Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie spoke with Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis for an end of year wrap up on all things Darwin

Transcript

Katie spoke with Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis for an end of year wrap up on all things Darwin · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Joining me in the studio for the last time for
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: twenty twenty one. It is the Lord Mayor of Darwin
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: convat Scarlets.
• 0:06
  Speaker 2: Good morning to you coh o Katie.
• 0:08
  Speaker 3: And what twenty twenty one has it been? Oh my
• 0:10
  Speaker 3: you twenty twenty was not any better.
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: No, it's been a pretty wild couple of years, hasn't it.
• 0:14
  Speaker 3: Conn It has and I think it will continue to
• 0:17
  Speaker 3: be for a while. It's a new variant now. I
• 0:20
  Speaker 3: believe there are three cashun Yolara, so I'm counting the
• 0:24
  Speaker 3: days to see when it will happen in Darway.
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: Yeah, well that's it.
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: We had those two, those two cases, those two blokes
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: I believe in their thirties that had flown into Lara
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: from Brisbane I think, and then now close contact of them.
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: The government announced yesterday or the acting Chief Minister, No,
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: the Health minister it was sorry, announced yesterday that press conference.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: So all lies certainly on that situation today.
• 0:46
  Speaker 3: Just make sure you keep wash your hands, use the disinfectant,
• 0:50
  Speaker 3: keep your distances if necessary. I know it's going to happen.
• 0:53
  Speaker 3: Its inevitable because all the borders and are open. People
• 0:55
  Speaker 3: can fly from here to there and everywhere. But just
• 0:58
  Speaker 3: take the precautions advised by the expert.
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: Not Facebook.
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: That's right, yeah, exactly, And con I know that it's
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: been a busy year for the council.
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: It always is.
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: You and I have discussed quite a number of times
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: over the last few weeks the situation with the e scooters. Now,
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: earlier in the week, we actually caught up with the
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: mother of a young woman who'd fallen off one of
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: those e scooters over the weekend and had injured herself
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: fairly badly. Take a listen to what Kim had to
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: say to us on the show on Monday.
• 1:27
  Speaker 4: Quite literally, she could have actually like being in a
• 1:30
  Speaker 4: wheelchair now for the rest of her life. We're just
• 1:31
  Speaker 4: waiting to find out.
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: She was drunk.
• 1:33
  Speaker 4: She'd been at a Christmas party. But even she said, Mum,
• 1:36
  Speaker 4: they should have breatalizers on them, so if you're over
• 1:39
  Speaker 4: the lemma or you can't get on them, they won't start.
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: Thank You's on.
• 1:43
  Speaker 4: Board with combat Scarlas too, saying that so if he
• 1:46
  Speaker 4: needs somebody that's actually been injured to stand up and
• 1:49
  Speaker 4: say something needs to be done, she said she's quite
• 1:51
  Speaker 4: happy to.
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: So that was Kim.
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: A bit earlier in the week, there con and it's
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: always like it is pretty sad when you hear that
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: someone's fall to often hurt themselves. But it does just
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: really reach right the concerns around people drinking and getting
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: on these a scooters.
• 2:06
  Speaker 3: Kim, I really sympathize with you. I hope your daughter
• 2:09
  Speaker 3: is not injured badly and she's not going to spend,
• 2:11
  Speaker 3: as you said, her life in a wheelchair. Unfortunately, it's
• 2:15
  Speaker 3: very common. You know, we have a couple of drinks
• 2:16
  Speaker 3: and we think she'll be right. I can't take my car.
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: I get a Scuda now twenty kilo on s Paraur.
• 2:21
  Speaker 3: You fall off, you can injure yourself very badly. That's
• 2:24
  Speaker 3: what I say. One of the things we're going to
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: put to Neuron is on certain days to lock the
• 2:28
  Speaker 3: scoots down after a period of time, like they're do
• 2:30
  Speaker 3: in Brisbane. There is a reason to do that one.
• 2:33
  Speaker 3: So if people go to let's say Mitchell Street, have
• 2:35
  Speaker 3: a few drinks, not one or two or even three,
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: but they've got more than that, then just walk on
• 2:41
  Speaker 3: catch a taxi. There are taxes around. Don't get the scud.
