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Speaker 1: Well, we spent all day yesterday extensively covering what was

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Speaker 1: supposed to be d day for the decision from Darwin

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Speaker 1: Council on whether to allow the RSL to build a

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Speaker 1: new clubhouse on the Esplanade. But Lord Mayor convat Scala

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Speaker 1: says some last minute information came to hand, delaying the decision.

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Speaker 1: So what is this new information? Let's find out with

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Speaker 1: the Lord Mayor of Darwin, convat Scaralus con. Good morning,

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Speaker 1: Good morning, Matt Con. Can you talk us through what

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Speaker 1: happened last night?

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Speaker 2: Well before we went to the meeting and I was

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Speaker 2: hoping that we got the meeting and we make a decision.

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Speaker 2: So we're finished with this story about the RSL and

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Speaker 2: v Estronat just about five o'clock received a phone call

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Speaker 2: from a very respective it didn't sell the Bilawar Ali

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Speaker 2: who draw my attention to the fact that the proposed

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Speaker 2: side was a women's secret bursting site and also part

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Speaker 2: of the Rainbow Serpent Trail. Well, something that blew me

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Speaker 2: away because I was not aware of that. And of

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Speaker 2: course this information indicates the significance, the culture significance of

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Speaker 2: the site, which we haven't considered at all. So I

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Speaker 2: advised my colleagues that we had some new informers at hand,

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Speaker 2: but at the time I could not verify them so

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Speaker 2: late in the afternoon, and would put not to make

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Speaker 2: a decision without considering this information extensively. And I put

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Speaker 2: the mayor minutes on the table after everybody agreed with

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Speaker 2: that that until we get a new information, the decision

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Speaker 2: on the arseet would not take place. I apologized it

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Speaker 2: was so late we couldn't put a notice out to

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Speaker 2: advise the public not to come because the decision would

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Speaker 2: not be debated. But it was so late and so

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Speaker 2: studdened that it had to be done. Their way was done.

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Speaker 1: Con Why did it come through so late?

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Speaker 2: Well, I don't know about it, but I really really

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Speaker 2: appreciate that Bilaware took the time to ring me and

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Speaker 2: talk to me about it, because some of these informations

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Speaker 2: they are not well known around Darwin and adding all

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Speaker 2: that one either that I really really appreciated did that,

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Speaker 2: and I thank you very much for that. And I

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Speaker 2: spoke to here again today. So we're now trying to

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Speaker 2: verify some of this information because one is already verified,

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Speaker 2: the Rainbow certain trail. I spoke to other introduced people

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Speaker 2: with their conferment, So we're trying to verify the secret place.

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Speaker 1: I fully understand and respect that. I guess the question

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Speaker 1: is the timing of it. I mean, this is something

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Speaker 1: that we've been talking about for a long time, you know,

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Speaker 1: is this normal of counsel if an objection comes through

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Speaker 1: this light to be able to accept that.

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Speaker 2: Oh, absolutely, this is actually so significant. And I'll tell

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Speaker 2: you what, Matt, it's better late than never, because making

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Speaker 2: and decision not based on information that they're so significant,

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Speaker 2: I think it would be the wrong decision. I appreciate

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Speaker 2: it came forward. I don't know why it's so late,

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Speaker 2: but as I do you better late than never? Do

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Speaker 2: we go from here con well, as a you will

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Speaker 2: verify the information and we'll put it before council and

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Speaker 2: we'll call another meeting which would be again open and

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Speaker 2: then not, and the public will be notified and we'll

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Speaker 2: make a decision. But again, these are informations that the

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Speaker 2: councils get to get before them to make an informed decision.

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Speaker 2: And suddenly there's so significant this new information that I'm

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Speaker 2: pretty sure we change some people's mind or even their decision.

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Speaker 1: That was going to be my next question. I mean,

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Speaker 1: given the significance of this news that you were given

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Speaker 1: late yesterday. Is this going to be enough for the

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Speaker 1: counsel to say no to this proposal?

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Speaker 2: Now? I haven't asked my counsel what they're going to

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Speaker 2: vote on purpose because I want them to make a

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Speaker 2: democratic decision without pressure. I had my mind. This information

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Speaker 2: at hand now has actually led me to change my

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Speaker 2: view on the whole issue. And I'm pretty sure other

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Speaker 2: ultimates might feel per say, so.

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Speaker 1: You've changed your view, you know, will support this proposal

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Speaker 1: on the Esplanade.

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Speaker 2: I can't put an RSL on a touch a cultural

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Speaker 2: significant site. That's my personal opinion.

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Speaker 1: I have a tendency to agree with you there, I said,

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Speaker 1: I think it's just the timing of it. I mean

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Speaker 1: the RSL, you know, I think they were pretty confident

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Speaker 1: that they might have had this over the line last night,

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Speaker 1: and you know, within two hours everything's changed.

