By ERWIN CHLANDA

The jury is still out in the debate whether the environment will be the winner in the introduction of the new container deposit scheme.
The Alice Springs Town Council’s cans and bottles buy-back initiative makes way next week for the government mandated container deposit scheme which started on January 3.
At the moment the council pays 5c for any can or bottle people drop off at the council’s depot, although some conditions apply.
The new scheme, paying 10c per item, doesn’t cover containers sold before January 3 nor does it accept wine and spirit bottles.
But Stewart Pritchard, the owner of the depot set up for the new scheme, says the range of containers is greater than the council’s scheme.
He estimates that the bottles not covered by it amount to just 5% of the container volume.
Under the new scheme containers are accepted only if they bear the markings 10c SA, 10c SA/NT or 10c NT.
 This will include beer and soft drink cans, plastic and cardboard containers, including mixers and energy drinks, glass stubbies and beer bottles, but not, for example, wine and spirit bottles or two litre milk containers.
 Mr Pritchard estimates his firm will be receiving 12 million to 14 million containers a year, paying out $1.2m to $1.4m.
The council’s scheme has received 17 million cans and bottles since its scheme started in July, 2009.
Many of these items were collected from public places, making a significant dint into the town’s litter problem.
 The collection point for the new scheme is provided by Territory Recycling Depot in 106 Smith Street.
Mr Pritchard says the scheme is modeled on the one long in use in South Australia.
 The consumer pays an extra 20c per container. He gets back half of that if he takes the empty container to the depot.
The other 10c is split between the manufacturer and the depot operator. It’s a work in progress, says Mr Pritchard: For example, to apply the SA scheme in the NT isn’t entirely fair, because here the containers have to be separated into 24 categories whereas in SA there are only eight separations. 
The new scheme has no significant financial input from the NT Government whereas it financially supported the council’s scheme, contributing $600,000 over the scheme’s life. The council put in $346,000, says council CEO Rex Mooney.

This includes, from the 2008/09 financial year to the present, $56,000 in salaries and $89,000 in overtime.

The total cost of the scheme was $1.066m, including $834,000 paid out to the collectors – 5 cents for each of the nearly 17 million items.

The income was $119,000 for selling the cans as scrap and the NT Government’s $600,000.

Will there be more use for the glass crushing machine bought especially for the council scheme at a cost of $800,000?

“The glass crusher will remain an important component of council’s facilities at the landfill, particularly with the upcoming redevelopment.  This facility will play a vital role in council’s future recycling strategy,” says a council spokesman.
Some people are unhappy about the new scheme. 
A woman, who spoke to the News on condition of not being named, says she and her husband collected 50,000 cans.
All had been dumped in public places.
 They won’t get $5000 for them, as they expected, because these cans may not have been bought before January 3, and may not carry the required markings.
They can still – until March 3 – get $2500 from the council, provided that they can get 100 friends to drop in 500 cans each (the maximum allowed per person), and provided that all these friends live in the Municipality of Alice Springs and the cans came from the Municipality of Alice Springs of Alice Springs.

The conditions attached to either scheme seem to take little account of that fact that the couple’s work has liberated Alice Springs of a huge amount of rubbish. If protecting the environment is the objective, why attach all sorts of conditions?

The question of dates under the new scheme is causing tensions.
 For example, does a use-by date of January 2, 2012 printed on a can prove it was bought before January 3, 2012?
 Could it not have been old stock in the liquor store, purchased on January 3?
For that matter, could the same not have been the case with a use-by date of December 1, 2012 – or whatever?
There are also batch numbers on the cans, which can be tracked to stores and purchases, but how long would it take to check the batch numbers of 50,000 cans? 
Mr Pritchard says clients generally accept the new rules but some try to pass off old cans for new ones – including some that are faded from exposure to sun. 
How quickly does a VB can fade?

Mr Pritchard says his firm is giving a fair amount of latitude at the moment, and most customers are reasonable.
 Up to 20,000 containers a day have been redeemed.
 At least one client was not happy: “I’m going to take the stuff to the f…ing dump,” was his answer after an argument over old vs new cans.
 A compromise has now been found, says Mr Pritchard, and it will all be easier when the pre-January 3 stock is used up and only clearly qualifying containers will be handed in.
What will not change is that many bottles cannot be redeemed: those not qualifying under the new scheme can be taken to the Smith Street depot or the council dump.
 But you won’t get a cent for them.

How many will re-appear as dangerous litter, again blighting this town?

Photo: Tony Satour delivering empties to the council recycling scheme closing next week: Many glass bottles will not attract a refund under the NT Government mandated scheme.