• 2:44
  Speaker 3: You're on two wheels going twenty kulums per hour. Something
• 2:47
  Speaker 3: may go wrong and something make go wrong really badly
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: for you. I sympathize again with your daughter and her injuries.
• 2:53
  Speaker 3: She made a mistake and unfortunately too many people make
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: mistakes because we don't think logically.
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: After a few days, yes.
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: Hi, con I do remember now they're obviously earlier in
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: the week we learned that your CEO.
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: Scott Waters, is going to be leaving.
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: Obviously disappointing to see the loss of your CEO.
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: I spoke to Scott. Actually, Scott came and saw me
• 3:14
  Speaker 3: and spoke to me and explained the men the reason
• 3:16
  Speaker 3: why he's living now. It's not the money, it's not
• 3:19
  Speaker 3: the work. It's the family, having a family far away
• 3:22
  Speaker 3: from you, and of course your family comes with a
• 3:25
  Speaker 3: lot of other issues. So I can sympathize with him
• 3:28
  Speaker 3: and I wish him more the best. He did a
• 3:29
  Speaker 3: tremendous job the last four years. Everybody can see that
• 3:34
  Speaker 3: down has changed, not only the elected members but also
• 3:37
  Speaker 3: our stuff. We were really well together. We had no problems,
• 3:40
  Speaker 3: no argument. You hear in other councils in other states.
• 3:42
  Speaker 3: We decided we're going to do the best for Darwin.
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: He did the best for Thatwhen I wish him all
• 3:46
  Speaker 3: the best. It's our loss. But NOSA gets a really
• 3:49
  Speaker 3: good CEO. So now we'll be going out for you
• 3:53
  Speaker 3: to get some somebody good and I'll look forward to
• 3:56
  Speaker 3: get somebody as good as Scott.
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: So what is the process in terms of recruiting a
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: new CEO.
• 4:01
  Speaker 3: Well, council make a decision actually to proceed with the advertising,
• 4:05
  Speaker 3: and it's fair to advertise to give the opportunity to
• 4:07
  Speaker 3: everybody and the council to get a new CEO. And
• 4:10
  Speaker 3: we probably appoint in recruitment agency like we did previously,
• 4:14
  Speaker 3: and then waiting for the applications. I hear already people
• 4:20
  Speaker 3: expressed indors to come to Darwin. And this has changed
• 4:22
  Speaker 3: a lot since many years ago. Nobody want to work
• 4:25
  Speaker 3: for counsel. Then now every time we advertise a job
• 4:27
  Speaker 3: we get about fifty or sixty applications.
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: Well, and I know that's that process.
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: Last time round of using the recruitment agency, it was
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: very costly obviously in terms of the expense, it did
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: cost quite a bit of money.
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: I can't remember exactly how much, but I remember you
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: just a lot of money.
• 4:43
  Speaker 3: Any more likely money will spend And the reason for
• 4:46
  Speaker 3: that is we got Scott. I mean, that was a
• 4:48
  Speaker 3: really good investment for us. We got a really good
• 4:50
  Speaker 3: CEO that actually achieved a lot. Now there are not
• 4:53
  Speaker 3: many local agencies, most of them are in the state. However,
• 4:57
  Speaker 3: the interstate got a pool of people with the skills
• 5:01
  Speaker 3: and also they provide advice to us. They do all
• 5:04
  Speaker 3: the background check up and everything else. So when we
• 5:07
  Speaker 3: get the final folio with the applications, they're already been
• 5:12
  Speaker 3: gone through, they have checked them out and they come
• 5:15
  Speaker 3: to us who says, look, these are the four or
• 5:17
  Speaker 3: five will recommend you can proceed with.
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: The last time, and so do you anticipate that you
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: will go through the same process and it's going to
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: cost one hundred grand.
