SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24 2016 2428 OPINION MONDAY APRIL 4 2016 MONDAY APRIL 4 2016 OPINION 29 Speak Up: Are you a member of a Territorian gym? NO I would have to NO I used to be a YES I just signed up YES I’m a member of NO But I do teach think about it before member some time to a yoga class. iFitness, I like to train some classes in joining. ago – 10 years ago. with weights. Fernwood. I like to teach boxing and Pilates. THILINA HEDDIARACHICHI, NIGHTCLIFF BOB BRADY, FANNIE BAY CATHY WHITE, NIGHTCLIFF ANGELA PERCIVAL, COCONUT GROVE LISA SVARA, RAPID CREEK PICK OF THE PICS TheThis violencefight well LETTER OF THE DAY mustworth stop winning now It’s time to try REVELATIONS our police have responded to almost 75,000 cases IT comes with the Territory. We love our home and we believe it’s of domestic violence in the past three years are truly startling. Such smarter justice worth fighting for. inexcusable violence has more than just one victim. Our lifestyle and our natural environment are the envy of the The trauma associated affects children, friends and family mem- world. This is the frontier – the place where the blue ocean meets AT a time of justifiable public make our communities safer. bers. the ochre bush. Where Asia meets Australia. interest and concern about the We are calling for State and Such figures, undoubtedly the highest per capita in Australia, Tourists from Australia and the world are queuing up to come effectiveness of public spend- Territory Governments to show areas of the Territory have an entrenched culture of violence here, to visit Uluru and Kakadu and our amazing cities and towns. ing, Australian Red Cross is adopt five recommendations and an in-built acceptance that goes along with it from the sur- Asia is booming and people in China, Japan, Indonesia and Viet- launching a report calling on a to improve the criminal justice rounding community. nam all want some of what we’ve got. They’re buying Territory new way to do justice – a way system in line with the justice This must change. beef in cities powered by Territory gas. that redirects finite taxpayers’ reinvestment approach to As the Territory suits and frocks up for the White Ribbon Ball to- Step off the plane at Darwin airport and breathe in that first hit funds into a more effective and achieve lower incarceration night an important message must be heard by our southern neigh- of tropical air. humane system. rates, reduced prison costs and bours. Cast a line into the saltwater at Gove. Known as justice reinvest- stronger, safer communities. While admirable crusaders down south invariably garner the Sleep under the stars in the centre and you’ll feel it, too. That ment, at its heart is a system We also recommend that all most attention and raise profile and awareness for predominantly special something about living and working in the NT that city that channels funds spent on governments commit to a sig- urban instances of violence, it must be remembered the NT needs dwellers will never understand. imprisonment into crime pre- nificant reduction in the appal- the most help to rid itself of the scourge of home violence. We’re proud of where we live. And so we should be. vention and community safety. lingly high incarceration rates We are at the coalface. The domestic violence virus is much But there are drawbacks to living in paradise. It comes at a cost. It’s more effective, more hu- of Aboriginal and Torres Strait more prominent here than it is in the rich inner-city suburbs. As a Territory we’re nowhere near as healthy as we should be. mane and it works. The report Islander peoples. And therefore we need to be at the forefront of any practices Most people in Darwin die before the age of 67. In the bush, they’re on your own and make your highlights the growing costs Please read the report at that can reduce family violence to enable our women, families and, ■ ... it takes an all-round education and perspicacity to govern, living 10 years less. No shortcuts way in this world. We wonder (about $3.5b a year) and in- www.redcross.org.au/justice importantly, our kids, to live a safe and happy home life. which I am afraid the present set up does not have. It is not A baby born today in Darwin has a life expectancy of 81.2 and in IF it has even a skerrick of if, when other Burdekins visit humane effects of the climbing reinvest and talk to your local If men believe it is ever OK to hit their partner we have failed. their fault they try but are unable. – SEE BELOW the bush 73.8. Those figures