1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,120 Speaker 1: We know that Casuarina Square management they're set to band 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: students from two Darwin schools from attending the shopping center 3 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:10,959 Speaker 1: for four weeks after more fights between students at the complex. 4 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: So commencing from today, the four week ban is going 5 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:18,279 Speaker 1: to be imposed on all students from Casarina Senior College 6 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:20,120 Speaker 1: and Sanderson Middle School. 7 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 2: The band's going to run until. 8 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: The third of April, and it follows the decision by 9 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: Casarina about well last month where they barred six schools 10 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 1: from the center for forty eight hours. Now joining me 11 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:33,879 Speaker 1: on the line to tell us more about the situation 12 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 1: is Polly Lamonde, the Casarina Square shopping center manager. 13 00:00:38,240 --> 00:00:39,040 Speaker 2: Good morning to you. 14 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 3: Polly, Good morning, Katie, Thanks. 15 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:45,159 Speaker 2: So much for your time this morning. Polly. What happened 16 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 2: in the. 17 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: Latest situation which has seen the banning of these two schools. 18 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, so late last week we had some similar behavior 19 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 3: to what we had last time we put a band 20 00:00:55,920 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 3: in place. Is really disappointing to see that that was again, 21 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 3: but I guess on a positive note, it was only 22 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 3: two schools that were represented this time, so you know, 23 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 3: we're pleased that we don't have to put a band 24 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 3: in place. For six schools this time, and that four 25 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 3: schools have done the right thing and that those students 26 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 3: can come and attend the shopping center. 27 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: And so was it more sort of fighting Polly in 28 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 1: the food court again or what had happened last week? 29 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 2: Yeah? 30 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, So on Thursday afternoon, we had a series of 31 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 3: incidents of you know, general nuisance behavior of vandalism. There 32 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 3: was an incident up in one of our seating areas 33 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 3: where a table was flipped over and one of our 34 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 3: floor tiles was broken, exposing all the frame underneath. Then 35 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 3: on Friday, we had really large groups of students from 36 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:52,559 Speaker 3: those two schools in the shopping center, generally being loud 37 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 3: and rowdy and pretty disrespectful of those around them. And 38 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 3: then also a series of fights as well, and one 39 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 3: of those fights ended up inside a retailer store, which 40 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 3: I'm sure we can understand, we just can't accept that. 41 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness, were those the people running that retail store? 42 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 2: Okay? 43 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, they were fine, Yeah they were fine, But you 44 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 3: know that would be distressing for them. They shouldn't have 45 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 3: to see that in a shopping center environment. 46 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 2: Oh, one hundred percent. 47 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 1: Like I just think if I was there with my kids, 48 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: I'd be quite frightened. And is something like that spilled 49 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:20,920 Speaker 1: into the shop where I was with them? 50 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:25,639 Speaker 3: Absolutely? Absolutely, So you know, we understand that it's again 51 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 3: the minority that are affecting the majority, but we have 52 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 3: an obligation to keep our retailers, our customers, and other 53 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 3: school students safe as well. 54 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, Polly, how difficult is this becoming for Casuarina Square? 55 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 1: You know, when you end up with sort of mobs 56 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: of kids turning up and really not treating other people 57 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:46,519 Speaker 1: in a respectful manner. 58 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:49,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, it is difficult and it is disappointing, you know. 59 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 3: I think if you go on to social media and 60 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 3: read a lot of the comments, people are fed up too, 61 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 3: I think overwhelmingly, and hopefully people are supportive of what 62 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 3: we're doing, because if we keep doing the same thing, 63 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 3: nothing's going to change. 64 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 2: Yeah. 65 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: Look, I am someone who frequents the shopping center very often, 66 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 1: and I think anything that you can do to try 67 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: and make it a safer place is going to be 68 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: a good thing. I know that there'll be some parents 69 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 1: listening who maybe have kids that go to to those 70 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: two schools that are thinking, well, this isn't fair on them. 71 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:21,080 Speaker 2: They go and they behave themselves. 72 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely, and look to be fair, we acknowledge that 73 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,960 Speaker 3: it's a minority that will affect the majority. But our 74 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 3: approach in the past has been to try and ban 75 00:03:32,040 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 3: those students that are involved in the fights itself. But 76 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 3: it's not just the students that are involved in the fights. 77 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 3: You could have a crowd of fifty or sixty people 78 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 3: around them, filming and egging them on. And you can 79 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 3: imagine for us if we tried to ban sixty individuals 80 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 3: or even trying to identify sixty individuals who are standing around, 81 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 3: you know, sticky beaking and filming and egging people on. 82 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 3: That's almost near impossible. So we have to change our approach. 83 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 3: We have to do something different. 