I don’t know about the rest of you but things like hot runny toothpaste squirting out, sizzling, characterized my week. Jumping on my bike only to bounce right back off of it – why didn’t I park in the shade? Sweat pimples – great! Stomach bloat from drinking way too much iced water. I should note here that I don’t have air con at home or at work. So after six consecutive days where the mercury boiled above 40 degrees (!) I thought I would do a little review on the town’s swimming venues and other tactical attempts to cool down.

Unfortunately during the day the town pool is pretty much in the full sun, so the other morning I broke the Swimming Guild Code of lap swimming and swam my laps (in both directions) pressed up to one side in the only sliver of shade.

There are some places that have got the air con really pumping, places like the supermarkets. There’s nothing like a spot of shell-shocked meandering down aisles packed to overwhelming with stuff. There’s also the cinema, a great way to cool off no matter what the critics say. Great timing on behalf of the Travelling Sydney Film Festival with hours spent inside the chilled cavern of Araluen theatre.

My favourite though is the library – ooh lordy, it sure is cool in there! Instead of overwhelming aisles of stuff, glorious aisles of books and inspiration and information, all for free and free of perspiration!

When it’s too far to go to Two Mile or Ellery and it’s too late to get my five bucks’ worth at the town pool, one of my favourite swelter belter pastimes is visiting the various hotel pools. Sunset, a cold drink and, depending on the venue, maybe a banana lounge and a pool of cold clear water to get into when the going gets hot. This is by no means a comprehensive review. These are just the ones that are near enough not to ruin the whole experience by working up too much of a sweat on the bike ride home.

The Oasis Hotel has a fine pool characterized by its donut shape and the huge cabbage palms that stand around it. This pool has to be the coldest pool in Alice Springs! I don’t know if it’s the shade of those palms or the amount of chlorine; the more you add the colder it gets …

I often go the extra couple of hundred meters to The Gap View Hotel, which is a heavenly little haven from the heat.  A choice of two pools, one a beach style entry with built-in bar (it’s all about lounging in the shallows) or the nice and deep plunge pool (no diving though for obvious safety reasons).  Also in The Gap’s favour are their $7 wedges and the sporadic loud tune that will belt every now and then across the grassy, palm-shady poolsides.

Then there’s The Chifley. Now The Chifley in theory has a great pool facility, tables and chairs all around, it looks clean and is pretty shady. The weird thing is that I’ve never actually seen anybody swimming in there. Maybe I’m odd but I just don’t want to be the only one splashing around with all the other patrons staring at me. Not that they would have paid me any attention of course, but every time I have gone there, I’ve ended up heading off to one of my other favourites.

Now this one is on the quiet side so just quietly: the Crown Plaza Hotel. I’m not sure what the official policy is regarding the casual visitor and a beverage by the poolside accompanied by a swim. What I do know is that in the evening it is like slipping into cool blue silk, it’s unusually silent with very few punters moon bathing in the banana chairs all in a row. With a couple playing cards in a foreign language over in the shadows and bats swooping above this is a great spot for a night swim.

The verdict according to my itchy feet: The Gap View Hotel for a social swim and The Crown Plaza Hotel for after dark dipping.

Build a bridge? Head off on a nature walk, play a few games, enjoy the sausage sizzle – that’s how the local Scouts will join more than 30 million of them in 160 countries to mark the day when Robert Baden-Powell started the movement in 1907.

It’ll all happen in Frank McAllister Park at Araluen between 9 and 12 on Sunday, February 26.

If you’re no longer under 18 but still youthful and keen to be involved?

“Great! We’re looking for leaders too.  Come on down and find out how you can help shape the future,” says spokeswoman Sharon Hutton.

Meanwhile today Sally Thomas AM made her Promise that she would be the Chief Scout of the Northern Territory.

The former judge is now the Administrator of the NT. She made her Promise in front of Chair of the Northern Territory Annie Black and the Chief Commissioner of Scouts NT Shane McCorkell (pictured).

In 2011, Scouting and Guiding combined had over 41 million members worldwide.

All groups meet at the Alice Springs Scout Hall on Larapinta Drive (on the right just past Lovegrove Drive when heading west).

Joeys (6-7 year olds) Thursdays 5.30-6.30pm; Cubs (8-10 year olds) Thursday 7.00-8.30pm; Scouts (11-14 year olds) Tuesdays 7.00-9.00pm; Venture Scouts (14-18 year olds) Thursdays 6.45-9.00pm.

This week’s Food for Thought is by RUSSELL GUY, commentator, writer and music promoter in Central Australia’s outback for 31 years. He is a frequent contributor to the comment sections of the Alice Springs News Online. He is also a keen aviator where “eight hours from bottle to throttle” is an unbending rule for pilots in command of an aircraft.

