1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,600
Speaker 1: As we mentioned, we know that Casarina Squares management have

2
00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:06,440
Speaker 1: implemented a forty eight hour ban at the complex, stopping

3
00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:09,639
Speaker 1: students from six Darwin schools from attending following a spate

4
00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:12,840
Speaker 1: of fights at the center. Now the band takes effect

5
00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:17,919
Speaker 1: today and we'll be imposed on all students from Casarina, Sandersen, Dripstone,

6
00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:21,959
Speaker 1: Darwin Middle, Darwin High School and Nightcliffe Middle School. And

7
00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:23,880
Speaker 1: joining me on the line to tell us a little

8
00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:27,160
Speaker 1: bit more about the situation is Casarina Square Center manager

9
00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:31,320
Speaker 1: Polly Lemon. Good morning to you, Polly, good morning.

10
00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:31,760
Speaker 2: How are you?

11
00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,280
Speaker 1: Yeah? Really well, Thanks so much for your time this morning, Polly.

12
00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:39,159
Speaker 1: This is an extraordinary move that the Casarina Shopping Square

13
00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:42,080
Speaker 1: has had to take. I understand that there were one

14
00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:45,199
Speaker 1: hundred students running a mark on Friday. What happened?

15
00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:49,919
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, it is pretty pretty extraordinary. I think that's

16
00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:52,680
Speaker 2: a good word to describe it. Yeah. Look, we had

17
00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:56,760
Speaker 2: a series of incidents over the back half of last week.

18
00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:01,279
Speaker 2: You know, some were quite serious, and we've decided to

19
00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:04,840
Speaker 2: take this move to let school students know that we're

20
00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:06,240
Speaker 2: not going to accept this behavior here.

21
00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:09,120
Speaker 1: Do you know what I think? Good on you if

22
00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:11,720
Speaker 1: you've got kids that are running a mark and you

23
00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:15,119
Speaker 1: need to get things under control so that your shoppers

24
00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:19,080
Speaker 1: and that your staff members, everybody working there can feel safe.

25
00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:21,440
Speaker 1: I think that it's a step in the right direction.

26
00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:25,840
Speaker 2: Yeah, great, absolutely. You know, we understand that there'll be

27
00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,880
Speaker 2: a group of people that are effectively punished for you know,

28
00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:34,440
Speaker 2: the actions of the minority, but unfortunately, we feel like

29
00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:36,720
Speaker 2: it's something that we need to do given what's happened

30
00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:37,320
Speaker 2: last week.

31
00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:40,959
Speaker 1: Now tell me what exactly did happen last week? Was

32
00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:42,720
Speaker 1: it fighting or what was going on?

33
00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:47,040
Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, fighting and just general nuisance behavior as well,

34
00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:49,680
Speaker 2: so that the fighting is the real concern. But you know,

35
00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:54,480
Speaker 2: really we deal with a lot of vandalism, graffiti, you know,

36
00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:59,800
Speaker 2: our furniture being ruined. Yeah, it's all that stuff as well.

37
00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:02,520
Speaker 2: You know, we just don't want to tolerate kids vaiting

38
00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,040
Speaker 2: in the shopping center, walking all over our furniture and

39
00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:06,680
Speaker 2: just not being respectful of the space.

40
00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:11,000
Speaker 1: Yeah. Has anyone been injured as a result of some

41
00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:11,919
Speaker 1: of what's gone.

42
00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:16,959
Speaker 2: On, certainly the incident on Thursday, Yeah, a young person

43
00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:17,640
Speaker 2: was injured.

44
00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:22,040
Speaker 1: So what happened on Thursday?

45
00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,040
Speaker 2: There was a school fight on Thursday at the shopping

46
00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:27,959
Speaker 2: center in the food court, so that's one of the

47
00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:29,400
Speaker 2: reasons we've taken this action.

48
00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:33,320
Speaker 1: Yeah, right now, Polly, talk me through how is the

49
00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:35,560
Speaker 1: band going to be enforced? Because I know a lot

50
00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:37,440
Speaker 1: of people will be listening thinking, well, how can you

51
00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:38,919
Speaker 1: stop these kids from getting in?

52
00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:43,640
Speaker 2: Yeah? Fair enough. Yeah, Look, we've got additional security on.

53
00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:47,119
Speaker 2: I've also got all of my center management team we'll

54
00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:51,720
Speaker 2: be helping as well. We've got support from the department

55
00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:56,160
Speaker 2: and the principals. We'll have additional police support today as well,

56
00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:58,480
Speaker 2: so general duties, and I do believe we'll have the

57
00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:03,160
Speaker 2: school based uxiliaries here as well helping out. So you know,

58
00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:06,600
Speaker 2: everyone's pretty united in this, which is really great.

59
00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:10,160
Speaker 1: It is good to see and much needed by the

60
00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:12,280
Speaker 1: sounds of things, after what you've had to deal with

61
00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,160
Speaker 1: over the last few days. Polly, are there going to

62
00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,280
Speaker 1: be any exceptions for allowing students in under the ban

63
00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:19,200
Speaker 1: at that center?

