1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,200 Speaker 1: It's been more than two months since Cyclone at Fena 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,600 Speaker 1: whipped through Darwin, and the City of Darwin Council is 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,760 Speaker 1: still grappling with the cleanup as Cruise continue to face 4 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:13,320 Speaker 1: delays due to the wet season weather. Now as a result, 5 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:16,200 Speaker 1: more than a dozen parks and reserves remain closed, as 6 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: well as a number of sporting ovals. Joining us on 7 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:22,119 Speaker 1: the line to explain the progress is the City of 8 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:25,600 Speaker 1: Darwin's General Manager of Community Matt Grassmeier. 9 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 2: Good morning to. 10 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 3: You, Matt, Good morning, how are you? 11 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, really good? Thanks so much for your time this morning. 12 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:35,839 Speaker 1: Now, Matt, I think that many people would probably be 13 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,559 Speaker 1: surprised by how long it's taken Cruise to clear about 14 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: all the felled trees. 15 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 2: But it's not been an easy job, has ash. 16 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 1: No. 17 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,840 Speaker 3: Look, we've had some really challenging weather since twenty second 18 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:50,520 Speaker 3: in November, so you know, and it's one of those 19 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 3: things where unfortunately as this weather comes through, more and 20 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 3: more trees have heaved and moved down. So it's a 21 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 3: shifting fans for us. But look, what's really good agress 22 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 3: so far and hopefully some some openings, some more opening 23 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 3: announcements earlier this week as well. 24 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:07,960 Speaker 1: All right, So it sounds like there's quite a bit 25 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: of work happening at the moment in terms of trying 26 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:12,959 Speaker 1: to get some open early this week, is there. 27 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:16,960 Speaker 3: Matt, Yeah, Look, with our regional facilities, our big parks 28 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,680 Speaker 3: and highest uses, we're really down to concentrating on if 29 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 3: it's now at each point, there's about two hundred and 30 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 3: thirty four very important tree risk jobs we're doing there 31 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 3: and we're about one hundred and seventy two in so 32 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 3: very good progress. But we're just getting some slashes going 33 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:34,039 Speaker 3: in there now to start preparing. So we'll go in 34 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 3: there first and have to slash some of that high 35 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 3: grass area and then once we get these tree works 36 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 3: completely done, we'll get the males back in. So we're 37 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 3: hoping to progress these point and that's probably the last 38 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,680 Speaker 3: of our big regional parks, and once they're all open, 39 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 3: then just the focus really switches to our sporting ovals. Now, 40 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 3: with those sporting ovals, we have a number that are 41 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 3: really their restrictive use, so we still have them operating 42 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 3: for AFL to get through their season, but we're working 43 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 3: now to get into the pre season work. Getting all 44 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 3: of those ovals up is the next priority and then 45 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 3: we move down the rest of our you know, we 46 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 3: go then to our district parks, in our local and 47 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 3: our neighborhood parks to get them back over to the 48 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 3: community as well. 49 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:12,959 Speaker 1: Matt, I reckon the one that I'm getting contacted about 50 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: more than anything is those sporting ovals, And I know that, 51 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: as you've said, some of them are now operating. 52 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 2: With restricted access. 53 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 1: Others where people aren't able to get back there for 54 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 1: that training, are aren't able to do some of that 55 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:30,800 Speaker 1: pre season training yet. But you know, the trees aren't 56 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: fallen on the ovals, they're more sort of in the 57 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:37,639 Speaker 1: car park area or nearby. Is that the reason why 58 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 1: they're not able to be opened exactly? 59 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:44,679 Speaker 3: So we go through and since the cyclone, we've done 60 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 3: over five and a half thousand tree harborist tree assessments 61 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 3: and we rate them all as to the works that 62 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 3: have to occur, and so to open up a park 63 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:54,919 Speaker 3: or reserve, we have to go in and do those 64 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 3: special harvest works that we see as a high risk 65 00:02:57,520 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 3: of the community. So it's more of this oval surrounds. 66 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 3: So we've cleared the ovals obviously, we have the mowing 67 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 3: backs and the playing surfaces are ready to go. We'll 68 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,679 Speaker 3: be doing some inspections this week on some of those 69 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 3: surrounds and as I said, hopefully get some more openings. 70 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 3: Went back to the community use for those by the 71 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 3: end of the week. 72 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: So hopefully with those ovals, you're thinking by the end 73 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 1: of the week. 74 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:22,359 Speaker 3: Yeah, there's a number of them that we're going through 75 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:24,679 Speaker 3: assessments this week and hopefully we can get them open 76 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 3: because we appreciate that the priority for us. We've at 77 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 3: the beginning we looked at all of the ables where 78 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:32,919 Speaker 3: PFL we're using it for the competition to make sure 79 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 3: those competition and games can continue. But we're now we're 80 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 3: starting to get towards the end of the wet and 81 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 3: pre season is a very big thing, especially for user groups, 82 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 3: So we understand that's a community priority and one that 83 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 3: we kind of work around. One of the things with 84 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 3: our resourcing though, whenever we have one of these really 85 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 3: big high risk trees that comes up, that's when we 86 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 3: drop all tools from everything else and we make sure 87 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 3: we clear those first. 88 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, which is fair enough. 