The debate in Alice Springs over the right to consume alcohol without restriction or discrimination, has largely ignored the cost of whether the community can afford not to increase restrictions.   The Menzies School of Health Research Institute has stated that the challenge of tackling the serious alcohol-related issues in the NT is not to be underestimated.  In 2006 – 2007, Australians aged 15 and over consumed on average almost 10 litres of pure alcohol per head.  In comparison, average consumption in the NT by the non-indigenous population was over 14 litres, and for indigenous it was more than 16 litres, but Menzies says that Alice Springs is way out in front at around 20 litres per head.

A media release from the NT Government’s Enough is Enough Alcohol Reform Package (30/3/11), notes that 70% of all alcohol sold in the NT is sold as take-away liquor and that hospitalisation rates due to alcohol are the highest in Australia.  The same research relates that alcohol-related deaths occur in the NT at about 3.5 times the rate they do nationally.  55% of road deaths are caused by high-risk drinking in the NT and that in 2009, there were 54,000 incidents of people taken into protective custody due to alcohol misuse.

The NT Government has revealed that among adults who consumed alcohol, 30% reported drinking alcohol at a risky or high risk level and added that if the NT were a country, then it would be up amongst those countries in the world with the highest rates of per capita consumption.  Many studies have identified the correlation between high levels of alcohol consumption and shortened life expectancy.

Recent Federal Government research has revealed that indigenous people in remote communities saw benefits from the NT Emergency Intervention, including increased policing, night patrols, and income management, with some expressing concern that there would be a return to violence and abuse if these measures were removed.

There have been a number of reforms initiated by the NT Government in the past twelve months in an effort to deal with high risk drinking and its effects, including, in July 2011, the requirement for ID to be produced when purchasing take-away alcohol, banning notices for those taken into protective custody three times in three months, and a banned drinker’s register connected to the ID scanning system to ensure that those who are banned cannot buy take-away liquor.  While it’s been said that this is easily scammed by another purchaser supplying the banned drinker, some are volunteering to be on it.  The powers of the Alcohol and Other Drug Tribunal, part of these reforms, include the power to ban problem drinkers and to order treatment programs.  Magistrates in the new SMART court deal with offenders (but excluding violent or sexual matters) with substance misuse histories.  The NTG has also bought back two takeaway outlet liquor licenses, so far.

Critics of all this, may be surprised to hear that during the past twenty years, new research has revealed that both alcohol content and market share of wine have increased, to the point where electorates in which many vineyards are located, are marginal seats said to be holding a gun to the Federal Government’s head over liquor reform.  Research released last year by the School of Population Health at the University of Queensland into the effect of increased tax on alcopop alcoholic drinks, revealed that over half of 15-29 year olds presenting to Emergency Departments at Gold Coast hospitals had alcohol-related conditions as opposed to a quarter for all other age groups.

Last year, the Salvation Army, as part of Alcohol Awareness Week, commissioned research to examine public attitudes in relation to alcohol consumption and mental health.  The research revealed that 81% of respondents aged 14 years and over believes that drinking alcohol can worsen a person’s mental health.  10% of respondents stated that they consumed alcohol as a way of dealing with feeling down and anxious.

Even though surveys have consistently shown that indigenous people are less likely to drink than non-indigenous, those who do are more likely to drink at risky levels.  The Overview of Australian Indigenous Health Status 2011 report, published in January this year, reveals that from 2004 – 2008, the death rate from alcohol-related causes was 6.3 times higher for indigenous people than for non-indigenous, while the highest level of disease burden attributable to alcohol was for injury (22%), mental disorders (16%) and cancers (6.3%).   In December 2009, submissions to the Alice Springs Transformation Plan claimed that a significant proportion of Aboriginal ‘problem drinkers’ want to achieve safe drinking or sobriety and they are seeking support to do so.

The background to this, at least according to figures released by the Northern Territory Government in February, 2011, is the claim that Territorians consume alcohol at 1.5 times the national average and alcohol misuse costs the NT community an estimated $642 million per year.  Alcohol continues to be involved in 60% of all assaults and alcohol abuse costs $4197 per year for every adult Territorian, compared to $944 per adult nationally.  The NT, with just over 1% of the national population, represents seven percent of the estimated national alcohol-attributable policing costs of $747.1 million dollars.