84 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, hey, tell me, how are you sort of going 85 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: to manage it in terms of making sure that you 86 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 1: know that these young people don't come in? Are you 87 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 1: going to need additional security? How's it going to work? 88 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, we will for the next four weeks put additional 89 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 3: security on, which you know, that's a cost to us. 90 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,719 Speaker 3: So that's disappointing that we've had to do that again, 91 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 3: but yeah, we will manage it similarly to last time. 92 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:23,760 Speaker 1: And in terms of I've just had somebody message through 93 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:26,760 Speaker 1: and say, Katie, if the students don't wear uniforms, how 94 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 1: can they tell where they're from? Doesn't that doesn't take 95 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 1: them time to work around this, So obviously you know 96 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 1: some of those students are going to cot normal. 97 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:37,480 Speaker 2: I'm guessing Polly. 98 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's never perfect. Nothing's ever going to be perfect. 99 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:44,920 Speaker 3: We acknowledge that. But I would say that a lot 100 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:48,919 Speaker 3: of the students who come and are causing trouble, we 101 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:52,839 Speaker 3: do know them by faith. A lot of them they 102 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 3: won't be able to pull the wall over our eyes 103 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:55,239 Speaker 3: in that respect. 104 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:57,160 Speaker 2: So are they allowed there on the weekends? 105 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, on the weekends if they're with a parent or 106 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:02,839 Speaker 3: a guardian. 107 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:04,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, right, And. 108 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:07,480 Speaker 1: So it is obviously something that you know that has 109 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:09,839 Speaker 1: reached the point where it is it's becoming a big 110 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:12,360 Speaker 1: concern for the different retailers. I know, even on Friday, 111 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:15,159 Speaker 1: I was there during school hours with my daughter who's 112 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: only eleven, and we were in a shop and they 113 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:19,039 Speaker 1: actually the shop attendant actually came up to her and 114 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 1: said are you here with a parent? And she said, yeah, 115 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 1: I'm here with my mum. And you know, we were 116 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:26,440 Speaker 1: there because she'd been the swimming carnival. But so it 117 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,159 Speaker 1: is obviously something that a lot of those retailers are 118 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 1: grappling with, is what I had thought. 119 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 2: As that exchange it unfolded. 120 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:36,279 Speaker 3: Yeah, they're pretty fed up, to be honest, and so 121 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,800 Speaker 3: are we. So you know, I hope that the community 122 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 3: gets behind us. Like I said, if nothing changes, nothing changes, 123 00:05:43,839 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 3: We're pretty committed to improving the situation here. 124 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: And Polly, if that behavior doesn't change, is the center 125 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 1: going to consider a more permanent ban. 126 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:59,280 Speaker 3: We will look at how the students behave when they're 127 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 3: allowed to return on that Monday, the third of April, 128 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 3: and we really do hope that they can come back 129 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 3: into the shopping center and enjoy the environment like it's 130 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 3: meant to be used. And if not, we'll, like I 131 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 3: said last time, readgroup of the business and see what 132 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:12,799 Speaker 3: we need to do in that respect. 133 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, Polly, you know, I think that it's sort 134 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 1: of hard to argue with what you're doing at this point. 135 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:19,839 Speaker 2: Like I'm supportive of it. 136 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:21,360 Speaker 1: If you've got kids that are in there and they're 137 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 1: getting into punch ups and they're making other people feel 138 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 1: as though they're in danger, you've got to do what 139 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 1: you have to do to make sure that people are 140 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 1: able to shop there safely, that they are able to 141 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: enter those stores safely. Have you had any of the 142 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:38,680 Speaker 1: shop owners or shop managers sort of complain that, you 143 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 1: know that maybe they are seeing less foot traffic as 144 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:44,719 Speaker 1: a result of any of these kinds of bands. 145 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 3: To be fair, we you know, overwhelmingly we've had support. 146 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:53,040 Speaker 3: We have had one retailer complain to us, and I'm 147 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:55,719 Speaker 3: happy to sit down with that retailer and talk through 148 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:59,160 Speaker 3: why this has been our response to this situation. But 149 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:03,159 Speaker 3: I do think if you went around and surveyed the retailers, 150 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:05,159 Speaker 3: they'd be pretty happy that we're doing something like this 151 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:06,920 Speaker 3: because they're fed up with this. 152 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, Polly, what did that one retail and what was 153 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: their issue with it? 154 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 2: With the band? 155 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:17,440 Speaker 3: With the band? Yeah, that it may have affected their 156 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 3: foot traffic for that afternoon. 157 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 1: Yeah right, Well, look, I think it'll be interesting to 158 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 1: see how it all rolls out. I know that you've 159 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:27,240 Speaker 1: obviously got plenty of security there. You're trying to do 160 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: your best to make sure that you don't have that 161 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 1: bad behavior inside Casuarina Square, which I think is a 162 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 1: fair enough thing to do. Keep us up to date, 163 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 1: let us know how it is tracking no problem at all. 164 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for your time this morning.