The Northern Territory news Tue 3 May 2011
NT news
The Northern Territory news; NewspaperNT
2011-05-03
This publication contains may contain links to external sites. These external sites may no longer be active.
English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin; Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
Darwin
Copyright. Made available by the publisher under licence.
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/232482
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/662897
2 NT NEWS. Tuesday, May 3, 2011. www.ntnews.com.au P U B : N T N E W S D A T E : 3 -M A Y -2 0 1 1 P A G E : 2 C O L O R : C M Y K NEWS l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l ntnews.com.au In si d e GENERAL INQUIRIES: 8944 9900 l CLASSIFIEDS: 8944 9999 l CIRCULATION: 8944 9901 l ADVERTISING: 8944 9801 ONLINE: www.ntnews.com.au l EDITORIAL EMAIL: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au l OTHER INQUIRIES: online@ntn.newsltd.com.au NATIONAL: 15 Fuel prices hit a 30-month high, but a stronger Australian dollar has lessened the squeeze. WORLD: 4 Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden has been killed in a daring raid by US forces in Pakistan. ENTERTAINMENT: 16 Gold Logie winner Karl Stefanovic has acknowledged that sometimes he doesnt think before he speak. BUSINESS: 25 SYDNEY:Woolworths Ltds new hardware brand is to be known as Masters. Wicking ..........................12 Your say .........................12 National .........................15 World ................................4 Entertainment .............16 Movies ............................16 Business ........................25 Comics ............................27 Television ......................28 Classifieds .....................30 Weather .........................39 Racing liftout ...............19 Sports Extra ..................33 Speedcameras NTPolice speed cameraswill be in theseareas today: DARWIN: Bagot Rd; Dick Ward Drive; Gilruth Ave; Stuart Hwy, Winnellie. NORTHERN SUBURBS: Henbury Ave; Lee Point Rd; Rocklands Drv; Rothdale Rd. PALMERSTON: Chung Wah Tece; Essington Ave; Roystonea Ave; Stuart Hwy. RURAL: Howard Springs Rd; Stuart Hwy, Coolalinga, Noonamah, Howard Springs. Are youon the spot? Do you have a news photo or a story tip? If so, wewant to hear from you! Newshotline: 8944 9724 Send your news photos to: newsbreakers@ntn. newsltd.com.au Include your contact details and a brief description. All emails should be notmore than fivemegabytes. Tattslotto Monday2-5-2011 DrawNo. 3030 10 11 1 27 7 5 38 30SUPPS Total prizepool: $1.8m TheNTNewshas taken all possible care but cannot accept responsibility for any errors, whether due to equipment fault, staff handling or any other cause. Caught! Angler:Quinton Pope. Fish:Barra. Where: South Alligator. MOREFISHING: Page39 Wakeuptous GET YOUR AND HOME DELIVERED Call8944 9901 MYSTERYNUMBERCONDITIONS: If youwin, keepthispaper forverification. Call costs55c (IncGST).Higher frommobile/ payphones -DialectSolutionsGroup. Recommendation:Usea land-lineand touch tonephone.Somemobiles,portableandpay phonesmayexperience technical faultsdue to receptioncomplications. Deficit to soar By NIGEL ADLAM TREASURER Delia Lawrie will today announce that the Territory Budget will again run up a hefty deficit this coming financial year. She will also reveal that the date for returning the Budget to surplus has been put back. Ms Lawrie yesterday refused to reveal either detail. We made a deliberate decision to step into deficit to protect the economy, she said. The deficit this financial year was originally expected to be $268 million. That was revised upwards mid-year to $425 million. The actual figure and predictions for 2011-12 will be the key element of the Treasurers Budget statement to the Legislative Assembly this morning. Last year, Ms Lawrie said the Budget should be back in the black by 2015. She partly blamed dra matic cuts to GST money for pushing that deadline back. None of the Governments economic predictions factor in the business stimulus promised by Inpex because the final investment decision about the $30 billion gas project wont be made until the end of this year. Ms Lawrie will today announce that the NT Government will spend $1.5 billion on infrastructure in the Territory over the next year more than 25 per cent of the total Budget. Expenditure will include: l $539 million for housing. l $375 million for power, water and sewerage upgrades. l $307 million for roads, a 200 per cent increase in the past decade. l $143 million to upgrade hospital services, including $51 million for Royal Darwin Hospital. l $110 million for education infrastructure. l $61 million for police, fire and emergency services infrastructure. Ms Lawrie said the capital works spending would support 3000 jobs. Treasurer to hand down toughest Budget TODAYS Budget will be a balance of providing infrastructure spending and financing changing social policy according to the Territory Treasurer Delia Lawrie. Ms Lawrie last year said shewas handing downher toughest Budget. But because of a dramatic reduction on GST revenues and lower consumption across the board, she said itwould be tough again this year. The government had allocated $1.5 billion on infrastructure but said it was a fine line to address social problems. We are still in the realm where the public purse has to lift its spend to support the economic driverswhilstwewait for private sector investment to return, she said. Opposition Leader Terry Mills said spending leading to a large deficit was not leading to increased productivity. Debt is always a challenge but it is how you respond to that challenge that is really the issue, he said. They (Labor) seem to think that spending money of itself is the outcome when, in fact, you know you need to get a result from the expenditure of money ... productivity is what people require of a government. Union members march through Darwins streets to mark May Day Picture: REGI VARGHESE Spirit of May Day lives on in the Top End By CAINE EDWARDS HE SAID IT ADAM Lampe Unions NT Secretary Its important that we recognise the fight for workers rights HUNDREDS of unionists exercised their right to free speech during a May Day march through Darwins streets yesterday. After assembling in front of the Unions NT building, in Woods St, the gathering made its way to Bicentennial Park on The Esplanade. Australian Education Union NT secretary Adam Lampe said the march was symbolic for International Workers Day. Its important that we recognise the fight for workers rights, for conditions like the eight-hour day, he said. He said a lot of work went into the fight so workers could experience the conditions they have. We should be very thankful, he said. A lot of per sonal sacrifice went into creating the situation that exists today. The march, which started at 4pm, travelled up Knuckey St, on to Mitchell St before it turned left at Shenanigans and halted at the park. A free concert including live performances from Doctor Elephant and Leah Flanagan followed the march, which celebrated 100 years of working women. $60m to upgrade NT roads NEARLY $60 million has been allocated in todays Budget to improve roads in three rural regions. More than $30 million will be spent on upgrading East Arnhem roads, $26 million in Katherine and $1.6 million on the Barkly. About $250,000 will go towards providing new pull-off areas for trucks on the Central Arnhem Rd, which has become dangerous because of an increase in heavy vehicles. Nhulunbuy MLA Lynne Walker said $200,000 would be spent on drainage at Rocky Bottom Creek to help improve access to the road. Construction Minister Gerry McCarthy the Katherine region expenditure would include $6 million for a new high-level bridge over the King River. And $5 million will be spent on overtaking lanes on the Stuart Highway between Darwin and Katherine. The Barkly spending will include: $300,000 to create a twolane passing zone on the Tablelands Highway; $160,000 for the Stuart Highway and $160,000 to widen narrow culverts on the Barkly Highway; and $270,000 to stabilise and seal floodways on the Wollogorang Rd. The Territory Government has responsibility for a 22,000km road network. Out theBack: P14