Over the years, the social and economic costs of alcohol abuse in the NT alone run to the billions of dollars.  Governments are now faced with the challenge of harm reduction strategies and the Federal Government has commissioned a report into risk-based liquor licensing laws.  The Australian (16/2/12) noted that recommendations may be implemented if alcohol restrictions in the NT are judged inadequate.  The report found that while the normal focus was on consumption and problem drinkers, there has been a recent trend towards supply-side measures, noting that Victoria, Queensland, NSW and the ACT had introduced risk-based liquor licensing and the NT could benefit from such a system, given its current regime does not fund cost recovery and the flow of tax revenue is limited.

In 2007, the Little Children Are Sacred report found that alcohol abuse was “destroying communities” and was the gravest and fastest growing threat to the safety of children.  Extensive research has established links between alcohol and drug abuse and child maltreatment, while Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) among maternal alcohol consumers is attracting increased attention.

The Alice Springs based People’s Alcohol Action Coalition (PAAC) is preparing to direct more of its advocacy into protecting vulnerable children from the effects of alcohol misuse.  PAAC had some success in 2011 with the withdrawal of cask wine and a voluntary, if varied, minimum price per unit on take-away alcohol sold by supermarkets.  The two hotels, however, continue to sell cask wine, and unlike the supermarkets, trade seven days a week.  PAAC believes that more restrictions on take-away alcohol are needed, wanting casks to be completely withdrawn, a regulated floor price of around $1.20 per standard drink and a take-away free day, although others advocate four days, stating that one day is hardly enough given the size of the breach, pressing for Sunday through Wednesday, inclusive.  This would preferably be tied to a set welfare payment day which was a successful restriction in Tennant Creek in the late 1990s, known at Thirsty Thursday.  When Centrelink payments began to be made on other days, the restriction was compromised, leading to its removal in 2006.  Alcohol consumption in Tennant Creek which had decreased by 20%, immediately increased by 7.5% and has continued to rise, with Emergency Department admissions for mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol rising by a further 56% in the first year, increasing to 61% in the second year.

PAAC’s Dr John Boffa, NT Australian of the Year in 2011, argues that there will be more money for government services for everyone, when less has to be poured into bearing the alcohol-related cost of services, hospitalisation, chronic disease, policing, courts and corrective services, welfare and other agencies, child neglect, violent offending and loss of productivity.  The Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC) claims that the heart of the current social crisis is reflected in the enormous disparity in the social determinants of health. Put simply, the social gradient – the level of disadvantage that has to be overcome in terms of housing, education, employment, access to justice and empowerment – are directly linked to the disastrous health outcomes their clients face.  CAAC acknowledges that these are also directly linked to the ongoing effects of substance abuse, family violence, child neglect and abuse.

The social gradient in Alice Springs and Central Australia is extreme.  This is one indicator that the failure to acknowledge the existence of indigenous people in the Australian Constitution has had a major impact on their sense of identity, value within the community and the perpetuation of racial discrimination.  National concern over Aboriginal Affairs is out of sync with alcohol-related statistical evidence; and all the while, indigenous people live 17 years less on average than the rest of the population. Add the extreme social gradient to the slippery slope of alcohol and it’s not difficult to understand why swift further action is needed.

A trauma surgeon’s documentation of the fact that there has been a significant decline in the number of women being treated for stab wounds – from 250 down to 146 – in 2010, has encouraged Dr Boffa in his belief that “Alice is beginning to turn around alcohol caused violence and it’s time to move forward on alcohol supply reduction in particular.”

(Mr Guy provided comprehensive background information and statistical references used for this article. Readers who want a copy of this material are welcome to email the Alice Springs News Online.)

By KIERAN FINNANE

La Casalinga Restaurant, an icon of local dining, is now a solitary island in a sea of closed businesses along Gregory Terrace, at the southern end of Todd Mall in central Alice Springs.

Not all businesses have ceased operation – the last to go are two private Aboriginal art galleries, one moving to premises in the mall, the other to an address in Smith Street. The Smith Street/Hele Crescent area is in fact seeing something of a revival as the centre of the town goes through its shuddering readjustment.

L J Hooker is the property agent of the Gregory Terrace strip. Managing Director Doug Fraser suggested the twin evils of the European debt crisis and the high Australian dollar have impacted on tourist numbers to Central Australia and consequently on businesses geared to the tourism trade.

He said he could not comment on the “effect, if any, the number of vacancies have had on rental levels”.

As a sign of the impact of online trading, it’s worth considering that the first businesses to vacate this strip were tour booking agencies, the kind of business that would seem to be made largely redundant by e-commerce.

