Mayor Ryan short on answers on top issues

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24100 Phil Alice, Shane Lindner OKBy ERWIN CHLANDA
 
Mayor Damien Ryan resorted to abuse rather answer questions in an interview with the Alice Springs News Online, labelling questions put to him as “rubbish”, refusing to answer them, and asking that “we stop playing funny buggers here”.
 
Mayor Ryan, in a scheduled interview, disclosed that there had been no progress with an offer from senior elders (at left, Phil Alice and Shane Lindner) to collaborate with the town council on strategies for dealing with problem youths and he had no information about disturbances and crime last month, usually a dreaded peak time for offending.
 
Despite having chaired a flood mitigation committee, Mayor Ryan had no information about the government’s current strategies to protect the town from a peak flow of the Todd becoming more likely with climate change.
 
And while being dismissive of a suggestion that the council might form a pressure group with the Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Central Australia, Congress and the Arid Lands Environment Centre, and possibly others, to influence government decisions, suggesting this should be the province only of the council, he could not nominate any issue where the council succeeded in forcing the government’s hand in 2017.
 
NEWS: We recently published troubling tourism figures for the year ending September 2017 released by Tourism Research Australia and the Federal Minister for Tourism. What’s your view about the competition for tourism business between Alice Springs and the Ayers Rock Resort?
 
RYAN: Are you asking me to refer to an article you have written and I haven’t read? I don’t go to your paper on a regular basis to answer questions from stories you’ve written before.
 
NEWS: We don’t invent these stories. We are quoting statisticians who are working for the Federal Government, in this case.
 
RYAN: Speaking with Tourism Central Australia I was told they had a busy year last year. We would hope to see that growth again this year. We rely heavily on our events.
 
NEWS: Since you haven’t read the story let me quote you some details: In Alice the average spend per day was down 26% (12 month change), down 8% (three years) and down 5% (10 years). Numbers of domestic visitors were down 11% for the year and their spend, down 32%, although the nights spent were up slightly (3%).
 
2492 Rock Alastair Shields 2 OKRYAN: How does that work, the numbers are down but the nights are up?
 
NEWS: It indicates to me the people who are coming are spending less. Maybe they sleep on a park bench. Tourism Research Australia doesn’t disclose that.
 
RYAN: We are doing anything in our power as a council to support events. The council is very keen to see tourism grow.
 
NEWS: On the figures, what the council is doing is obviously not working.
 
RYAN: That’s an insult. Can we keep moving, Erwin? We’re not getting anywhere with the rubbish you’re asking.
 
NEWS: Should the money the government is proposing to spend on the revitalisation of the CBD be spent instead in the tourism areas of the West and East MacDonnell Ranges?
 
RYAN: It would be great having money spent in both areas. I can’t really speak about the East and West MacDonnells but the [CBD] revitalisation discussions kick off in about a fortnight’s time. I’m really keen to see what that investment in our CBD can do to assist us. I look forward to those discussions.
 
NEWS: You say you can’t speak about the East and West MacDonnells. These are the areas from which the town gets its tourism income.
 
RYAN: I said it would be great to have money in both areas but I am very keen to see the CBD revitalisation happen.
 
NEWS: Are there, or should there be, private enterprise initiatives, from local business people, for example, to create assets, such as privately funded wilderness lodges, in the West and East MacDonnells?
 
RYAN: That would be a great concept and it would be good to see Parks and Wildlife get involved. I suppose we have a little bit of that with the Glen Helen Lodge and Ross River.
 
NEWS: Should further investment come from within the town?
 
RYAN: It would be a great thing to see with private and government investment.
 
NEWS: Are there signs it will be happening? Do you see any signs of imminent substantial private investment?
 
RYAN: I just answered your question. Until you asked me the question I’ve never been asked that question before. So can we stop playing funny buggers here.
 
NEWS: The Lasseters casino is periodically building extensions to its accommodation. Are you aware of any similar planned private investment in town in this year?
 
RYAN: I have not discussed this with anybody, no.
 
NEWS: You’re on the committee of the Outback Way. How come it costs twice as much to build the road in the NT as it does in Queensland?
 
