1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,320 Speaker 1: Joining me on the line right now is the Palmeston 2 00:00:02,360 --> 00:00:05,080 Speaker 1: Beer Asina Pasco Bell. Good morning to you, Athena. 3 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 2: Good morning now. 4 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 1: I understand or certainly a statement was issued by the 5 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:13,080 Speaker 1: Palveston Council yesterday saying that there was going to be 6 00:00:13,119 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 1: a booze ban at at Marlow Lagoon Reserve. How come 7 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: this decision was made? 8 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:24,439 Speaker 3: I'll probably just give you some background context to the 9 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 3: actual reserve. It is the only public space in Palmerston 10 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 3: where drinking has been permitted, and it wasn't clear and 11 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 3: we weren't able to find any information as to why 12 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 3: that was the only public space with drinking. 13 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 2: Following on from that, over the last twelve months. 14 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 3: Or so, there's been an increase of incident relating to 15 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 3: alcohol in Marlo Lagoon and it is affecting members of 16 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 3: the community enjoying the space down there. So council made 17 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 3: a decision that we would have a ban on drinking 18 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 3: in the location for four months and then review what 19 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 3: the impact of that is. 20 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: And so was it sort of a request that had 21 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:06,759 Speaker 1: been put in by the police. I know at East 22 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: Point that was the situation where they'd ask the council 23 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: whether those drinking hours could be restricted, but was that 24 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 1: the case out there in Palmerston. 25 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:17,320 Speaker 3: Look, we always work closely with the police, but in 26 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:20,479 Speaker 3: this case there's also a number of requests from members 27 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:26,279 Speaker 3: of the public the drinking issues down there. Mala Lagoun 28 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 3: is not like East Point or any of the foreshore 29 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:32,680 Speaker 3: areas in Darwin. It is a large regional park. People 30 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 3: don't go there for sunset viewing. They go there to 31 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 3: walk their dog, cycle take their kids to the part 32 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:43,680 Speaker 3: children's birthday parties. So it's a completely different use of 33 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 3: that space to what you would. 34 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 2: See along the Foreshaw in Darwin, and I think. 35 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 3: That's probably the reason our community has a different perspective 36 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 3: on what's going on there. We recognize that, you know, 37 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 3: it is a bit of a change for some people 38 00:01:57,680 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 3: who might like to take a six pack with them 39 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 3: while they were walking the dog. But the primary focus 40 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 3: of the park is that it is a regional family 41 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 3: friendly facility. And one of the other key aspects to 42 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:14,079 Speaker 3: the decision is that from our community Plan, which was 43 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 3: written by fifty members of the community, they wanted counsel 44 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 3: to focus on making Palmerstan a family friendly place and 45 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 3: one of the measures of success was that we reduce 46 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 3: crime rates, specifically a reduction in alcohol fueled violence. So 47 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 3: you know, we've taken a different perspective on this. This 48 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:34,080 Speaker 3: is what the community has told us they want us 49 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 3: to deliver for the community. We recognize it's going to 50 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:39,079 Speaker 3: be a bit of a change for some people who 51 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 3: use the location in the appropriate ways. But if you 52 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 3: are a family or someone who wants to have a 53 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:51,079 Speaker 3: wedding or a birthday party and you want alcohol at 54 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:53,799 Speaker 3: that event, the process is the same as with any 55 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 3: of our other public spaces, and that is you can 56 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 3: apply for a permit to have alcohol at your event. 57 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:02,320 Speaker 1: You know, it does sound like it's a fairly different 58 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 1: situation to what we've seen at the likes of East Point, where, 59 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 1: like you said, people generally go down there, you know, 60 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: in the evenings they might enjoy wine while they watch 61 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:15,359 Speaker 1: the sun seat. Have you had instances at at Marlow 62 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 1: Lagoon where alcohol has been misused and there's been, you know, 63 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:22,840 Speaker 1: instances that you really don't want to happen again. 64 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:25,359 Speaker 2: Yes, I'm aware of too. 65 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 3: One actually involved a school group that was doing some 66 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 3: orientation as part of their school program. 67 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 2: So they've gone to the park. 68 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 3: To you know, undertake an activity and excursion and they 69 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 3: were confronted with some very abusive language from some drunk 70 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 3: people in the park, but obviously, you know, completely stopped 71 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 3: their event and they had to return to their school. 