ANZAC Day in Palmerston - Lest we forget

ANZAC Day yesterday was a significant day on the Australian Calendar. Palmerston saw an amazing crowd gather, both at the Dawn Service and the 10am service. It really hit me yesterday morning, as a lady came and placed a photo at the cross. I realised just in that moment, that ANZAC day was about loved ones, individuals who have families, and friends, and an opportunity to honour them together. Many have fought for this great country of Australia, and in Palmerston there are families who have soldiers who are overseas, or who have close relatives that lost their lives. Lest we forget.

Palmerston Markets and ANZAC Day

Palmerston Markets started tonight and the place was a buzz! Lots of stall holders, a chinese dragon, a DJ putting out all the hits, and lots of families sitting on the grass.
What an amazing night. A night that builds genuiune community. It gets us out of the couch, and turning off the TV. It helps us connect with the wider population of Palmerston.
I noticed that more than just local Palmerston residents come to the markets. I was speaking with a couple from Sydney, and they were on holidays. They were enjoying the markets!
If you're around at the next few markets, say hello at our 'Just Salvos' stand. We'd love to chat about almost anything!!
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ANZAC Day is on tomorrow. Dawn service at 6:20am at the Cenotaph at the Palmerston City Council gardens. There's a march at 9:30am around Goyder Square, and then a morning ANZAC service at 10am. Hope to see you there.

Free Public Transport for Territorians

Palmerston Markets are starting this Friday night (24th April), 5pm - 9pm in Goyder Square, Palmerston. Maybe I'll see you walk past. Make sure you smile.
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Free public transport in Darwin and Palmerston? The NT Government is considering free public transport for ever Territorian. Would help the environment says Transport minister Gerry McCarthy. For those on low incomes, this would be of great benefit, as they usually struggle to find their loose change to travel around town. Looks like the bus interchange in Palmerston might get a little busier!
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I spoke with Palmerston's Mayor Robert Macleod tonight, and we spoke about the community, and the different committees that help to bring change and transformation to the city, for example, PARYS, Safe Communities, and loads more. We are both looking forward to the ANZAC reflection services on Saturday, which will be at the Cenotaph near the Palmerston City Council Gardens. 6:15am & 10am.
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Palmerston Daily - Share some news, email: peter.brookshaw@aus.salvationarmy.org

Price Rises Affecting Local Territorians

Will the price rises in the next financial year affect you much? With prices set to rise on electricity bills and water bills, NTCOSS say the most affected will be people already struggling to pay their bills. How much worse will it be for the average household that already struggles to pull the cash together to pay the power bill.

"What we're asking them [Government] to do is come up with strategies that don't impact on those who are most vulnerable in our community." Will the Pollies listen? Or will the gap between rich and poor just stretch a little further?

Close the gap is a campaign seeking to "close the gap" between the life expectancies of indigenous Australians and non-indigenous Australians. Financial stress, like increased power bills will not help the situation.
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Air North are looking at flying planes between Bali and Darwin, following Garuda Indonesia's choice not to fly that route. Presently Jetstar are the only airline flying to and from Bali and Darwin. Keep an eye on the price of flights! We don't want a monopoly here.
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Palmerston Daily: Local News, Local Issues, Local Voices. Email: peter.brookshaw@aus.salvationarmy.org

Palmerston Markets are on Again

Palmerston Markets be on again next Friday! April 24th, 5pm - 9pm. The Salvation Army will be running a FairTrade Stall, amongst many other groups in Goyder Square. The Palmerston Markets were apparently told by the Health Department that they don't need to provide Public Toilets for the Markets.

Well, I hope the relationship between the Palmerston City Council and the Palmerston Markets is still strong, for the benefit of the unity of this city, and its continued growth and development.
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If you'll be hosting a stall at the markets, why not let Palmerston Daily know what you'll be selling. Comment here, or email: peter.brookshaw@aus.salvationarmy.org

Boredom: The cause of stupid behaviour?

Palmerston may be the place to live, and the place to share community, but lately I've seen different. I ask you, is boredom the cause of much of the stupid behaviour around Palmerston? How often lately have I driven down the roads and have had to dodge palm branches strategically placed in the middle of the road, or milk cartons, or tree branches. Today tops it off. I was at work in the office, when I walked outside, and then heard glass shattering, and realised someone had just thrown a bottle over the trees and into the carpark. I then looked up and saw a local resident running back into their house. Hmm... maybe it's boredom? Or is it deeper than that? A disconnected childhood, or an abusive past, or a developmental problem, or a lack of social connections, or financial struggles...

Lets work together for a safe Palmerston, a vibrant community and a local infrastructure that supports every age group and demographic within our community.

Thanks to those that continually work for the good of the Palmerston community.
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Discussion is still in progress in relation to the Palmerston Markets. The board will meet soon and update the public on their decision. It's a shame a dunny can gets in the way of a community event.