Meanwhile, “Bringing Business Back to Outback Australia” is the theme for a special meeting hosted by Desert Knowledge Australia Outback Business Networks this Friday. Among the four presenters is Marcus Westbury, who will discuss Renew Australia (Renew Newcastle), an innovative strategy which was used to rebuild Newcastle in 2008. Since then more than 70 new businesses and initiatives have been seeded and the town was hailed by Lonely Planet as one of the top ten cities in the world to visit in 2011.

Apparently by coincidence outgoing Alderman Murray Stewart, a native of Newcastle, suggested last week that the Town Council write to the NT Government requesting that it initiate a “Renew Alice ” strategy. He didn’t get support for his emotion but it seems that the spirit of  renewal is in the air as a Facebook group under the name “Renew Alice” (adopted without knowledge initially of the Newcastle-grown strategy) is a lively and growing forum for all sorts of ideas about the future of the town.

UPDATE – COMMENT, February 22, 2012: Ald Stewart, and for that matter his colleagues, seem to be forgetting that the Town Council has a renewal process in train, funded to the tune of $5 million. But despite the hand-wringing about the on-going decline of the town centre, there is no sense of urgency about its implementation.  Where is the enthusiasm for and communication of its promise – for example, a public note of congratulation and celebration of the international award won by the creative brief for Parsons Street, authored by Mike Gillam? Where are the early initiatives, such as tree planting, that could impart a real sense of renewal and determination now, when it is so keenly needed? A few small saplings have been planted in Hartley Street but without tree guards. It’s as though we are just waiting for them to be destroyed, to then throw our hands up and say it was all too hard. Then we’d be able to fill the holes in with concrete, following the trend of that has been the hallmark of this council’s urban works. – K.F. 

Pictured, top: Further fields (in Todd Mall) were greener for this Gregory Terrace business. Right: A vulnerable sapling in Hartley Street. Set up to fail?

See our report from last year about other local enthusiasm for the ‘renew’ movement.

Confidential report suggests they are …

Defects of the town pool have been described as a “major issue” in a confidential report to the Town Council. Consideration of council matters in confidential sessions is on the table as an election issue, with mayoral candidate Eli Melky accusing council of doing too much business this way.

The report says the solar system has been leaking, despite having been repaired in early January,  and as such has been shut completely in order to prevent damage to the roof of the indoor complex.

High pressure in filter pots of the leisure pool “continues to be a major problem” and pool staff have “worked under crisis for most of the holiday period. The Plant remains a major problem,” says the report.

But the council’s technical services director, Greg Buxton, says the faults are being fixed by the builder, Sitzlers, under warranty, and at no cost to the council.

At no time was there any danger to pool users nor the public.

Despite the fault in the solar plant heating the pool water, the gas back-up wasn’t needed because of the summer temperatures.

“This needs to be running 100%, for the council and the YMCA,” says pool manager Iain Jones. The “Y” manages the pool under contract.

He says the second break-down of the solar heater has now also been fixed.

By KIERAN FINNANE

The hearing of charges against Barry Abbott, former NT Senior Australian of the Year, and four others was again put off today because the prosecution had still not received a full briefing from police.

There are aggravated assault charges against Mr Abbott, 67, and two counts of depriving a person of personal liberty.

He is best known for looking after young people in trouble with the justice system and particularly petrol sniffers on his outstation at Ilpurla.  Over the decades he has helped rehabilitate hundreds of youths.

Mr Abbott’s co-accused – two younger men and two younger women – are facing multiple counts of deprivation of liberty as well as other charges. There are also aggravated assault charges against the men.

The matters had been listed for hearing on February 2 but postponed till today, again because the prosecution was not ready to proceed.

Magistrate David Bamber expressed some impatience from the bench, however as the missing prosecution material includes medical reports relating to the alleged victims of “serious harm”, it was not possible for the defence to object to the adjournment.

They were “not pleased” but “not in a position to oppose”, said the lawyers for the five.

Russell Goldflam, representing Mr Abbott, asked for one of his client’s matters to be able to proceed in the Court of Summary Jurisdiction. It relates to an allegation of aggravated assault occurring at a different time and concerning a different alleged victim from the other matters.

The Crown Prosecutor suggested that Mr Goldflam was putting on “a performance” for his client – angrily objected to by Mr Goldflam. However, for summary jurisdiction to proceed required consent of the Crown and Mr Goldflam was invited to put his submission in writing.

The matter was adjourned to March 6 for further mention.

Pictured: Mr Abbott outside the Alice Springs courthouse today.

By KIERAN FINNANE 

The new rule prohibiting shire employees from standing for election to the shire council will have a big impact in MacDonnell Shire, with at least five of the 12 councillors opting to stay in their jobs and not run again in the March poll.

In the Rodinga Ward – covering the communities of Amoonguna, Santa Teresa, Titjikala and Finke – this is the case for all four councillors.

