon's party bar
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  Speaker 1: and nightclub, were taking a lot longer to enter that
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  Speaker 1: particular premises and the reason for that is the scanning
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  Speaker 1: process that's now required as a result of the COVID
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  Speaker 1: nineteen restrictions and requirements. We're then seeing people that are
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  Speaker 1: starting to be able to queue, but queue out into
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  Speaker 1: the street, and you know, we were very, very concerned
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  Speaker 1: to see that there was a vehicle that crashed down
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  Speaker 1: that street. Putting all of that into a safety matrix
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  Speaker 1: at this point in time, while those restrictions are place
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  Speaker 1: and it takes an extended period of time to get
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  Speaker 1: into that venue. We've put these changes in, but we
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  Speaker 1: will be reviewing them and keeping an eye on them
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  Speaker 1: as they go along as well too.
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  Speaker 2: Scott, was there any pushback from the nearby business and
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  Speaker 2: landowners or building owners, business.
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  Speaker 1: Owners, No, property owners. Absolutely, Three key property owners were
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  Speaker 1: extremely concerned about that and what they had put to council.
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  Speaker 1: That this was going to be a permanent closure. We've
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  Speaker 1: stressed that this absolutely isn't. It is only a closure
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  Speaker 1: while the COVID restrictions and requirements are in place for
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  Speaker 1: entry into these venues, which has seen changes in the
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  Speaker 1: way that people are entering and exiting that particular venue.
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  Speaker 1: But yes, there was absolutely from the landowners when we
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  Speaker 1: took that into account, and that's why we're ensuring that
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  Speaker 1: we're going to be reviewing this by the thirtie of September.
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  Speaker 2: Now. One of the other changes that came into play
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  Speaker 2: last night at that council meeting is the renaming of
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  Speaker 2: the Chinatown Car Park.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, book, the Chinatown Car Park. That's been a great
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  Speaker 1: piece of infrastructure for our city for a long period
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  Speaker 1: of time. Council have just given that a faith lift
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  Speaker 1: and we're really looking forward to the official opening of that.
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  Speaker 1: The Larokier artists have worked with council officers to be
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  Speaker 1: able to have a fantastic dragonfly installation and screening on
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  Speaker 1: the front of that particular car park. But it is
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  Speaker 1: time for a change. There is no historical tie with Chinatown,
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  Speaker 1: and that was more so about a development that didn't
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  Speaker 1: go ahead as opposed to the history of Chinese people
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  Speaker 1: coming to Darwin and the Northern territory. So what we
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  Speaker 1: want to be able to is celebrate our Larakia culture
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  Speaker 1: and what we will be doing is renaming that Chinatown
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  Speaker 1: car park to the Dragonfly Car Park, and then we'll
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  Speaker 1: be talking with Larochia traditional owners as to what's the
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  Speaker 1: appropriate dual naming that we can put over that particular
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  Speaker 1: piece of infrastructure.
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  Speaker 2: But it will have a dual name. How long do
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  Speaker 2: you reckon it'll take before you have the Larachee name
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  Speaker 2: as well.
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  Speaker 1: Look, our general manager of Innovation, Growth and Development has
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  Speaker 1: been working with Larachie traditional owners over the last few
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  Speaker 1: months and when we have the next available council meeting
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  Speaker 1: that those traditional owners are available, will ensure that they
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  Speaker 1: come to council have a really good talk to our
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  Speaker 1: elected members as to what's an appropriate name. And you know,
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  Speaker 1: we want to be able to celebrate the Dragonflyers the
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  Speaker 1: insignia of the City of Darwin, but then also at
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  Speaker 1: the same time how we can get the right and
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  Speaker 1: the correct naming with the Larachie people there as well.
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  Speaker 2: Now, Scott, obviously you know they're both both some pretty
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  Speaker 2: straightforward stories. We also know though yesterday. Well, the City
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  Speaker 2: of Darwin was the latest involved in an IKAC investigation
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  Speaker 2: into the Thrive public art management procurement and essentially the
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  Speaker 2: Deputy Commissioner Rex Wild AOQC presided over hearing z to
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  Speaker 2: this matter and found that one former executive manager had
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  Speaker 2: failed to manage an actual law perceive conflict of interest
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  Speaker 2: and engaged in conduct that adversely affected the honest, impartial
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  Speaker 2: or effective performance of official functions by a public body.
