Bushfire Control

Council laws on clearing and removal by burning of accumulating debris have been the undoing of many places during this bushfire season.

The way in which the fires have razed the country also cleaned up a lot of the fuel load. Common sense would suggest that this now be kept clear by regular removal. That would not be hard to organise if the responsibility for removal was apportioned by way of outsourcing responsibility to locals.

Support might be augmented by allocating working visas to backpackers and others prepared to do this work as a part of their entry conditions.

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Cruise ships and Coronavirus

I read a paper on ‘The Conversation’ (UK edition) that suggested cruise ships were prepared for quarantine in the case of a coronavirus outbreak. The ‘Diamond Princess’ may have been PREPARED for quarantine but the processes of quarantine operation has been abysmal and indeed disastrous in terms of application. That ship turned into a hotbed of infection.

Meanwhile, you would not catch me on a cruise ship under any circumstances whatsoever.

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Businesses

Successful businesses consider their people working within as well as the product or services they offer or sell. Happy employees build a quality of positive atmosphere within the organisations for which they work.

STOCK MARKET

I’ve never been close to the stock market although I have benefited as a shareholder through managed funds.

Some people become very very intricately involved in the stock market; I am glad I’m not one of those people. In the overall context of life I have been happy to leave the stock market to its own devices into my funds managers. Maybe that’s being a little naive on my part but however that’s the way it is. I don’t claim any special understanding of something I see as a kin to a major worldwide gambling house.

From an outside view point, it seems the chair market rises and falls are based on the whims. There is a certain artificiality or “fiction“ about stock market ups and downs.

To me, stock markets are a bit like a Gogo with rises and falls impacted by a thin string.

I’m never ever surprised when stock markets fall nor am I surprised when they rise. It seems that they’re based on emotion rather than on anything that’s rational or logical.

Their prices are based on prediction and are generally short term. Also based on the anticipation of bad things to come in a worldwide context. So they are forever up and down, up-and-down.

Without doubt, greed plays a big part in the way stock markets work.

In the overall context of life what will be will be as far as stock markets are concerned. And good luck to people who play the games for that is what the stock market is – a game!

Upcoming Bi-elections in NT

May all those standing for election in Johnson and Lyons be exhilarated by the experience of putting up their hands and volunteering their lives in the service of community and the people therein. May all those standing for election as aldermen in the Lyons Ward be similarly engaged by their desire to serve ratepayers and contribute to the making of wise local government decisions. Truly, this upcoming ‘leap year day’ will be one that is highlighting for the progress and future of our Territory.

Mortgages for 90 year olds

A story in the Sunday Territorian touched on mortgages held by very old people. Australians are binging on mortgage debt because of low interest rates suggests the story. This brought to mind a situation that has existed in Japan for years. Mortgages taken out by people remain as household debt until paid out by grandchildren. Seems as if Australia is heading in the same direction.

Resolve

I wish the government would resolve that CEO positions presently vacant would be filled by people already within the territory. Far too many people are appointed from interstate to high-level positions, which denies territory grown talent.

Power of fines owed

The NT News recently listed 750 people owing $10,000 or more in unpaid fines. What a farcical joke the system of fine inposition has become. Is the only redress imprisonment for non payment – which will add to taxpayer costs and jail overcrowding.

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$1.1 billion upgrade at Tindal

The Tindal upgrade is a real coup for the NT. In the short term there will be opportunities for Territory supply and construction companies. In the longer term this upgrade will offer added security reassurance for Territorians, a win – win situation.

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Ungrateful one

A passenger evacuated from the Diamond Princess to Howard Springs is unappreciating and ungrateful of government support and the expense of bringing her home. She is lamenting the lack of luxury living experienced on the ship, and obviously had no understanding of quarantine requirements. Her comments are both shortsighted and upsetting.

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Crime Rates – up or down?

It’s interesting that on the one hand Police Department statistics show that there has been a decline in rates of offence against property and people on a territory wide basis, whilst other statistics show that we are the worst state or territory in the country for these sorts of offences.

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Politicans travel costs

The NT News confirms that travel costs affirm just how interested our politicans become in remote area communities in the period of time immediately prior to elections. It would be good if that interest was spread across the full term of government, rather than ‘sudden remembrance’ just prior to elections.

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Where are the children? Why they have gone on the train!

Loved the NT News commentary on the five boys who stowed away from Alice Springs by clinging to the outside of a train before eventually deperching at Hugh River. Hugh River is 149 kilometres south of Alice, so the lads had a nice long ride before being “…transported back … and into the care of their responsible adult.”