72 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 3: I'm also aware of people who are also abused and 73 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 3: yelled at when they just you know, using the park's 74 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 3: normal uses, riding bikes, walking dogs. So we don't want 75 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 3: to see these altercations happen. The police have indicated to 76 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 3: us that they have to respond to over three hundred 77 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 3: incidents a year, and it's something that we want to 78 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:14,920 Speaker 3: make sure that the majority of the community are able 79 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 3: to use space in the appropriate way and feel saith 80 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 3: using it. 81 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: There you go, So you know, it's again, it sounds 82 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 1: like quite a different situation where you guys being fairly 83 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: proactive about this and trying your best to make it 84 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 1: a safe place for people to be able to use. 85 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 1: Particularly you know, like, that's pretty bloody ordinary to hear 86 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:38,120 Speaker 1: that these kids they're orienteering and then they end up abuse. 87 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:40,600 Speaker 1: That's just not acceptable, No. 88 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 3: It's not acceptable, And you know, it's this sort of 89 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 3: behavior that we really want to put a stop to 90 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:46,040 Speaker 3: in our community. 91 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 2: You know, I do recognize. 92 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:54,039 Speaker 3: Some of the commentary that Robert Cooper from Larikia has 93 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 3: book board and that these people need help, Absolutely, they 94 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 3: need help. But we have to measure up the benefits 95 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 3: and the health of the community against all the other 96 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 3: competing factors, and we want to make sure that this 97 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 3: space remains a very usable and family friendly recreational space. 98 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:16,599 Speaker 3: It's also part of our fishing competition at the moment 99 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:17,039 Speaker 3: as well. 100 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 2: So you know, you don't want. 101 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:20,600 Speaker 3: You to send your children down there to have a 102 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,920 Speaker 3: flick and they're confronted with things that you don't want 103 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 3: them to see. 104 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 1: Well, you would end up just not letting them go. 105 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 1: I mean, that's the real simplicity of it, isn't it. 106 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 1: And you don't want that situation. You want it to 107 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:33,480 Speaker 1: be somewhere that's utilized. As you've said. 108 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:38,159 Speaker 3: Yeah, so it is our biggest regional park, and you know, 109 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:40,280 Speaker 3: we don't have an exemption on liquor at any of 110 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 3: our other regional or suburban parks, so it was quite 111 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 3: unusual that it's sitting there out on its own as 112 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 3: a place where drinking was allowed. 113 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 2: You know. Following the four months. 114 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 3: Trial period, we'll review the data that we get from 115 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 3: you know, just incidents reported to counsel and police and 116 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 3: any other information we can get and see if there 117 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 3: is a significant difference in the way you know that. 118 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 2: The people use the park. Yeah, we're hoping that. 119 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:13,480 Speaker 3: We can attract families back down into the area. 120 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 2: And that people do feel safe to use it again. 121 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 1: Athena, just finally, who's going to police it? I mean, 122 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 1: who's going to make sure that there aren't people in 123 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 1: the park drinking? Will it be the police or will 124 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:24,680 Speaker 1: it be rangers? 125 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 3: Look, both rangers and police do regular patrols right around Parmestan, 126 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:32,600 Speaker 3: so that will continue all right. 127 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 1: Well, Athena, I'll be really keen to hear sort of 128 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:37,280 Speaker 1: how that trial goes, So no doubt we'll catch up 129 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 1: again very soon. Really appreciate your time this morning. Thanks 130 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:42,039 Speaker 1: so much for having a chat with us. 131 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:43,720 Speaker 2: Thank you very much. 132 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:47,839 Speaker 1: That's the Palmeston mayor there, Athena Pasco Bell And look, 133 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 1: it does sound as though you know they're doing this 134 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 1: on a as a proactive measure and that it's needed 135 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:57,120 Speaker 1: by the sounds of it. I don't live out in Parmeston, 136 00:06:57,240 --> 00:06:59,479 Speaker 1: so I don't have as good an idea as to 137 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:02,680 Speaker 1: some of the issues that go on at Marlow lagoon 138 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:04,720 Speaker 1: as what others may so if you do want to 139 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:06,600 Speaker 1: give us a call and let us know your thoughts, 140 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:09,880 Speaker 1: eight nine four one one oh four nine is the number. 141 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 1: But it does sound like they're they're doing something that 142 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: the community wants. Well, certainly that's that's the way that 143 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 1: the mayor made it sound, and that it's a fairly 144 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 1: different situation to what we've seen at East Point.