• 5:23
  Speaker 3: Again, I don't know how much is going to cost
• 5:25
  Speaker 3: because first of all we have to go out. Second
• 5:27
  Speaker 3: is if they do all this work themselves first to
• 5:30
  Speaker 3: vet people, to check people actually take a lot of
• 5:32
  Speaker 3: work from us. And if you have mort target how
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: much it will cost us for somebody from the council
• 5:37
  Speaker 3: to do it. It comes in the same situation. But
• 5:39
  Speaker 3: the thing is having somebody that actually have a pool
• 5:43
  Speaker 3: of profession from all over Australia, you get the best
• 5:45
  Speaker 3: person like.
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: We did with Scott well, can anything else on the
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: agenda before I let you go this morning?
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: I know that we are just how it's away from Christmas.
• 5:53
  Speaker 3: We've got a really good program for next year. Of course,
• 5:55
  Speaker 3: the swimming pool, we will not close it in the
• 5:58
  Speaker 3: wet season. We're not that stupid. We're close it where
• 6:01
  Speaker 3: the drive starts and we'll start working casual. Now that's right,
• 6:04
  Speaker 3: and then we see the eccentditary development. We already advertised
• 6:07
  Speaker 3: for a faction of design brief and we're asking people
• 6:09
  Speaker 3: to express in there, so we're goun on that one.
• 6:12
  Speaker 3: We'll proceed with that, creating Darwin. We just finished our
• 6:15
  Speaker 3: last giveaway of trees. We gave about ten thousand trees
• 6:18
  Speaker 3: in four or five different areas. Last time in Nakara
• 6:21
  Speaker 3: we gave two thousand trees. So there's more doew trees
• 6:25
  Speaker 3: out there planted by our residents. And thank you very
• 6:27
  Speaker 3: much for that. And we'll continue to do the same
• 6:30
  Speaker 3: thing in the next year. More trees, more beautification. People
• 6:34
  Speaker 3: already start talking about down has changed a lot. I
• 6:37
  Speaker 3: want to actually say that they changed even better in
• 6:40
  Speaker 3: the next couple of years. The next year.
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: Well, contact scarlets, We always appreciate your time on the show.
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: You turn up every single week and you never get
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: too offended when I ask you crazy stuff, which I like.
• 6:51
  Speaker 3: We offended if you don't ask this question, is Kadye.
• 6:53
  Speaker 3: We know each other for a long long time in
• 6:55
  Speaker 3: different circumstances. I know you're doing your job probably, and
• 6:58
  Speaker 3: I'm going to give you the answer that people want
• 7:01
  Speaker 3: to hear. I'm not going to mince my.
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: Word so as well, and that's fine.
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: But the thing I like as well is that at
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: different times and I've raised issues with you, I are
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: the crossing at East Point, for example, the issue that
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: one of our listeners raised just a few days ago.
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: About the dog park.
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: You and I had spoken on numerous occasions about the
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: beautification of daily straight as well. You actually listen, and
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: you do actually go away, and you make changes if
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: they are required, which I think is really important.
• 7:28
  Speaker 3: This is my role. My role here is not where
• 7:30
  Speaker 3: and funds in uniform. I can do it since ceremony only.
• 7:33
  Speaker 3: It's actually listening to what people have to say. Sometimes
• 7:35
  Speaker 3: they are right, and most of the time they are right.
• 7:38
  Speaker 3: Sometimes they've got their story mixed up. But my role
• 7:41
  Speaker 3: is actually to listen to people to find out what's happening.
• 7:43
  Speaker 3: Respond to people, fix it if it's broken, and if
• 7:46
  Speaker 3: it's not broken, explain to them why we're not going
• 7:48
  Speaker 3: to fix it because simply it's not broken. But the
• 7:50
  Speaker 3: things you're rest And thank you very much for people
• 7:52
  Speaker 3: ringing in and telling us that I'm in Darwin, but
• 7:55
  Speaker 3: I can't be everywhere all the time. If you see
• 7:58
  Speaker 3: something broken, let us know.
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: World well contat Scarlet. So I hope you have a
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: lovely Christmas. We'll catch up with you in.
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: The new year.
• 8:04
  Speaker 3: Medic Christ all of you and your families, and a
• 8:06
  Speaker 3: happy new year. Stay safe, listen to the experts. We
• 8:09
  Speaker 3: have difficult times, but we can overcome.
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: Good on your con Thank you,