The rule seems like a ‘no brainer’ if you think about conflict of interest issues, but as ever, conditions in remote communities put a different slant on things.

Councillor Joe Rawson lives at Titjikala. He works as an essential services officer (ESO), and will not run again. The rule will “put a big hole in the Rodinga Ward”, he said. Does he think other candidates will come forward in the ward?

“It comes down to employment – 99% of employment comes through MacDonnell Shire. To try to get others to nominate who are not on the MacDonnell Shire payroll is very hard … if they don’t have motor vehicles, the shire won’t supply motor vehicles. You have to maintain your own vehicle to get to and from the meetings.

“We get an allowance – sitting fees, travel allowance every time we travel , but … if you do a diff on the way, you might get $700 to come to a meeting but it’ll end up costing $1400 to fix the diff.”

Councillor Lance Abbott (Luritja Pintubi Ward) also raised the vehicle issue. He would like someone else to take over as councillor. It’s a long way to attend meetings from his home community of Kintore  and very taxing on his car. Kintore is 530 kms west of Alice Springs and almost 400 kms are by dirt road. So perhaps it’s not surprising that when he asks people if they’re interested in stepping in, “they keep saying, ‘No, you’re right’.”

Peter Wilson (Iyarrka Ward) is not yet employed by the shire but is likely to be when he returns home to Areyonga from Mutitjulu. So he won’t be standing again.

“[At Areyonga] if a job comes up, nine times out of 10, it’s for the shire …  whoever it was who decided that [employees can't run] made a mistake in my opinion because a lot of the people who are on council are community leaders and mostly work and again, the shire being a dominant force in the community, they work for the shire. Maybe they didn’t think it through.”

Councillors Rawson and Wilson are among the more effective operators in council meetings  that I’ve observed. Others who speak up and ask questions include President Sid Anderson (Luritja Pintubi) who will stand again and Cr Lisa Sharman (Rodinga) who won’t, as she works for the shire’s youth services. Cr Sharman loves to stir the pot and pursued with vigor a discussion over whether it would be possible to return the excised Ayers Rock Resort to the shire, making them subject to conditional rating. The council will be writing to the Territory Government, seeking further information about that possibility.

For the great part, however, meetings are focussed on reports form officers and their recommendations and most are adopted by councillors without much debate (this is even more the case at Central Desert Shire meetings). Cr Rawson pushed through a notable exception at last Thursday’s meeting. He had previously gained support for a shire trailer being put at the disposal of community members with their own vehicles, for collecting firewood. Anyone using the trailer would have to sign an agreement to pay for damage if it occurred.

On Thursday it was recommended to council, following contact by FaHCSIA (the Commonwealth Department of Indigenous Affairs),  that they temporarily rescind the motion to allow for the FaHCSIA-funded CDEP to provide the service.

Cr Rawson wasn’t having a bar of that.

“CDEP doesn’t exist – they took it away from us years ago.”

He had no faith in the work-for-the-dole programs that have come in its place. One is run by Catholic Care and “all they want to do” is work in the gardens, said Cr Rawson. The other is run by CEA (Community Enterprise Australia) and “getting those blokes to work would be a miracle!”

He wanted the original motion to stand: “We live in the communities, we know what it’s like,” he insisted.

The shire trailer would only be used to collect firewood “for pensioners” – “not for the younger generation, they can get their own”. This arrangement would come at no cost to council.

He was supported by his colleagues and the original motion stands.

It may be a small issue but knocking back FaHCSIA and rejecting an officer recommendation was significant for the practice of representation.

After the meeting, I asked Cr Rawson whether he regrets the passing of the old community council system, whether it has meant a loss of local control. He was adamant: not at all.

SHIRES THE ‘BEST THING EVER’

“The shires are the best thing that ever happened to the community, they’ve taken away all the old entities that never worked –  we always had vehicles and equipment out-dated, unregistered, unroadworthy. With the shire everything is roadworthy, registered and you must have a licence.

“That’s a good process to go forward with, so the younger generation know that when they get a job with the shire, they have to have a licence.”

To the same question Cr Wilson said “we could talk about that till the cows come home”.

“We’re here now. Get on with it. People have lost control of their own destiny to a degree but we’re here now and looking forward.”

Both men intend to remain active on their local boards, where the employment rule does not apply.

Cr Abbott urged patience with the shire system: “We’re getting there. There’s plenty of work for the shire, 13 communities … Sometimes it’s hard to get around, you can’t fix it straight away, you’ve got to be patient.”

The controversial issue of Section 19 lease payments for shire assets on Aboriginal land was considered in confidential session.