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POINTS TO PONDER

Police uniform

Matt Cunningham’s call for Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker to return our ‘boys in blue’ to police in khaki is timely. Members of our force are special and were always positively identified in their pre 2012 uniform. The dark blue replacement strip has not been enhancing.

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Older suburbs faced living ruination

Dr King Roman’s letter to the NT News (17/2) asking for public housing tennant screening is spot on. Too many locations in the suburbs of Darwin and Palmerston are being disrupted by tennants who have no care and consideration for others. Older suburbs are becoming places of nightmare living.

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Lambly right on $70 million Royal Commission

Good on Robyn Lanbley for articulating a concern felt by hundreds I’d not thousands of Territorians. Many believe the Royal Commission has created a situation that restricts authority in the management of aberrant and delinquent youth behaviour. “Go softly” seems to be the position taken by law enforcing authorities and the courts.

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POINTS TO PONDER

Police uniform

Matt Cunningham’s call for Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker to return our ‘boys in blue’ to police in khaki is timely. Members of our force are special and were always positively identified in their pre 2012 uniform. The dark blue replacement strip has not been enhancing.

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Older suburbs face living ruination

Dr King Roman’s letter to the NT News (17/2) asking for public housing tennant screening is spot on. Too many locations in the suburbs of Darwin and Palmerston are being disrupted by tennants who have no care and consideration for others. Older suburbs are becoming places of nightmare living.

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Lambly right on $70 million Royal Commission

Good on Robyn Lanbley for articulating a concern felt by hundreds I’d not thousands of Territorians. Many believe the Royal Commission has created a situation that restricts authority in the management of aberrant and delinquent youth behaviour. “Go softly” seems to be the position taken by law enforcing authorities and the courts.

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Attacks upon police, ambos, teachers, nurses and other service providers seems to be an escalating Territory trend. This has to cease and penalties for this abhorrent behaviour need to be realistic. Forgiveness by the courts should not be an option.

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All well and good for the NT Government to broker deals enhancing optic connections between us and overseas destinations. How about the black spots and areas within our Territory that have irregular, unreliable or no coverage at all. Fix the home front first and then go for the bigger picture stuff.

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The lead up to the Johnson bi-election will be an exciting and stimulating period for political watchers. The future of NT Government in the NT post the August election could well be forecast by the outcome of this February 29 tester.

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Group bookings for e-scooters in Darwin’s CBD is a timely innovation. Tourist groups coming off cruise ships may find scooter travel provides them the opportunity to visit around and appreciate the attractions of our city like never before. Scooters are a definite winner.

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There is a weekly online thread managed by the NT News which invites people to respond with criticism of the way in which the paper conducts its business. The invitation to readers is to do their worst with comments that are destructive, outlandish and rude. This thread has been in place for a couple of months and is updated with the latest comments on a weekly basis.

I wanted to share my thoughts about this thread, and wrote the following on the NT News invitation tho comment.

This column and invitation are damaging to the reputation of the NT News. The notion of inviting abuse and negative comment is demeaning and does little for responders nor the paper.

I have been a reader and sometimes contributor to the NT News since coming to the Territory in 1975. During the. 46 years since arriving, the paper has gone through quite a number of changes, some good and others perhaps a little questionable.

There are things about the NT News I have appreciated both historically and in contemporary context. But this invitation to besmirch the paper is not a good, constructive or wholesome initiative. It does little to promote the image of people who respond with the level of comment invited.

To some extent it is justificational. The reasoning might be that if people vent, then they won’t really worry about the trend and direct of our print and online publication.

There are some things I would like to offer as suggestions but not in a forum like this because suggestions should always be constructive. In my opinion this weekly invitation toy take a crack at the paper is destructive and any comment offered could be taken as contributing in a pseudo (not meant) or farcical manner.

My wish would be that the NT News discontinue this program and instead seek genuine, sincere and well intentioned comment. However, there seems to be no interest in this as an alternative approach.

I have two blogs at henrygrayblog.wordpress.com and will be adding this comment to my ‘togetherness.blog’ on this site.

The sad thing about the AFL(NT) Premier League is that so many of the home and away games are very one sided affairs. Close games seem to be few and far between, with this discouraging wider spectator interest.

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The successive waves of cruise ships destined to dock in Darwin over coming weeks pose a catch 22 situation. While tourists will boost our economy, there could be a chance that among the temporary arrivals are people hosting the Coronavirus. Sharing that with Darwinians would be spine tingling.

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Our Chief Minister’s visionary statement is fine. However it is time for reality to start realising some of those social and economic outcomes for which we long but which always seem out of reach and unattainable.

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Alf Leonardo’s support for and advice to the Darwin Turf Club on the ways and means of applying for funds in an appealing manner is not unlike the workings of insider trading.

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