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Speaker 2: Well, this is what's happening. They say, in hour is

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Speaker 2: a long time in politics. But I said you before,

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Speaker 2: I'm very very pleased and tendful to Bill a Lad

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Speaker 2: that even that lad came to this information. So we

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Speaker 2: didn't make the wrong decision.

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Speaker 1: You mentioned now, you obviously you received this phone call.

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Speaker 1: But you've got to verify this information. What does that involve?

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Speaker 2: Oh, just we probably talked to the Sacred Charge authority.

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Speaker 2: We talked to Adelakia elders to confirm this one. Before

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Speaker 2: we actually have all the information, tend to make the

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Speaker 2: final decision.

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Speaker 1: Con speaking as to and Glossa a short time ago,

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Speaker 1: he said that when those upgrades were done on the

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Speaker 1: esplanade around the Eternal Flame and upgrades on the Cenotaph,

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Speaker 1: he'd spoken to the Larakia people to see if there

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Speaker 1: was anything of importance there. Then they said no, Is

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Speaker 1: that just simply because it's a slightly different location.

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Speaker 2: I believe so. Billavara specifically referred to the car park area,

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Speaker 2: and she said to me that all that respect the

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Speaker 2: sacrificed by the soldiers during the war. After all, there

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Speaker 2: a lot of people they were actually killed during the war,

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Speaker 2: both in the wars and in the in Darwin, and

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Speaker 2: certainly the cenotaph commemorates all of these people, but their

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Speaker 2: heir concern was actually on the car park area.

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Speaker 1: Can were you surprised at the amount of people that

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Speaker 1: turned up to the meeting last night?

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Speaker 2: Look, Matt, we live in a democratic country. Everybody is

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Speaker 2: entitled to come and express their opinion. There will have

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Speaker 2: two hundred people here that they're still very strongly about

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Speaker 2: the the chef theater, and I welcome that one. That's

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Speaker 2: actually a sign of a living democracy. I always appreciate

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Speaker 2: people's participation, even if I don't agree with some of

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Speaker 2: their years, and even they don't agree with some of

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Speaker 2: my views. At the end of the day, we live

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Speaker 2: in a democratic society and I respect them.

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Speaker 1: There was a lot of anger and hate directed at

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Speaker 1: you last night.

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Speaker 2: Usually the mayor's the lad in the world that attracts

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Speaker 2: everything because it's the face of the council. Let me

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Speaker 2: remind you when the tree was cut in the old

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Speaker 2: in the University new campus, I coped with the flag,

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Speaker 2: despite the fact that the decision to cut the tree

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Speaker 2: down was unanimous. All thirteen aldermen agreed to cut the

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Speaker 2: three down because we had the information the tree had

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Speaker 2: to go and the tree was sick. But everybody blamed me.

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Speaker 2: People tend to not to read the full story, just

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Speaker 2: the headline, and the mayor usually attracts the blade.

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Speaker 1: So con what happens next? When will this proposal be

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Speaker 1: voted on in council? Next.

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Speaker 2: Well, my intention is to find all the information as

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Speaker 2: soon as possible as them bring back to the council.

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Speaker 2: I can't give you a timeline now because it might

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Speaker 2: take a while for people to actually dig out all

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Speaker 2: the necessary information maps, histories, oral history, contact the appropriate

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Speaker 2: additional elders you mentioned before.

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Speaker 1: Obviously, twenty four hours ago, you were in support of

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Speaker 1: this proposal. Given this new information that you've received, you

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Speaker 1: no longer are. Do you think there are other oldermen

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Speaker 1: who would have been in support of this proposal that

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Speaker 1: will now change their mind.

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Speaker 2: I can't read them. I can't read their mind, but

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Speaker 2: I will be very surprised if people decide to disregard

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Speaker 2: this kind of information.

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Speaker 1: Well, combat's it's been an eventful twenty four hours.

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Speaker 2: Thanks you never a dull moment.

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Speaker 1: No, thank you for explaining that this morning. You have

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Speaker 1: certainly cleared up a lot of questions and speculation. I

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Speaker 1: know many people are questioning the timing of how it

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Speaker 1: all unfolded, but we're certainly not going to undermine the

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Speaker 1: signific so what you were told. I think it's just

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Speaker 1: the timing that a lot of people are surprised at.

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Speaker 2: Matt when you get a phone call around five o'clock.

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Speaker 2: With this kind of information, you do not just ignore it,

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Speaker 2: because then you deserve to get the blame. You have

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Speaker 2: to make sure that everybody is well informed and before

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Speaker 2: they make such an important decision.

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Speaker 1: The Lord Mayor of Darwin convat Scarlus, I know that

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Speaker 1: we more to come from this. We will hopefully catch

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Speaker 1: up with you again on next Tuesday. Thank you for

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Speaker 1: your time this morning, my pleasure, Mit,