1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,160 Speaker 1: We know that the local government elections took place over 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: the weekend and some very clear front runners. As we'd 3 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:09,400 Speaker 1: said yesterday on the show, convat Scarlets obviously in Darwin, 4 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: and Athena Pasco Bell in Palmerston, and she joins me 5 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:16,120 Speaker 1: on the line right now. Good morning to you, Athena, 6 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: Good morning, congratulations. You must have been pretty happy with 7 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 1: well with what looks like quite a convincing re election. 8 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 2: Yes, it was quite humbling, I guess, to be re 9 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 2: elected with a seventy five percent primary vote. So that's yeah, 10 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 2: really good. 11 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 1: Now what is the priority for you now, Athena? Obviously 12 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:42,920 Speaker 1: another four years. I know that you've been working very 13 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: hard in Palmerston over the last four years, but what 14 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:47,600 Speaker 1: is the priority for you now? 15 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 2: We do have a number of projects that we were 16 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 2: looking to progress and that will happen in the next 17 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 2: council term. So there's the Swimming Poor redevelopment, which is 18 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 2: a fifteen million dollar redevelopment, and just a few weeks 19 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 2: ago we announced that we secured a Crown lease in 20 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:10,440 Speaker 2: Zakoli to develop the community hub there. So the dog 21 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 2: park for that area will be going ahead by November. 22 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 2: And the remaining elements as soon as the new council's 23 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:21,680 Speaker 2: announced without community consultation, and will include things like a 24 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 2: community hall, potentially a library, community guard and a large 25 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:30,119 Speaker 2: piece of play equipment and other things that the community 26 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 2: in that area requires. So that's a couple of major projects. 27 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 2: There's still a lot of outcomes to deliver from our 28 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 2: community Plan, so we had started progress on that. Water 29 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 2: efficiency is probably one of the next major areas that 30 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 2: we'll need to look at. We've done quite a bit 31 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 2: of work in making council facilities efficient so LED lighting. Internally, 32 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 2: we've replaced all of our street lights with LED and 33 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 2: we've also started installing solar panels on council facilities. But 34 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 2: now we'll need to focus on water efficiency as well. 35 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:10,959 Speaker 2: And we've just launched our local economics plan, so now 36 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 2: we'll start to focus on encouraging businesses to set up 37 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:16,920 Speaker 2: and grow in Palmerston and Desya. 38 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 1: What is the process now for the council in terms 39 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: of in terms of you know, the new people who 40 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:25,839 Speaker 1: are obviously going to be elected as aldermen, When does 41 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 1: all of that happen. 42 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,519 Speaker 2: We will have the official declaration from the Electoral Commission 43 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 2: on the thirteenth of September, and then the council will 44 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 2: basically launch straight into a number of workshops for inductions. 45 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 2: Excuse me, you're right. 46 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: So a declaration on the thirteenth of September and you're fine, 47 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,919 Speaker 1: and then obviously some workshops I reckon that sounds like 48 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:53,920 Speaker 1: a really good idea making sure that any Alderman that 49 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: is indeed elected that they've got the opportunity to learn 50 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: more about exactly how the council works. 51 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, so they will learn about how council works, what 52 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 2: their responsibilities are, expectations of the rest of the council 53 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 2: and the community for what they need to deliver and 54 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 2: how they need to do that, and also run down 55 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 2: on our existing and planned projects so that they have 56 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 2: an idea of what has happened in the past and 57 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 2: where the last council is heading to so hopefully give 58 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 2: them an informed choice then on how we move forward. 59 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 2: But probably the most important thing is that they understand 60 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 2: their responsibilities as aldermen or counselors, and they will get 61 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 2: to make that choice as well whether they are called 62 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 2: alderman or counselors. But really what is what are their obligations, 63 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 2: what they can do, what they can't do and then 64 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 2: you know, hopefully we can move forward as a team 65 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 2: and start to work on our next council term. 66 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: And obviously are there are still votes to count, but 67 00:03:57,960 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: it is looking as though you are going to have 68 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: some faces. No doubt that brings a bit of new 69 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: energy and a different feel to the council. 70 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 2: Look, yes it will. And we had two existing aldermen 71 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 2: who chose not to recontest, so there will be at 72 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 2: least two. Yeah, but we won't know the outcome until 73 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 2: the preferences are actually sorted out. But yeah, so there 74 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,840 Speaker 2: will be a few new faces on the council and 75 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 2: it's really important that they are brought up to speed 76 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 2: and that they're made to feel comfortable as well. Coming 77 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 2: into the chamber for the first time could be a 78 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,279 Speaker 2: bit daunting the people who aren't familiar with the formal 79 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 2: meeting procedures and things like that as well. 80 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:39,479 Speaker 1: Yeah, no doubt it would be. You know, when I 81 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:42,839 Speaker 1: think back five six years ago the Palmerston Council, you 82 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 1: know many would say that it was shrouded in controversy 83 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 1: for a while there. Since you have been in that 84 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:51,080 Speaker 1: mayor's role, it seems to be a very steady ship. 85 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: Has that been a real priority for you over the 86 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: last few years and again now as you go into 87 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 1: those next four years. 88 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:02,279 Speaker 3: Yeah, the priority was really steadying the ship, as you said, 89 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 3: making sure that the council had a very clear direction 90 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 3: on what it should be doing, and we did that 91 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 3: by engaging a company called Democracy Co to work with 92 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 3: the community on our community plan. So it was really 93 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:21,640 Speaker 3: important that we gave the community that power to tell 94 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 3: the council what it was they wanted council to deliver 95 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 3: for the community as a whole, and that community planned 96 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:28,160 Speaker 3: now won three. 97 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 2: Awards, so we're very proud of that. It's been embedded 98 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 2: deeply within council, so all of the staff's position descriptions 99 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 2: aligned to it, all the reports the Council aligned to 100 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 2: the community plan and having to gain the trust of 101 00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 2: the community was very important. So it's important that this 102 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 2: next council remains very steady and focused on what it 103 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 2: is that we are doing. So remind people that council's 104 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 2: got a very unique role. We shouldn't be involving ourselves 105 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:04,280 Speaker 2: in other levels of politics. That's not our responsibility. That's 106 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 2: there and we have very clear outcomes that we need 107 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 2: to deliver for our community. That's what we should be 108 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 2: focusing on, so maintaining that steady ship, retaining the confidence 109 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 2: of the community and then making sure that we're able 110 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 2: to move our community forward. Well. 111 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 1: Athena pasco Bell the mayor. Again, I know that some 112 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:27,560 Speaker 1: of those votes are still to be counted, but like 113 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:30,279 Speaker 1: we've heard, very convincing when by the look of things, 114 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 1: we really appreciate your time this morning and all the 115 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: best for the next four years. 116 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:36,280 Speaker 2: Thank you very much. 117 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: Thank you. That's Athena pasco Bell there, who has been 118 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:42,040 Speaker 1: re elected as the Palmerston mayor.