64
00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,960
Speaker 2: Yeah. Look, if a student is here from one of

65
00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:27,560
Speaker 2: those six schools and they're here with their parent or guardian,

66
00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:29,680
Speaker 2: and they stay with their parent or guardian, and they

67
00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:32,200
Speaker 2: are welcome to be here. But if they're just here

68
00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:34,840
Speaker 2: to hang out, we're not going to accept that at

69
00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:38,760
Speaker 2: the moment. If a student is here to do a

70
00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:41,240
Speaker 2: shift at work and they can demonstrate to us that

71
00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:43,200
Speaker 2: they work at one of the stores here, then that's

72
00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:44,040
Speaker 2: acceptable too.

73
00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,200
Speaker 1: Now what about parents, I mean, do you think that

74
00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:49,920
Speaker 1: they've got to take a little bit more responsibility or

75
00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:52,839
Speaker 1: accountability for what some of the kids are doing, or

76
00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:55,240
Speaker 1: do they even realize what's going on?

77
00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:59,360
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, it could be a little bit from Colin

78
00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:01,720
Speaker 2: Man a little bit, columb We would love to see

79
00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:06,280
Speaker 2: people take responsibility and you know, work with their children

80
00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:09,160
Speaker 2: to set standards of behavior, because we certainly have standards

81
00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:11,080
Speaker 2: of behavior here that we will accept and we won't

82
00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:14,040
Speaker 2: but you're right as well, they might not know that

83
00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:15,880
Speaker 2: this is going on with their children. So we do

84
00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:18,240
Speaker 2: our best to work with the schools and we do

85
00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:20,080
Speaker 2: work with families as well and let them know that,

86
00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,400
Speaker 2: you know, their children are here engaging in this behavior.

87
00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:27,200
Speaker 1: Yeah, Pollie, obviously you know over the last week or so,

88
00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:29,360
Speaker 1: this has come to a head for you guys at

89
00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,680
Speaker 1: Casuarina Square. But I mean, is it something that you've

90
00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:34,240
Speaker 1: been grappling with for a while.

91
00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:41,080
Speaker 2: I think what happens when schools go back is there's

92
00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:44,080
Speaker 2: a little inn someone used the word peacocking. Can happen

93
00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:47,960
Speaker 2: so young people moving up in you know, from middle

94
00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:50,640
Speaker 2: to senior school, or maybe something's gone on over the

95
00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:55,400
Speaker 2: school holidays, and you know that that happens over a

96
00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:58,599
Speaker 2: month or two when school goes back. But you know,

97
00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:01,880
Speaker 2: we're a shopping center and we're not prepared to tolerate

98
00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:03,760
Speaker 2: that sort of behavior at the shopping center.

99
00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:07,960
Speaker 1: Yeah, hey, what's the plan for when this lifts on Wednesday?

100
00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:09,880
Speaker 1: Are you expecting to see an influx?

101
00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:13,720
Speaker 2: I really hope that young people do the right thing

102
00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:15,720
Speaker 2: on Wednesday, and I hope that we can welcome them

103
00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:18,000
Speaker 2: back and we don't have any further incidents. We want

104
00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:20,560
Speaker 2: to give young people the opportunity to do the right thing.

105
00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:23,479
Speaker 1: What would you say to anybody listening this morning, Polly,

106
00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:26,200
Speaker 1: who's thinking, oh, this is unbelievable. You know, how can

107
00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:29,159
Speaker 1: the shopping center or why would the shopping center ban kids?

108
00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:31,360
Speaker 1: My kids go there and they behave themselves.

109
00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:35,559
Speaker 2: Yeah, and look, we acknowledge that it's a minority making

110
00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:39,560
Speaker 2: it difficult for the majority, unfortunately, but we think it's

111
00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:42,400
Speaker 2: necessary to do this because we can't have these large

112
00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:44,760
Speaker 2: flights happening in the shopping center it's just not on,

113
00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:48,960
Speaker 2: and I think the vast majority of people would agree

114
00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,239
Speaker 2: with us. We've got an obligation to keep our shoppers

115
00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:54,599
Speaker 2: and our retailers safe, and although it might seem like

116
00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:56,520
Speaker 2: a bold move, we think it's necessary.

117
00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:59,680
Speaker 1: Look, I think, you know, it's pretty unbelievable. Like I

118
00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:01,760
Speaker 1: said on the get go, it's extraordinary that you've had

119
00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:05,240
Speaker 1: to take this measure, But you spot on in that

120
00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:07,400
Speaker 1: you've got to make sure that you keep your shoppers safe,

121
00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:11,320
Speaker 1: and that you keep everybody that's working there safe. Absolutely,

122
00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:13,599
Speaker 1: and even other kids, you know, even other people that

123
00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,080
Speaker 1: are there doing the right thing. You don't want them

124
00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:17,560
Speaker 1: to have to put up with bad behavior.

125
00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:20,919
Speaker 2: Yeah. Absolutely. You know, I remember as a young person

126
00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:22,960
Speaker 2: going to the shops after school and you'd meet up

127
00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:24,800
Speaker 2: with your friends and gossip about the day and have

128
00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:26,520
Speaker 2: a frozen coach. That's what we want, you know, we

129
00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:28,680
Speaker 2: want young people to be able to come here and

130
00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:29,040
Speaker 2: do that.

131
00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:33,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, so true, Polly. I really appreciate your time this morning.

132
00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:35,280
Speaker 1: Thank you very much for having your chat with us,

133
00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:37,160
Speaker 1: and I'll be really interested to hear how it all

134
00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:40,599
Speaker 1: goes over the next couple of days. Good luck, Thank you,

135
00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:41,640
Speaker 1: thank you,