highlight a stark gap to Australia’s commitment to its own integ- from time to time, they were imprisonment rates in a time elected representatives. If women do not have the support or education to turn to when major cities, but they also assume things will improve drastically rity, Inpex must follow the babies. of falling or steady crime rates. Sandra Cannon, they are victims of such violence, they will normalise it, accept it over the next 80 years. through with its agreed com- complex for those over 65, for We were better off when we What a wonderful part of It also highlights the failure to Executive Director, and excuse it. We’re not prepared to sit on our hands and hope. mitment to fund over $90 mil- the past 25 years but I have the were managed by Canberra, nature they have allowed us to address the causes of crime or Australian Red Cross, NT Billy the Boston terrier cuts a fine figure dressed as a frog Picture: ELISE DERWIN The unfortunate truth is, if children experience violence at Some of the problems we face are caused by remoteness. Both lion in environmental offsets. misfortune to have the Darwin with an Administrator and the see and share with their family. home, they will learn to inflict it. the distance from Darwin to east coast cities and the isolation of It has financially benefited council garbage collection same public servants, as the R of Berrimah And the cycle goes on until we can find the right circuit breaker our many bush communities, which struggle at times with basic from accessing enormous contractors. people now in charge are to understand there is a less harmful way to deal with disputes. services. amounts of potable water for After lodging complaints hopeless. Fool for thought FAIRIt’s long been viewed as a realityFAIR of living here. But it’s not free, destroyingFAIR Darwin Har- with the council and the Hous- I love Darwin and the Terri- something we should accept. Our children deserve the same bour’s mangroves and dredg- ing Commission over the past tory and used to pride myself LOVED your April Fool’s Day ...andopportunities as anotherchildren in Sydney or Melbourne. thing ing the harbour, not to three months the number of on living here on and off for jokes in Friday’s NT News: Aren’t we a part of the lucky country, too? mention the hundreds of ton- bins for approximately 18 units the past 60 years, but it takes North Korea to purchase Dar- THERE is a home for sale in Anula with three bedrooms, one bath- That’s where the Fair Go campaign begins. With a desire to make nes of greenhouse gases which has shrunk from eight to four, an all-round education and win Airport; yeah, right, it ON AUSTRALIA SLIPPING Broadband by now. No ques- ON NO ASYLUM SEEKER with no support from govern- room and what some may view as hallowed ground. sure those of us outside the major cities – one in every three Aus- will be released once it is oper- and is inadequate. perspicacity to govern, which I seems the airport is owned by TO 60TH IN THE WORLD tion. Brett Hopkinson ■ The problem is everyone has to realise the country areas CHILDREN BEING IN ment? Brett Bird It was in the backyard of this humble home that one of the Terri- These latest “losses” make me tralians – has a voice in Canberra. ational. $30 million is a drop in ■My How collections about we arehave normally a Royal Commissionam afraid and the look present into peo- setup the Federal Government/Aus- FOR AVERAGE PEAK should have been done last of all. The cities should have been AUSTRALIAN DETENTION tory’s greatest footballers, Andrew McLeod, developed his hand- Fence disaster wonder if there’s a connection. GOFORWe THE are determined to ensure weGO receiveFOR a CAIRNSfair slice of the pie. the oceanGO forFOR a $30 HOBARTbillion pro- Mondayple who and have Thursday. been victims of thesedoes criminal not have. teens? tralian Defence Force and is INTERNET SPEED, DESPITE ■ Bring back the original plan done first. Chris Roksandic ■ So where are they? Is this be- ■ Amazing. Fancy that. Keep- balling skills and practised his kicks as a child. REGARDING the new fence Roger Brailsford, Vic GOLDAnd between COAST now and the federal election, we will make sure our ject, not to mention the miss- —On SEE Thursday, BELOW about 6am I It is not their fault. They try, definitely not for sale, not even NBN ROLL OUT and roll out complete fibre net- cause we only have men seek- ing people locked up for years, It was here a teenage McLeod dreamt of playing for the AFL long at Dudley Point, East Point politicians do more than just kiss babies.