CEO Diane Hood, speaking to the Alice News afterwards, was less hot under the collar about it than her counterpart at Central Desert Shire. MacDonnell Shire councillors had endorsed the joint approach by the shires, reported on last week.

Beyond that she expressed no concern “at this stage” about timely progress of negotiations ahead of the August expiry of the Commonwealth’s five year township leases. As for possible financial impacts, they are “unknown until we go through the negotiations”, she said.

I asked individual councillors for their views on whether rent for shire facilities should be paid to Traditional Owners.

Cr Roxanne Kenny (Ljirapinta Ward), who is also Deputy Mayor and will stand again, said she thought that would be “all right”.

Even though it would be a cost to the shire?

“Yes.”

Cr Rawson agreed but he doesn’t want to see the money going into individuals’ pockets.

“Put it into some organisation that gives employment or education back to the kids, use it in schools, things like that. I don’t think there’s any benefit getting money if it doesn’t give your kids education out of it. All they see is their mother and father race off to town and do silly things with the money.

“If it can be adopted properly – ‘Righto, we’ll give $10,000 towards education of the kids’ – I’d like to see that happen. Don’t give the money away to people – stupidity!”

Where will the money come from?

“It’ll have to come out of local government money, won’t it?”

The joint shires are saying it will have an impact on services, unless it’s funded …

“Everything is funded from somewhere! All our funding comes from government.”

Councillors also considered behind closed doors a report back to them by the Northern Territory Government following their investigation of the shire over its proposed out-sourcing of an IT contract to India. Readers will recall from last year that councillors felt they had not been properly informed about the contract by officers including former CEO Graham Taylor, and they were very unhappy about the controversy it caused for the shire.

While they accepted that out-sourcing may provide benefit to the shire, they insisted that the contract remain on-shore.

Ms Hood told the Alice News that the investigation had found that there was “nothing illegal about out-sourcing” and that “the allegations in the media about the CEO’s remuneration were false”.

It also found that “internal communications could be better”; that the shire’s procurement policy “had not been followed to the letter of the law”; and that accounts processing and management could be improved.

Ms Hood said most of the government’s recommendations have already been adopted. She said since becoming CEO she has been trying to take a “simpler approach”: more “bite-sized” actions, focusing on “continual improvement rather than big bang solutions”.

UPDATE, February 23,2012: The Alice Springs News offered Community Enterprises Australia Ltd and Catholic Care right of reply in relation to Cr Joe Rawson’s comments on work-for-the-dole programs in Titjikala.

Carl Russelhuber, Employment Services Manager for Catholic Care NT replies: -

Contrary to Cr Rawson’s statement CatholicCare NT has in fact  provided a number of programs which have had overall community acceptance and have produced positive results for the community.

Firstly, we are a Job Services Australia provider contracted by the Federal Government to deliver employment services, a part of which is Work Experience that is compulsory for a number of job seekers. Work for The Dole falls within work experience.

In 2009 shortly after the new JSA contract was rolled out I was invited to speak to the Titjikala Community at a community meeting and was asked what CatholicCare NT was going to do to get the people, particularly young people to work or do something. At this meeting I explained what we could and would do to assist the unemployed job seekers, and I also told the meeting that it would be compulsory for people in the Work Experience phase and for Early School Leavers to be engaged in an activity.

It was brought to my attention that the community had an existing market garden which had been run down and no-one was doing anything about it. I suggested that I could turn it into a work for the dole program where job seekers would learn real horticultural skills, and that there would  be an opportunity to turn this into a social enterprise which would benefit the whole community and would create some employment. I added that social enterprise would only happen if there was a genuine commitment by the community to want to make it happen and people put their hands up.

There was an overwhelming response to accept my proposal for this activity to proceed.

I also stated that any fruit and vegetables produced should be distributed to the elderly people in the community at no cost.

This activity in Titjikala has provided 16 hours a week paid part time work for a male and female supervisor over a period of nearly 2 years.

In 2011 I engaged CDU to deliver Certificate I in Horticulture for work for the dole participant’s from the Market Garden Orchard activity.

In 2011 CDU was also engaged to deliver Certificate 1 in Business.

Commencing Monday February 27, 2012 in conjunction with Centre for Appropriate Technology and Charles Darwin University a Certificate II Automotive course is commencing which again has overall community support. There are 15 participants signed up to do this course and CDU who are providing a Language Literacy and Numeracy trainer have already conducted more than 6 LL&N assessments this week.

I am proud of what my staff have achieved in Titjikala.

CatholicCare NT has worked very hard to ensure that the job seekers and Titjikala community in general benefit from the activities and service we provide, and the general feedback from job seekers has been positive.

