Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie Woolf spoke with RSL Palmerston Branch Secretary Clayton on the Palmerston Memorial being trashed overnight

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Katie Woolf spoke with RSL Palmerston Branch Secretary Clayton on the Palmerston Memorial being trashed overnight · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: We have been sent some messages that the Memorial Park
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  Speaker 1: in Palmerston this morning has been damaged. Now joining us
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  Speaker 1: on the line is Clayton, the secretary from the Palmerston
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  Speaker 1: rs L. Good morning Clayton.
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  Speaker 2: And morning Cony.
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  Speaker 1: How are you not too bad? Clayton? Can you tell
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  Speaker 1: me what's going on there out at at that site?
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  Speaker 2: Oh, it's a bit disappointing. This morning received the phone
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  Speaker 2: call from someone saying that overnight someone or a group
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  Speaker 2: of people have vandalized park Memorial Park. We've got steel
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  Speaker 2: silhouettes of soldiers who have I guess you could say
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  Speaker 2: they guard the memorial Park for us, and they simply
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  Speaker 2: invent in half. You know, it's it's a it's a
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  Speaker 2: memorial I guess it's the sacred site to a lot
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  Speaker 2: of people, and someone, for unknown reasons have just decided
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  Speaker 2: they didn't like the soldiers and want to bend half.
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  Speaker 1: Clayton, how are you guys feeling about this happening on
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  Speaker 1: the eve of Anzac weekend?
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  Speaker 2: Well, as you I'm extremely angryicatd You know, Parmers and RSL.
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  Speaker 2: We're running a small sub branch and you know we
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  Speaker 2: do lots of things with what we have and we've
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  Speaker 2: got a great bunch of volunteers. But something like this,
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  Speaker 2: you know, that happened so close to Anzac Day. You know,
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  Speaker 2: it's a kick in the guts for all those serving
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  Speaker 2: and ex serving members who you know, day in day
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  Speaker 2: out put their life on the lines in the protection
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  Speaker 2: of their country. It's just it's just unnecessary violence of
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  Speaker 2: destruction of property for no reason whatsoever.
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  Speaker 1: Clays And tell us what that park means to you, guys.
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  Speaker 2: Well, it's a place that people can go. You know,
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  Speaker 2: we've got a nice chair that they can sit down
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  Speaker 2: and reflect and you know, think about those those people
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  Speaker 2: that have passed on either through natural courses or to
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  Speaker 2: the service of their country. There's many territories that have
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  Speaker 2: given their life while serving a defense force and that's
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  Speaker 2: a part where people can go and pay their respects.
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  Speaker 1: It's devastating and as you said, it's absolutely devastating that
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  Speaker 1: this has happened just before anne Zac Day. Clayton, is
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  Speaker 1: this dammage able to be fixed?
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  Speaker 2: Oh? Look, you know Parmesan Council that they support us
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  Speaker 2: very very well. You know, we're ever in creditrude for
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  Speaker 2: their support. Look, they're onto it. They're gonna fix these signs,
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  Speaker 2: all these these still soldiers for us, and yeah, everything
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  Speaker 2: can be back in place before parings, base stuff. You know,
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  Speaker 2: there's evidence out there obviously, you know a group of
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  Speaker 2: peve had a big party last night because there's just cans, bottles,
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  Speaker 2: smashed glass everywhere, vomit, you know. Yeah, it's unbelievable that's
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  Speaker 2: something like that can get happen in there in such
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  Speaker 2: a well lit area, probably under the deceas of TV
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  Speaker 2: cameras that are there. Yeah, they just do it, leave
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  Speaker 2: their mess and carry on for the you know, for
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  Speaker 2: the rest of the night. It's ridiculous.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's not on and it is such an important spot,
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  Speaker 1: there is no doubt about that. It's important to every
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  Speaker 1: territory and Clayton, is there anything we can do to
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  Speaker 1: help you guys before the weekend.
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  Speaker 2: No. The only thing you can do for us is
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  Speaker 2: obviously past the word of Anzac Day on Sunday and
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  Speaker 2: would appreciate as many people coming on Sunday for our
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  Speaker 2: dawn service at six am. I'm in our morning service
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  Speaker 2: which is just after our Veterans Veterans March which kicks
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  Speaker 2: off at nine o'clock. Come and support ANZACs Day. We
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  Speaker 2: had a terrible day last year because of the COVID yep,
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  Speaker 2: but this year it's everything's fully open and I know
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  Speaker 2: it's one day a year where we get to commemorate
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  Speaker 2: those those people, and but just encourage everyone in Palmers
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  Speaker 2: and surrounding suburbs and aarreias to come along and support
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  Speaker 2: ANZACs Day at Memorial Park at six am. Yeah.
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  Speaker 1: I agree with you. I think the more people we
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  Speaker 1: can get out there to commemorate this incredibly important day
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  Speaker 1: and really you know, pay tribute to our serving members
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  Speaker 1: past and current, and particularly those who have lost their lives.
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  Speaker 1: I think that it is such an important thing for
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  Speaker 1: us to do. Clayton, can I just ask you quickly.
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  Speaker 1: I know that it's not about you know, how much
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  Speaker 1: damage this is in terms of financial cost. It is
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  Speaker 1: about the you know, the really the emotional costs that
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  Speaker 1: it really puts on people. But do you have any
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  Speaker 1: idea financially how much this may cost to fix?
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  Speaker 2: No? No, look, it actually hopefully will be an easy
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  Speaker 2: fix to make those two silhouetes. They're obviously laser cut
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  Speaker 2: the steel from the shop and you know there were
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  Speaker 2: a couple of grand to purchase for us and Council
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  Speaker 2: put them in at no cost. But I'm hoping it's
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  Speaker 2: an easy fix them, but just might need to be
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  Speaker 2: heated up and put back into shape again. So yeah,
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  Speaker 2: it's not going to stop. It happened again, you know.
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  Speaker 2: I would hope that we live in a society where
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  Speaker 2: people see things that are that are memorials of that
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  Speaker 2: type of stuff and that if it's not yours, don't
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  Speaker 2: touch it.
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  Speaker 1: You spot on Clayton, I really appreciate you talking to
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  Speaker 1: us this morning. I'm really sorry that this has happened
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  Speaker 1: to you guys ahead of an Zac Day and all
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  Speaker 1: the best on Anzac Day. I like you mentioned and
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  Speaker 1: I would echo exactly the same sentiment. Let's all of
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  Speaker 1: us as Territorians get out there and really pay tribute
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  Speaker 1: and say thanks to our current and past serving members
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  Speaker 1: and everybody on this very important weekend.
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  Speaker 2: That's yeah, right, going to say thank you very much
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  Speaker 2: for your support.
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  Speaker 1: Anytime, mate, thank you, thanks for speaking with us this morning.
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  Speaker 1: That is Clayton there, the Secretary of the Palmerston RSL.
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  Speaker 1: And I tell you what, it's actually just really upsetting,
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  Speaker 1: you know, to hear that that has happened, but to
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  Speaker 1: also see those photos. Now, if you do want to
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  Speaker 1: have a look at those photos, you can head to
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  Speaker 1: the Mixed one O four nine Facebook page. We have
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  Speaker 1: shared those on there and as you heard from Clayton
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  Speaker 1: there it is those steel silhouettes as well as plants
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  Speaker 1: being ripped out as well the look of things and
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  Speaker 1: just general disrespect I think you'd have to say to
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  Speaker 1: what is an incredibly important area.