The Northern Territory news Fri 10 Oct 2014
NT news
The Northern Territory news; NewspaperNT
2014-10-10
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English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin; Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin
News Corp Australia
Darwin
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News Corp Australia
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/253510
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/537623
50 OPINION FRIDAY OCTOBER 10 2014 NTNE01Z01MA - V1 Unsung heroes deserve kudos ...and another thing IT is often the Australian way to downplay personal achievements. While its almost impossible to avoid noticing the weird, wacky and wonderful members of society, it is often the unsung heroes of the world who are prone to staying out of the spotlight. News Corps Pride of Australia program seeks to turn that on its head. The Pride of Australia Medal is one of the organisations most important community endeavours recognising and rewarding our communitys most outstanding members. Over the past 10 years we have shared more than 19,000 stories and awarded more than 550 medals nationally. Weve proudly championed leaders, campaigners, caregivers, volunteers, teachers and everyday Australians whose extraordinary actions set them apart. And yesterdays event which saw 10 Territorians win silver medals at NT Parliament House was no exception. Among the winners were three children and seven adults who have made incredible contributions to society and improved the lives of others. Some worked in suicide prevention, others had founded charity organisations and displayed incredible empathy and compassion for others. Many had saved lives. They are the real heroes of our community, The winners will go on to the Australian finals in December and represent the NT on the national stage. The community spirit displayed in honouring the finalists is an important reminder that paying homage to unsung heroes for their contributions to society is something to be celebrated, not avoided. THE Parap pub has been an institution in Darwin for decades. But nothing has been more famous than its sneaky Friday after noon strip shows. While the Dowling family has never liked to promote it, the strip shows have been a mainstay for as long as old Darwin can remember. The pubs new owners, Woolworths, take over on Monday and their first act will be to can the strippers. Dont worry fellas, there will still be plenty of beer and food on the menu ... WHAT: Streetlights are out on Leanyer Drive between VRD Drive and Hodgson Drive. WHO'S RESPONSIBLE: PowerWater general manager for Power Networks John Greenwood. CONTACT: 8924 5068 Do you know of something in the Territory that needs fixing? Give the Fixer a call on 8944 9750, email thefixer@ntnews.com.au or follow on Twitter @NTNTheFixer No bright idea I AM a Darwin Council ratepayer, my apartment overlooks the Gardens golf course and the proposed night lighting of it is going to adversely affect my lifestyle, in particular light pollution. Why is the council not contacting its ratepayers directly and informing them of the situation? They should mail each and every one and enquire as to their opinion. This attitude greatly disappoints me. Kingsley Lennon, Larakeyah Time to get tough I THOROUGHLY agree with your editorial (NT News Oct 6) Clamp Down on Animal Cruelty. Elsewhere in the same edition there was an article on this problem. One of the cases cited was that of two dogs that were starved to death and the person was fined $150. Now, even under current law, the judiciary had at its disposal a fine of up to $13,500 or one year in jail. I am not suggesting that the maximum penalty be applied in this case, but one would have thought the judiciary could do better than $150. So, it is not the size of the penalties that is the problem; it is the judiciarys application of them. Bill John, Tiwi Who do you trust AT A forum convened in Katherine recently by the Katherine Town Council, residents were presented with a polished presentation by mining company representatives. Santos spokespeople referred to the economic benefits that will accrue for Territorians as a result of mining royalties being paid to the Government. The mining company representatives neglected to say that most of the royalties received by the Government will be gifted back to the mining industry in the form of subsidies. Royalty money received by the Government in recent years has been in excess of $500 million but about 80 per cent of this revenue has been given back to the miners. The Government, of course, doesnt like to talk about its generosity to the industry. The integrity of fracking wells is of paramount importance because of the potential for damage to aquifers. The depletion of water resources and disposal of toxic waste fluids are also of major concern. It was said at the forum that the NT Department of Mines and Energy and the NT Envi ronmental Protection Agency (EPA) would be responsible for monitoring the fracking process to ensure compliance with safety regulations. Therein lies a potential problem. Would you trust the Government? I certainly dont and I believe that many others would have similar sentiments as my own. Government agencies have had a dismal track record of monitoring mining operations in the past. There have been numerous environmental disasters caused by the Governments failure to ensure proper monitoring. Mt Todd is a classic example right on Katherines doorstep, while the EPA presently has its hands full of problems at McArthur River. Until it can be proven that there is no possibility of the fracking process causing environmental damage, the NT Government should follow the example set by other governments and impose a moratorium on fracking. Bruce Francais, Katherine Burqa confusion LAST year poor old Liz Hayes fronted a ratings-seeking 60 Minutes piece on the burqa. From her Channel 9 auto cue, she was linking the cultural dress of rural Pakistan and Afghanistan to the Muslim faith. Sadly, the examples shown were of the cultural dress of Saudi Arabia. Liz, blinded by her own ignorance, earnestly ploughed on with her mission to expose Islam, the religion, not the cultures of the different societies. Not only was Channel 9 playing on peoples ignorance but confirming their misconceptions. Arguably, the burqa et al is merely a control on women by the men of a society that accepts what we would call child abuse as normal behaviour. Indeed in the countries of the burqa, niqab and chador pedophiles marry their victims. It will be interesting to see if the boys of the TV station, have Liz redress her abysmal effort. Billy Moir, Nightcliff Youll be missed RE: EVAN Raskin leaving Darwin. Being a resident myself of Darwin now for over 48 years, it was a pleasure and honour the have worked with and socialised with Evan at the Ski club and other bars around Darwin and rural areas. You are a true Darwinite and a NT legend. All of us old Darwinites will miss you and wish you all the best in your future travels. The beer was always cold. Martin Urban, Darwin Until the holding of the by-election in the Northern Territory electorate of Casuarina, no letters, texts or online comments specifically dealing with the election will be published unless senders provide their full names and addresses. Full names and suburbs only will be published. We reserve the right to verify senders identities by calling senders mobile numbers. 10 YEARS AGO: About one in five Australians, or 17.7 per cent of the population, will suffer from a mental illness in their lifetime. In the Territory alone, this equates to about 35,400 people. 20 YEARS AGO: A quarter of homes in the Northern Territory are not insured, officials announced yesterday. And most owners of those homes would face bankruptcy if there was a disaster, the National Insurance Brokers Association said. 25 YEARS AGO: The Chief Minister, Mr Marshall Perron, gave a categoric assurance the unpopular bed tax would not be increased. NT Government has absolutely no intention of increasing the tourism marketing levy now or in the future, he said. Letters to the editor should be kept to 175 words or less. Send your letters to GPO Box 1300, Darwin, 0801, or email ntnmail@ntnews.com.au You must include your name, home address or PO Box number. Name and address will be withheld on request. The Northern Territory News reserves the right to edit letters. Responsibility is taken by the Editor, NT News, GPO Box 1300, Darwin, NT, 0801