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  Speaker 2: There was also another former officer who was found to
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  Speaker 2: have failed to manage an actual law perceive conflict of
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  Speaker 2: interest as well. Scott, what changes are going to happen
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  Speaker 2: with the way that the City of Darwin manages procurement
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  Speaker 2: to ensure that something like this doesn't happen again?
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  Speaker 1: Well, Katie, look, this is extremely disappointing. It was the
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  Speaker 1: City of Daryln's procurement processes that actually picked this issue up,
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  Speaker 1: so I need to be really clear about that. And
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  Speaker 1: no public funds had left counsel because of the way
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  Speaker 1: that our processes were in place, and we welcome what
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  Speaker 1: the Commissioner put forward and that we had a robust
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  Speaker 1: policy in place and robust framework. These are two former
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  Speaker 1: employees that chose to work outside that and as the
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  Speaker 1: Commissioner has put forward, ultimately there was a separation of
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  Speaker 1: employment that occurred. And I really don't want to go
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  Speaker 1: into what occurred for those individuals because you know it
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  Speaker 1: is very difficult for them at this point in time.
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  Speaker 1: But what I can say is that our training will
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  Speaker 1: continue with our staff. Our frameworks are very robust already.
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  Speaker 1: They protect our council, they protect our community funds. This
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  Speaker 1: was an investigation that was triggered internally within the City
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  Speaker 1: of Darwin that we concluded and that we referred to
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  Speaker 1: IKAK because we saw that there was an issue there.
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  Speaker 1: So it was our reporting that was able to put
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  Speaker 1: this forward. But it's extremely disappointing. We continue on. There's
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  Speaker 1: a number of recommendations that the k Commissioner has put
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  Speaker 1: forward as a result of this investigation, and we welcome those.
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  Speaker 1: We really welcome those, and we'll continue to be able
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  Speaker 1: to deliver against them. But to be absolutely clear that
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  Speaker 1: this was our internal processes that picked this issue up.
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  Speaker 1: We investigated, we put that to IKAK, and we welcomed
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  Speaker 1: the findings by the Commissioner on this matter.
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  Speaker 2: If it was picked up internally and you already knew
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  Speaker 2: what had you know what had gone on, and tried
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  Speaker 2: to sort it. How come it was then put forward
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  Speaker 2: to the KAKE.
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  Speaker 1: We have mandatory reporting requirements, okay, So as a public body,
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  Speaker 1: if we see anything that we believe may contravene the
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  Speaker 1: ICAQ Act, maybe inappropriate, maybe corrupt conduct, we will automatically report.
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  Speaker 1: And that is for the Commissioner and the members of
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  Speaker 1: the ICAC to be able to assess and then make
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  Speaker 1: a decision where they put an investigation forward and what
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  Speaker 1: they do on that. And ultimately, on this occasion, Council
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  Speaker 1: finished its internal investigation. We then referred our findings to ICAK.
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  Speaker 1: They assessed, they investigated, they went through proceedings, and we
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  Speaker 1: see yesterday's report that was put forward. That's the combination
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  Speaker 1: of eighteen months worth of work.
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  Speaker 2: And when do you anticipate, I know that you said
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  Speaker 2: that the k had put forward then those recommendations that
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  Speaker 2: they had, when do you anticipate that they'll be implemented immediately?
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  Speaker 1: We're working on them now already, and we've worked very
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  Speaker 1: closely with the IKAK throughout this matter as well too,
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  Speaker 1: so they'll be implemented immediately. But our policies are procedures,
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  Speaker 1: processes and frameworks are strong, they can always be strengthened.
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  Speaker 1: Training is the key, but it really comes down to
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  Speaker 1: public trust in the way that we handle public funds
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  Speaker 1: and money, and it's extremely important that we continue to
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  Speaker 1: self report on issues and matters that they occur, and
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  Speaker 1: we definitely ensure that we will be having the highest
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  Speaker 1: level of procurement that we possibly can. We have ninety
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  Speaker 1: five percent of our procurement procured locally. We want to
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  Speaker 1: be able to deliver that to have economic growth for
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  Speaker 1: our entire community, and we want to have confidence in
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  Speaker 1: the community and what we do well.
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  Speaker 2: City of Darwin CEO, Scott Waters. We appreciate your time
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  Speaker 2: this morning. Thanks so much for having a chat with us.
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  Speaker 1: Oh you're welcome, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: Thank thank you,