RYAN: Roads built in Queensland are of a different standard. It’s a main highway for the Territory, it’s a wider road, it has more conditions to it. In Queensland it’s a road leading into the desert, as far as they are concerned.
 
p2211-road-damageNEWS: Would it be a good idea to adopt Queensland’s standard and get twice as much road for the same money?
 
RYAN: Taking into account issues such as road safety I agree with the way the NT builds its roads. It’s a national highway. It will be a higher standard when you cross the border.
 
NEWS: To someone who’s never heard of Alice Springs, how would you explain the purpose of Alice Springs? What does it do?
 
RYAN: It is the centre for a lot of communities. It is a very big service and health centre for remote communities. A lot of people choose to live here. It is the gateway to some of the most outstanding scenery. It does lots of things.
 
NEWS: How does the current town planning reflect that? What’s needed in the near future?
 
RYAN: Our new residential area Kilgariff is just starting out. We may need a school for that area. We may need sporting areas for that area as well as the whole town.
 
NEWS: What else does the community need in the near future, as you see it?
 
RYAN: In council we look at parks and gardens, sporting grounds. There is planning required around the CBD, around the upkeep and upgrade of town camps. That was done some years ago under Gillard. That’s not a finished result.
 
NEWS: Where is flood mitigation planning at? There are two council members on the committee.
 
RYAN: The report by the committee was presented to the Minister Nicole Manison a year ago, with provision to start with stage one to run modules on the water flow in Central Australia.
 
NEWS: What has she done in the meantime?
 
RYAN: You have to ask the minister yourself.
 
NEWS: Is the committee still in existence?
 
RYAN: The committee was asked to do a job and it completed that job.
 
NEWS: Has the committee been disbanded?
 
RYAN: The committee was asked to do a job which we completed. We haven’t been asked to do anything else.
 
NEWS: Dale Wakefield has recently put in place a number of initiatives. Do you think she is getting a grip on a few dozen kids who seem to be holding the town to ransom?
 
RYAN: I’m intrigued to hear you are numbering the kids but I’m very grateful for the work Territory Families are doing right now in conjunction with other organisations in Alice Springs.
 
NEWS: Which new initiatives are you especially pleased with?
 
RYAN: It’s the way Territory Families and the other organisations are working together.
 
NEWS: Is the crime wave that usually occurs at this time of the year similar to last year, is it better or is it worse?
 
RYAN: I would ask you to go to the police on that, Erwin.
 
[We sent the following request to the police on January 1: Could you please provide the following details for Alice Springs, December 2016 and 2017, respectively, or similar statistics, plus a best guess of how many of these alleged offences were committed by juveniles: The number of reports made to the police of the following offences – assault, break & enter into home; break & enter into business; vehicle stolen; rocks thrown at vehicle; theft; property damage.
 
Police replied that stats such as these take a minimum three days to collate.
 
A spokesman for Police Minister Michael Gunner has told us he will be in touch with us today.]
 
NEWS: It’s usually impossible to get the actual number of people attending events that are supported with taxpayers’ money. What we get is people “through the gate” which means that a person can be going though several gates or several times though the same gate. It is not a reliable indicator of individuals attending although it is frequently used as such.
 
 
p2352 NATS 5 OKRYAN: We only have through the gate figures. I don’t know any other ways you could count people attending. To have [government] investment in events line Red Centre NATS and Parrtjima and more events in the future is all well and good for our community.
 
NEWS: Should there be a united voice for the town vis-a-vis the NT and Federal governments, with input from the Town Council, Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Central Australia, Congress and ALEC, and maybe others?
 
RYAN: You’ve got bodies there that are elected, bodies that are membership only, and are just bodies. Town council always has the ambition to represent all of those. We run different opportunities for other people to be involved. We have, across our nine members, representation right across most of those bodies you’re talking about. We also sit on outside organisations. I’m not sure we need another body but it would be interesting to explore it.
 
NEWS: During the last year, what have the representations by the council to the two governments achieved?
 
RYAN: I couldn’t give you that off the top of my head, sorry.
 
NEWS: How is the intended collaboration between elders, led by Phil Alice, and the town council progressing?
 
RYAN: You were at the meeting when I asked the gentleman you have named on numerous occasions what he wants from the council. We still have to hear that.
 