I have had previous contact with Cr Rawson and was not aware that he had concerns about our programs, although Cr Rawson is not contactable at the moment I will endeavour to meet with him to discuss his concerns.

Suzannah Kuzio, the CEO of Community Enterprises Australia Ltd says CEA is currently running “two successful projects at Titjikala”.

One is a CDEP Healthy Lifestyle program  for women.

The other is  a new men’s project “which involves a number of stakeholders on the community, assisting the men with setting up and re-engaging a men’s area”.

She says: “CEA will continue to meet its contractual obligations and provide CDEP programs and activities at Titjikala for the benefit of the community in accordance with FaHCSIA’s requirements for the duration of its contract.”

Pictured, from top: Councillors Joe Rawson and Roxanne Kenny – he will not stand again but she will. • Cr Peter Wilson won’t stand again. • Cr Lance Abbott will stand, but with some reluctance.

The morning after, Alice Springs style: a mountain of wine casks in the dry Todd River, collected within just 200 metres of the footbridge (top left in the photo), put on display by the local alcohol control pressure group, People’s Alcohol Action Coalition (PAAC).

The group wants a “floor price” for alcohol pegged at the cost of the cheapest full strength beer, $1.20 per standard drink.

The booze sold by the Todd Tavern bottle shop (in the background of the photo), on the banks of the Todd, in these Renmano wine casks works out at 71 cents per drink, according to PAAC spokesman John Boffa.

But the manager of the Todd Tavern, Leonie Leach, says the correct price per standard drink for the Renmano cask wine is 90 cents.

Only the Todd Tavern and the Gapview Hotel are selling cheap cask wine. All other outlets in the town have voluntarily withdrawn the product from sale.

Alcohol restrictions are a major issue for the upcoming local government and legislative assembly elections.

Says Dr Boffa: “The Gapview also currently stocks four types of cheap McWilliams Sherry  and a McWilliams Port.

“The sherry is 81 cents a standard  drink, and the port is 90 cents.

“The two pubs, unlike the supermarkets,  are allowed to trade on Sundays.”

PAAC says in supermarkets cask and fortified wine, maximum one litre, generally 750 ml bottles only, are sold one per person per day and not before 6pm.

Dr. Boffa appeared before the Senate Community Affairs Committee in Alice Springs today. His submission (number 253) also argues for “a take-away alcohol-free day preferably tied to a set welfare benefits payment day, but in any event to have one day a week on which take-away alcohol is not sold”.

The Alice Springs News Online has offered a right of reply to the Todd Tavern and the Gapview Hotel.

THIS POLICE MEDIA RELEASE, an addition, for good measure to yesterday’s story:-

A woman will face multiple charges after police allegedly found her drink driving and driving whilst disqualified while she had a two-day-old baby and a two-year-old child unrestrained in the back seat.
Alice Springs Sergeant Conan Robertson said Northern Territory Police continue to save people from themselves.
“The likely result of these circumstances was a serious crash,” Sergeant Robertson said.
Sergeant Robertson said the 20-year-old woman was pulled over for a random breath test at around 1pm today.
“The woman, who was disqualified from driving, returned a positive result and was arrested for a breath analysis at the Alice Springs Police Station where she was found to have a breath alcohol level of 0.167 per cent.
“If this isn’t bad enough, this offender was also on bail for another matter, one of the conditions being that she is not to consume alcohol.”
Sergeant Robertson said the two day old baby was being held by a rear seat passenger while the two-year-old was also in the back seat, unrestrained, along with another adult.
“The two day old baby does not even have a name yet and her life was in the hands of a 20-year-old drunken, disqualified driver,” Sgt Roberson said.
“Luckily we were there to protect this little girl.”

We’ll sort the details later, they tell you.
However, if you pay us $29 a day you won’t have to pay us anything for any damage.
Or $27 a day and there will be an excess of just $700.
All this is enshrined in a legalistically formulated pamphlet that takes you half an hour to read and digest.
So, suddenly the car you’re hiring is costing you $80 a day, not $35.
The insurance component of this deal is 15 times as much as my insurer, Elders, charges me for comprehensive cover of vehicles I own.
The 12 months premium for a Toyota Camry (the car we hired) would be $717.28 with a $400 excess.
That’s $1.97 a day, compared to Hertz’ $29, which is 1470% higher.
No doubt Hertz is on a nice little earner. Nothing draws your attention to this when you make an online booking.

Hertz did not respond to requests for comment from Alice Springs News Online.

PHOTO: A Hertz advert – their insurance premiums are no laughing matter.