89 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 1: Matt. Are you able to say which parts or jobals 90 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: you're expecting to maybe open by the end of the 91 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 1: week or not yet? 92 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 3: Not yet. It's really we've got the ones that are 93 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 3: already open for restricted. It's probably the other rivals in 94 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 3: a priority listing of you know, where the bookings and 95 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 3: community trainings and things are requested for. 96 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:18,279 Speaker 1: Yeah, Matt, I have been getting asked quite a bit, 97 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 1: I guess over the last couple of weeks. So people 98 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 1: sort of you know, going, oh, it seemed like things 99 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 1: were cleaned up faster than what they are. Well, they 100 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 1: were cleaned up faster during cyclo markers than what they 101 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:31,719 Speaker 1: are this time around. Has there been a difference, you know, 102 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 1: in terms of you know, what's fallen and the conditions 103 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:39,280 Speaker 1: in the aftermath. Why has this sort of been a 104 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: little bit of a difference that some people might think 105 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:42,599 Speaker 1: it's taking longer. 106 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:46,919 Speaker 3: Yeah. Absolutely. You know, each cyclone event is different, and 107 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 3: it's different for a number of reasons. This one is 108 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:51,839 Speaker 3: right at the start of the wet season, so you know, 109 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 3: we've had much more challenging conditions following sooner than we 110 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 3: had after Marcus, which was that was in March. So 111 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 3: ground conditions make a huge difference because get that large 112 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:03,719 Speaker 3: equipment and elevated work platforms in to do the work 113 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:06,600 Speaker 3: on trees. If the ground is really soggy iness. Sometimes 114 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 3: they get bogged and we can't give him and do 115 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 3: the works. Exactly the same with Molling as well. We 116 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 3: can't go and know if we're going to destroy some 117 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:15,160 Speaker 3: of these parks and grasses. So it's been a bit 118 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 3: slow and getting the mallers back to those sites. But 119 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 3: really everything apart from one and a half parks now 120 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:23,919 Speaker 3: is back on the mowing schedule. The other thing is 121 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 3: the urban forest is completely different, so Marcus, we lost 122 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 3: a lot more really large of those mahogany trees, and 123 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:34,479 Speaker 3: you know, when they fall they take out infrastructure and 124 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 3: power lines, so areas like Fanny Bay a Bratty are 125 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 3: weeks without power because of the number of trees that 126 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 3: have taken our lines everywhere. This one with Feener, we've 127 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:47,160 Speaker 3: probably lost you know, we haven't done all the analysis yet, 128 00:05:47,200 --> 00:05:50,159 Speaker 3: but we've probably lost more trees, but smaller trees. We 129 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 3: still have lost some large mahoganies, but we've lost a 130 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 3: lot of kind of smaller trees which haven't impacted the 131 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 3: power lines as much. But it's still the volume of 132 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 3: work you will have to do. We have about two 133 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:04,279 Speaker 3: thousand tree stumps just to remove from the road verges 134 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 3: at the moment we're working through and then we'll start 135 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 3: counting the tree stumps in the park. So a lot 136 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 3: of volume of work but different different urban forests, and 137 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 3: probably it'll be very interesting to see how much can 138 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 3: it be cover we lost in this cyclone compared to Marcus, 139 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:20,840 Speaker 3: because we had probably less trees but a lot more 140 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 3: larger trees. This time we've probably got a higher volume 141 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 3: of trees but smaller canopies. 142 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:28,799 Speaker 2: So Matt, when do you reckon? It'll all be finished. 143 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:33,480 Speaker 3: Well, the initial clear up of all the debris damage 144 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:36,560 Speaker 3: and these risk trees. We set ourselves at three mark, 145 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 3: three month mark, and that's part of what's the requirement 146 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:43,839 Speaker 3: for disaster funding. But the works will continue for many, 147 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:47,839 Speaker 3: many months, so we still have further trees that we've assessed, 148 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 3: will have to remove and these tree stumps, so our 149 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 3: parks and guards the team will be busy for the 150 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 3: months and months ahead, and you know, there's a lot 151 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:59,480 Speaker 3: of work still, but we're starting to do that transitioning 152 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:01,360 Speaker 3: work for some of our parks teams now, so they're 153 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 3: getting back onto what's their normal work. Their normal maintenance 154 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 3: work is in prooning, weeding, mulching all those type of activities, 155 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 3: which they haven't done for three or four months now. 156 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 2: So yeah, well, and hats off to them. 157 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 1: I know they'll be working bloody heart out there and 158 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 1: it is a big job, there's no doubt about that. 159 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 2: And I know there'll probably be some people listening. 160 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 1: This morning that are part of those different sporting clubs 161 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:27,040 Speaker 1: very happy to hear that those ovals aren't too far 162 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 1: off either that. 163 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 3: No, look, and that's the thing with the progress is, 164 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 3: you know, we even with our regional parks, you know, 165 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 3: we know some of the books and the events that plans, 166 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 3: so you know, like with Foreshore and bi Centennial Park 167 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 3: and those big spaces, we've got time first, but we 168 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:46,240 Speaker 3: knew each Point Reserve was one that you know, we've 169 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:49,080 Speaker 3: been in there for three weeks already with contractors working 170 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 3: through these high risk trees and we've got a little 171 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 3: bit more time to go. But once we can, you know, 172 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 3: once we clear those, it's you know, it's a lot 173 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 3: quicker to go through the remaining areas because that's those 174 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 3: regionals take the biggest amount of there. Well. 175 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 1: Matt Grasmeyer, general Manager Community with the City of Darwin, 176 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 1: really appreciate your time this morning. Thank you very much 177 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 1: for having a chat with us. 178 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 3: That's a pleasure. 179 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you.