NEWS: What role does the native title organisation Lhere Artepe play in the community and what role should it be playing?
 
RYAN: It is the peak body to which we as the council direct our enquiries. I look forward to growth of that relationship this year with the new CEO.
 
NEWS: It seems to us, after reporting about that body for decades, that there are groups within Lhere Artepe which disagree on many issues. Do you find this is the case?
 
RYAN: I don’t have a comment on that, sorry.
 
Mayor Ryan mentioned kerbside recycling and the draft for consultation for the council’s Strategic Plan 2018-2021 as issues for the new year, but declined to elaborate on any other initiatives.
 
 
 
EDITOR’S NOTE: We emailed our questions to Mayor Ryan two and a half hours before the interview. He consented for it to be recorded for note taking purposes on the condition that I report his disappointment about me ringing him not from Alice Springs, but from interstate.
 
I explained that a feature of our reporting over our 25 years in publication has been stories about travel experience that is relevant to our Central Australian editorial focus and about towns similar to Alice Springs in size and/or purpose, and about their policies, initiatives, failures and successes.
 
For example, in December we published a detailed report about the local government of Murray Bridge, SA, and its extensive involvement in commerce, turning the town into a bustling farm produce processing centre, in promoting tourism and even engaging in trade negotiations with China. We reported about the services it provides services for young people.
 
We also published a review of the Tarnanthi exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia, which prominently features artists from the Centre.
 
These stories are in our seven million word archive – google it from your online device.
 
I assured Mayor Ryan that these stories are popular with our readers and we will be continuing them.
 
He raised the question of whether we are becoming a fly-in, fly-out operation, as he suggested the Centralian Advocate had become.
 
I was able to put his mind at ease: I’ve been a full time journalist in The Centre since 1974 (and I could have added, our senior writer Kieran Finnane for 30 years), and we enjoy being the only local newspaper that is locally owned and run, and look forward to continuing serving this region.
 
 
 

17 COMMENTS

  1. The Draft Municipal Plan for 2017/18 has on page 2 one of the council’s goals, number 5, Public Order and Safety. “A community with a perception of high public safety.”
    Looks like ASTC crapped out on page 2.

  2. 1 Law and Order to save Alice Springs.
    2 Flood Mitigation to save Alice Springs.
    3 Budget Flights to save tourism and Alice Springs.

  3. Mayor Ryan, you are a joke. You are tired out, have no motivation and are totally out of touch with the Alice Springs community.
    Why didn’t you do the right thing and stand down as Mayor before the elections?
    Suggestion: Stand down now appoint Jamie [de Brenni] now as Mayor, take his place as councillor and then appoint a Deputy Mayor from the existing councillors and then listen to the applause from the public.

  4. I wonder where is the government going to step in to lower the price to fly in and out of Alice Spring.
    It would make it so much better for healthcare worker to be able to have a break and still have enough workers on the ground!
    It’s cheaper to fly from Brisbane to Uluru than Alice! It would attract more tourism in the region. Just a thought.

  5. @ Concerned Citizen: Do not blame the Mayor but the residents who elected him!
    Alice Springs gets what the voters decided.
    Ryan represents the majority of the electorate: 9869 votes and 6446 for Ryan.
    Naturally you can also blame the electors who abstained, telling us that they do not care.

  6. @ Concerned Citizen. Well said. After reading the Mayor’s replies, he is not a very good ambassador for Alice Springs.
    @ Evelyn: We had a very poor selection of candidate’s for Mayor. Either Ryan or the other person with dreadlocks. Perhaps Ryan would be better off if he was not on too many committees and concentrate on being the Mayor, on what he can do for Alice Springs and not what Alice Springs can do for him.

  7. @ Nathalie. Why only for health workers? Why not drive like I have to. I am enjoying the sights in the SE of South Australia, but when I am home, I enjoy the sights around Alice Springs such as Chamber’s Pillar and all the gorges.
    PS: You can use the bus. I have been told its a very pleasant trip.

