The Northern Territory news Mon 18 Jan 2010
NT news
The Northern Territory news; NewspaperNT
2010-01-18
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English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin; Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
Darwin
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Nationwide News Pty. Limited
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/216786
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/708886
12 Northern Territory News, Monday, January 18, 2010 www.ntnews.com.au P U B : N T N E W S D A T E : 1 8 -J A N -2 0 1 0 P A G E : 1 2 C O L O R : C M Y K Opportunity goes begging OUR SAY T HETerritory economy seems to haveweathered the global financial crisis in good shape and is headed towards sustained prosperity. Even if the $12 billion Inpex gas project were not to come to Darwin and there is no reason to suppose it wont theNT economy is still likely to enjoy unprecedented good times for many years to come. Sowhy arent developers queuing up to build what the capital desperately needs five-star hotels? Is it our planning laws? Two Territory business people are to build a four or five-star place in the CBD. This initiative is welcome. But tourism operators will tell anybody whowill listen that there is room for at least onemore. At themoment, Darwins only five-star hotel is the Skycity casino, which is expanding to become a stand-alone destination. Of course, there are other fine hotels, such as the Crowne Plaza andNovotel. But business people andwealthy tourists complain incessantly about the lack of truly topclass hotels in the city centre. The Territory is on the cusp of an extraordinary resources boom, whichmeans that the heads of international companies whether they be gas, uraniumor goldwill be coming to town. And the number of conferences at the Convention Centre is increasing rapidly, meaning a greater demand for five-star accommodation. The Territory Government and TourismNT may need to be a bitmore forceful in letting developers and international hotel chains know what opportunities are going begging in Darwin. ... and another thing AS another low sits off the Territory coast threatening to turn into a cyclone it would be wise tomake sure you have your cyclone kit prepared.Wemay have a number of false alarms for cyclones each year but, as Territorians know, they are unpredictable and towait for one to come could be too late to be prepared. TheNorthern Territory News GPOBox 1300 DarwinNT0801 Editorial facsimile: (08) 8981 6045 LETTERS Capsmaketh the driver JUST a quick question to our teenage drivers who insist upon wearing baseball caps either turned sideways, or worn backwards. I know that the road rules according to those that fit into this category are as follows: 1) Only give way if you definitely cant beat them, after all theyve got brakes. 2) Whoever gets on the roundabout first has right of way, it is a race. Any problems refer to rule 1. 3) Red lights are only there when theres a lot of traffic on the road. Any problems refer once again to rule 1. 4) All left hand turns in Darwin at intersections are Turn Left At Lights Permitted After Stopping signed or not, any problems once again refer to rule 1. 5) Get as close to other cars as possible for fear of getting lost or for security (as you have only been away from your mothers apron for a short time). Tailgating? Never heard of it. Ive got good brakes and can stop in two foot in full flight! 5) Rig your car so it lights up like a Xmas tree at night, blinding most other road users, but these accessories are not to be used during the day in bad weather. Best kept for night use only so the disco crowd can look on in awe down Mitchell St. That said heres my question; when you turn the cap sideways or to the back is it like a light switch? On off, brain engaged, brain disengaged? Stephen Fitzgerald, Howard Springs Reject the ETS tax I TOTALLY agree with the opinion of Robert, Alice Springs, (Northern Territory News, January 11), that the ETS is a thinly veiled new tax. No one should doubt that climate change is occurring, and not only since humans evolved and their need to control their micro and macro environment in which to live, work and play. Tim Flannery, (We Are The Weather Makers) does lay the blame for accelerated climate change on activities pursued by humans, especially after industrialisation. His erudite and extensive observations, supported by reporting of other scientists works, lends great credibility to his book and are skewed in support of the present approach by our government. He does refer to a political process as being part of the solution. At no time is there an attempt to precisely state what percentage of climate change is due to ongoing natural causes and how much to human intervention. Looked at one way, change has been occurring since Earth came into being and continues in the background today. Little was said about the population expected 12 billion around 2050 who will need to be housed, fed, watered and transported in the way to which we have become accustomed. Bullying tactics are used by our federal Ministers to legitimise their preferred (and only) solution to climate change. With concern for the effect on the workforce and our lifestyles the Liberals, when in government, preferred a path of caution as any meaningful reduction in carbon emissions could be catastrophic. While on a free-spending spree the government might consider implementing a scheme where each household is encouraged by reward for demonstrating their own reduction of carbon footprint. In January 2007 I replaced my 4WD Holden Jackaroo with a Honda Civic hybrid vehicle. In my unit I have replaced 5 wall mounted lights and with the other fixtures use fluorescent instead of incandescent globes. Some years earlier I had the westward facing glass windows tinted. So I believe I am contributing my share to the common good. I have also made approaches to consider the installation of solar panels on the flat metal roofs of our units in CBD Darwin. The ETS as a tax on generations to come should be rejected by all Australians. Reg P, Darwin Logically, youre all right THE maths student should have gone to logic class also. Every millisecond, second, minute, hour, day etc is both the start, end and somewhere in between of a decade, millennium and so on. People just have a fondness for the beauty of numbers and want to recognise the Noughties as a decade, i.e. 2000 through 2009. And theyre not wrong. GregMills, Wagaman Workers need a fair go IM sure that recent reports of hairdressing staff being underpaid do not come as a surprise to many NT workers. There are many other vulnerable workers that all too often are exploited by unscrupulous employers including apprentices, Aboriginal workers, women and remote area workers. Employing people, particularly apprentices and trainees, should be a longterm investment as the long-term returns to the company are exponential. Instead, we regularly hear of people being used as cheap labour and being treated poorly because thats what it was like when I first started. Makes about as much sense as my parents beat me so Im going to beat you and delivers about the same level of commitment and loyalty in return. With the high cost of food, accommodation and fuel in the NT it is absolutely unconscionable that employers still feel they have the right to dictate terms and conditions to the very same people that turn them a profit at the end of each day. It is high time that a large number of NT employers realise that the employer/ employee relationship needs to be mutually beneficial and built around fairness with industry based levels of safety and employment conditions. I absolutely commend the work undertaken by the Fair Work Ombudsman but, with regret, know that they are limited by the levels of resourcing provided to them. The only way workers can ensure safe working conditions and affordable working wages is by joining their union and collectively demanding a fair go. Trevor Gauld ETU Organiser, Darwinv o te SHOULDpensioners be forced tomove from their homes into smaller houses to free up public housing? Last weeks result: Do Territory women dress inappropriately? to cast your vote phone YES - 190 969 562NO - 1900 969 563 Calls cost 55c. Higher frommobiles and payphones. NewsConnect or go towww.ntnews.com.au YES 51%NO49% DOyou knowof something in the Territory that needs fixing? Give The Fixer a call on 8944 9724 WHAT:Much of the new outdoor exercise equipment at Nightcliff foreshore is broken. WHOSRESPONSIBLE:Nick Kleine, Darwin City Council parks coordinator. PHONE: 8980 3657 EMAIL: n.kleine@darwin.nt.gov.au on this day >> in the territory 10 YEARSAGO:KATHERINE hoteliers have thrown their support behind new shorter liquor trading hours introduced in the town onNewYears Day. 20YEARSAGO:ALL threemajor political parties agree the southernNT should lose one seat in favour of the Top End in the coming redistribution of electoral boundaries. 25YEARSAGO: THEGovernment is after fast and effective results from its special juvenile crime task force, Community DevelopmentMinister Barry Coulter, said today. Were not the unknownboys from the NT anymore, weve gained respect and that is very important. NT coach Ken Vowles after the Territory Strike cricket side won the Australian Country competition, theNTs first ever national championship