The Northern Territory news Thu 7 Apr 2022
NT news
The Northern Territory news; NewspaperNT
2022-04-07
English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin.; Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin.
News Corp Australia
Darwin
application/pdf
Copyright. Made available by the publisher under licence.
News Corp Australia
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/869399
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/869663
Thursday April 7 2022 NEWS 11 V1 - NTNE01Z01MA Tragedy of driveway deaths AS INCREDIBLE as it sounds, across Australia this week, two children will be hurt or killed in a low-speed driveway accident. New figures reveal an alarming 53 per cent jump in the number of these type of tragedies, with more than 100 child deaths in the past decade and 1000 others requiring medical treatment for lifechanging injuries. In the 2011-2020 period, NSW recorded 27 driveway deaths, Queensland 26, Victor ia 22, Western Australia 13, South Australia nine and Tasmania and Northern Territory two each. Of the 10 deaths nationally a year, most of the children killed were aged three or younger. Such is the taboo surrounding these gut-wrenching familial accidents, rarely are they discussed, nor are they included in national road toll figures. Now a father, who ran over and killed his 15-month-old daughter, has teamed up with a former paramedic to break the silence and remind parents that such accidents, like with swimming pool safety, can be prevented. Peter Cockburn knew the dangers of kids on driveways, but like many thought it wouldnt happen to him until the night he was reversing into the garage and an excited 15month-old Georgina crawled out to greet him. She was a gorgeous girl, my baby girl, was always out and about and getting into things and unfortunately that day she just wanted to come and see dad and I didnt realise she was there, he said of that night in 2011 when Georgina was killed. She was a bubbly person and just wanted to see you, just gorgeous and unfortunately we dont get her anymore. He said the garage door handle could have been higher, it could have had a latch lock, he and his wife Emma could have done other things but they didnt and now work to help others heal. In 2012, the federal government had some data on 60 deaths over the decade to 2010, but there had been no compre hensive federal or state collation since. So Mr Cockburn began researching it with the help of federal Opposition transport spokeswoman Catherine King and was surprised of the rise in figures in the decade to 2020. We have monitored all reported deaths nationally and discovered there have been at least 35 more fatalities in the last 10 years, an increase of 53 per cent, and thats just on the reports we could find, Mr Cockburn said. Put another way, now on average a minimum of 10 children die per year. Former paramedic Patrick Kennedy had seen a few tragedies over his career and was so alarmed by the rise in figures he wrote an illustrated childrens booklet with all the profits going to Mr Cockburns awareness campaign. As a paramedic I saw terrible childhood tragedies and as a result wrote Billy Be Safes Very Hot Day where my character Paramedic Billy Be Safe brings attention to this tragedy, Mr Kennedy said. Charles Miranda Exclusive KNOCKOUT weekend with the UFC Heavy Weight Fighter Only at Landmark. DARWIN, ARE YOU READY? @THELANDMARKNT TAI BAM BAM TUIVASATUIVASATUIVASATUIVASATUIVASATUIVASATUIVASATUIVASATUIVASATUIVASATUIVASATUIVASATUIVASA APRIL 9 & 10 ACTIVISTS calling for the closure of the NTs most infamous youth prison have secured a meeting with the Territory Families Minister. Kate Worden is expected to meet with three representatives of the Close Don Dale Now movement on Thursday. A Close Don Dale Now spokeswoman said they wanted to discuss closing the youth detention centre based out of the former maximum security of Berrimah Prison. She said the group hoped to talk about establishing a re habilitative models of care, and raising the age of criminal responsibility. The group has been staging weekly protests outside the prison, that have detained children as young as 10, since Christmas. Data provided by the NT government has shown an increase in self-harming rates inside Don Dale, amid a skyrocketing numbers of kids kept in Territory prisons, jumping from 64 kids in the final six months of 2020 to 199 at the end of 2021. The group has also staged demonstrations outside NT ministers offices, including one at Ms Wordens office earlier this month where a protester was arrested by police. Ms Worden said the Don Dale Centre would be replaced by a new evidencebased and therapeutic facility. I will listen to the concerns of the Close Don Dale group. We have reformed our youth justice system, Ms Worden said. The youth justice activists are expected to speak to the media following their meeting with the minister. Close Don Dale movement secures meeting with Territory Families Zizi Averill Tracy Village Social & Sports Club 28 Tambling Tce, LYONS NT 0810 PH: 8980 4777 tracyvillage.com.au \)\<.e us on