  8. Erwin, you are such a bad man. You must know that pollies and mayors and the like, only like pre vetted questions. Ad-lib doesn’t work for them.
    Perhaps what you should have done, is sent your questions a month in advance, so Mayor Ryan could have had time to scramble some answers, or at least to lay the blame elsewhere 🙂
    Perhaps we need to consider disposing of the Alice Springs Town Council and find another solution.

  9. @ Fred The Philistine: Whilst I agree with you that our mayor is not a very good ambassador for our town, you must agree that the “other person with dreadlocks” did very well to win a third of the mayoral votes, particularly coming as he did from left field and at the last minute.
    I’d suggest that, if you can look past appearances and judge people by their actions, you may find Jimmy Cocking better qualified to lead Alice Springs towards a more sustainable future.

  10. @ Fred the Philistine: The other person with long hair has also a name, and you like him or not deserve respect for having put his hand up.
    Why did you not put yours?
    Do you judge a book by its cover? Have you ever heard of those famous people: Moses, Jesus, Shakespeare, Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Beethoven, Einstein, Karl Marx to name a few!
    How do you know that Jimmy could not be added to the list?

  11. @ Evelyn: I always enjoy your comments. As for me running for Mayor – I would but would not be suitable as [for one] I have commonsense and secondly have the best education in the world, called life.

  12. @ Evelyne Roullet: “Moses, Jesus, Shakespeare, Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Beethoven, Einstein, Karl Marx. How do you know that Jimmy could not be added to the list?”
    Dropped my senior’s long black Maccas coffee in amazement at the thought of making the quantum leap – Councillor Jimmy Cocking in the same first eleven as these illustrious gentlemen!
    Here was I still struggling with the lack of politeness being shown to an old Feddies chap on Council – referring to Mayor Damien Ryan as “Ryan”, the lovable “Damo” to his old mates.
    However, on reflection, Councillor Cocking may perhaps scrape in to that illustrious team as twelfth man.
    After all, he has definitely shown his propensity for delivering a sermon or to on the mount in preaching his own green religion to his Alice disciples during the election campaign.
    And as a warning to all us “climate change denial” heathen, I can see a lot more sermons coming should Councillor Dreadlock eventually don the captain’s baggy green cap as mayor on Council.
    As he gets older and the reality of rates, roads, rubbish and ridicule of the mayoral incumbent sets in, the dreads will go, and the cap will fit more snugly.

  13. Erwin, the editor’s note unfortunately confirms my scepticism of Damien Ryan’s suitability to continue to be Mayor.
    Of the myriad of questions he could have posed to you, none seemed befitting of the topic.

  14. Get a grip, voters. Mayor Ryan’s doing a great job, along with other councillors, so let them do the job they are voted in for. Stop the blame game!

  15. Perhaps “Alice Local” could shed some light on the great job the mayor and council are doing, or do you have very low expectations?

  16. @ John Bell: Jimmy has more than long hair in common with great men: all had being ridiculed by their peers.
    Jesus was ridiculed by His Brothers, Moses was rejected By His Brethren …
    Newton was labelled heretic. Newton’s religious views developed as a result of participation in an investigative discourse with Nature (the nature of the world).
    Trying to convince you that Albert Einstein was rejected in any way during his lifetime let alone a moron is a hard sell, considering that he was one of the most famous men on the planet at the time.
    Why not Jimmy?
    @ Fred and John
    “Research done by Ramon Mora-Ripoll, medical scientific director at OrganizaciĂ©n Mundial de la Risa, Barcelona Spain, has shown that humor and laughter is related to health, and can release physical and emotional tension, improve immune functioning, stimulate circulation, elevate mood, enhance cognitive functioning and, not surprisingly, increase friendliness.”
    So if we communicate with humour, we develop friendship.

  17. @ Evelyne Roullet. Point taken about humour. The lifeblood of friendly discourse.
    We former long-haired young men of Melanka and Stott House with good ideas of the Boomer age are now Bald Old Men, too often mocked and reviled as out of date and un-PC.
    Mayor Damo is a fringe member of our Bald Old Men club, copping a fair bit of flak at the moment.
    The great Bald Men of History – Mahatma Gandhi, Charles Darwin, William Shakespeare, Winston Churchill, Yul Brynner, George Castanza, Danny De Vito – to name a few – must be shaking their shiny domes in sorrow and empathy with our modern day plight.

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