The on-again, off-again relationship between Nine Darwin’s news bulletin and Territorians is back on again, with current owner WIN Network announcing the return of a local 30-minute news bulletin in Darwin.
NT campsites ranked for highest risk of venomous snake encounters
Campsites in the Finke River area west of Alice Springs have been identified as having the “highest snake risk” of all the NT’s campsites, a new study has revealed, with death adders, crowned snakes and hooded-curl snakes all found at the five campsites in the area, but Palmerston also made an appearance on the list for a high frequency of sightings, including brown snakes.
‘We have an obligation’: Mayor says he will ‘open doors’ for local businesses on China trip
Darwin Lord Mayor Peter Styles says council has an “obligation” to private Darwin businesses to “open doors for them” in China, which is why it’s necessary for him, council chief executive Simone Saunders and two other staffers to charge ratepayers an undisclosed amount for a trade mission to Guangzhou in December that he also confusingly said on Tuesday is “not necessarily [about] trade”. Potential conflicts of interest with Mr Styles’ personal business interests, which were raised last week, have still not been addressed.
Texas hangover: Minister refuses to comment on Texas data centre ban while in state on trade mission
Trade and Business Minister Robyn Cahill, who pitched the Northern Territory as the “data centre capital of the globe”, was in Texas last month on a trade mission when the state’s Republican Governor ordered a sudden moratorium on data centres, citing the need to investigate environmental impacts and ordering no further government incentives because “Texans must come first”, but Ms Cahill’s office has refused to say what she learned on the taxpayer-funded trip.
Police get new $6.5m high-tech tasers for ‘double the firing range’
The CLP Government has spent $6.5 million on new “high-tech” tasers with increased fire power for the NT Police that will be rolled out first in Wadeye, Alice Springs and Katherine, which the Chief Minister says is all about “safety”.
‘Low confidence in leadership’: Batchelor Institute staff express concerns in survey
Roughly 70 per cent of employees at the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education feel motivated to do their best work, but only 46 per cent think communication is satisfactory, according to a new staff survey, with staff reportedly split between feeling there are positive and supportive teams and broader concerns about toxicity, lack of psychological safety and the lack of merit-based appointments, the last of which was the subject of a recommendation made by the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption in 2023.
Elderly Territorians face increased hospital harm as aged care quality deteriorates: AMA
The NT’s aged care system poses increased risks of hospital harm for elderly residents, a new report by the Australian Medical Association has warned, adding the Territory is the only jurisdiction that has seen the total number of residential aged care places remain unchanged for the past six years while home care packages have decreased from a decade ago.
Cost of Lord Mayor’s trade mission to China and Vietnam kept secret
Self-described “international trade and development consultant” Peter Styles will lead a nine-day, ratepayer-funded international trade delegation to China and Vietnam later this year in his role as Darwin Lord Mayor, which he says will strengthen international partnerships, promote Darwin as a globally-connected tropical capital, and create opportunities for strategic collaboration across Asia, but council will not say how much the trip is expected to cost.
Five Thai embassy officials to be dragged into Gosling assault matter, court hears
The prosecution’s case against Federal Labor MP Luke Gosling for the alleged assault of the Administrator could see five foreign officials from the Thai embassy dragged into the legal fight, which the defence argued could clear Mr Gosling, but the officials may invoke “diplomatic immunity”, the court heard Wednesday afternoon.
Another murky recruitment process raises more questions about Attorney-General’s Department
The Attorney-General and head public servant were provided a shortlist of candidates for the top executive position in the Attorney-General’s Department back in April, but took no action to interview any of the candidates before quietly appointing the acting executive to the permanent role last week while failing to explain why the proper recruitment process was initiated but not followed for the key position.
DPP hands Gosling case to interstate prosecutor after Commonwealth DPP rejection
A Sydney-based lawyer who was involved in the Eddie Obeid corruption case has been engaged by the NT DPP to prosecute Federal MP Luke Gosling’s criminal assault matter after Commonwealth prosecutors rejected the case last month, amid the acting NT DPP’s move to avoid a “perceived conflict of interest” in the matter.
Police vehicles damaged in Wadeye riot as violence continues
Two police vehicles were damaged during a riot involving up to 150 people in Wadeye and officers had to rescue a man who was hiding from the crowd, NT Police said, as violence in the remote community continues.