The Duopoly of Coles and Woolworths in Palmerston

Palmerston was alive with activity today. It seems every Tom, Dick and Harry were out at the Palmerston Shopping Centre for lunch. I get a little concern about the lack of Shopping Centres in Palmerston, specifically Supermarkets. Coles and Woolworths have a large duopoly on the supermarket business in Palmerston, and its time we had another company invest in building a supermarket. Maybe an Aldi, IGA, or a Not Quite Right? Where could you build it? What about somewhere south of Palmerston, near Roseberry, Woodroffe and the like?
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If you're in business, or leadership of some sort, check out www.mindtools.com. I just came across it yesterday. Great tips on leadership, stress management, priority management, problem solving and loads more.
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The Minister for Ageing officially opened a new, large Nursing home in Darwin. 'At the launch Masonic Homes CEO, Doug Strain said his organisation was considering more aged care developments in Darwin with plans to build at Palmerston within the next five years.' (Australian Ageing Agenda)
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Palmerston Daily - Local News, Local Issues, Local Voices. Give us a story: email: peter.brookshaw@aus.salvationarmy.org.

Catching a Taxi from Mitchell St?

Getting a Taxi from Mitchell St down to Palmerston doesn't seem an issue at the moment. The problem is for those living closer to Darwin City, that want to catch a Taxi. Many of the Taxis have apparently been refusing to take clients unless they were travelling to Palmerston or the northern suburbs of Darwin.
The Commercial Passenger (Road) Transport Act says that drivers can only refuse a fare if they believe the passenger won't pay or is, "suffering from an infectious disease; under the influence of alcohol or drugs; is likely to soil or damage the taxi; or is likely to cause a nuisance".
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I hope everyone enjoyed Easter. Some of the local Christian Churches got together on Easter Sunday morning and shared a Dawn Service on the Palmerston Council Gardens. 'He is Risen' was the catchcry of those in attendance.

Palmerston Markets Cancelled

Well, it seems the dunny can is what is stopping the Palmerston Markets happening this coming week. April 17th was supposed to be the launch date for this years Markets, but it has been postponed.
Here's my take on the issue. The Palmerston community has a myriad of events that occur within the gardens/Goyder Square area, including Youth Events, Cultural Events, Festivals, Markets, etc. It seems the Palmerston City Council, are merely putting off the fact that they need to eventually fund their own 'Public Toilet' facility in the Palmerston City area. Sure, it would cost a lot and the excuse is that Palmerston City Council can't afford it. So then, what happens? We end up forcing a profitable business (Palmerston Markets), to provide their own toilets, which is really passing the buck to the fact that the Council need to finance Public Toilets!
Now I know some of the guys at Council, and they do a great job for this City, but I disagree with them on this. PCC need to cut Palmerston Markets some slack, and then find some ways to provide Public Toilets for the future use of residents in Palmerston.

Let us know your thoughts - Comment here.

Assault at Oasis Shopping Village

I heard about an assault at the toilets of the Oasis Shopping Village recently. When you think about the pain/hurt this causes individuals, you would have to agree with those of us saying that the current crime rate is too high. Palmerston must be a safe place for families; a safe place for individuals. The level of domestic violence that local Police deal with is too high, and we need to encourage safer homes, and safer community spaces.

How to save money while living in the Territory

Entries close on Monday 13th April for nominating someone for a Pride of Australia Medal 2009. Click here for more information. Maybe someone comes to mind that you could nominate? Someone that has invested into the life of the Territory.
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Average weekly bills are set to rise by July 1st. Average weekly Territorian usage will see a power bill increase by $9 (a week), water by $5 and $1 for sewage. The PowerWater company in Darwin/Palmerston has infrastructure years behind what it should have, and these price increases is just a drop in the ocean to assist PowerWater in getting their facilities up to scratch.
My concern is with local families paying their power bills in the Territory. With high housing prices, exorbitant rental prices, and the price of bills increasing, how do we best support those in need? Throwing more money at Welfare centres is a band-aid solution, yet helpful in the short term. Here's some ideas on how to save money while living in the Territory:
* Attend Budgeting classes - How to manage your finances
* Young people could pay rent at home - especially if they have a part-time job
* Car Pooling
* Turning off the Air Conditioner, especially on those low humidity days
* Walking to the shops?
* Have Centrelink direct debit money for PowerWater and other bills
* Pay extra tax - That's an easy way to save for a holiday in August/September!
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Palmerston Daily - Local News, Local Issues, Local Voices - Have your say - comment here.

Crime in the Territory - Still too high

Some Crime statistics were released today, showing that the number of recorded assaults dropped by 4% in 2008, to 5300. Over five thousand assaults in a year still sounds like too many. ABC Darwin writes that, "The Acting Chief Minister, Delia Lawrie, says there is too much violence in the Territory. 'We're still seeing far too many assaults being linked to alcohol and also far too many assaults being linked to domestic violence, a territory average of 51 percent domestic violence. We're seeing [domestic violence] figures trending down in Darwin and Palmerston, but [are] still too high.' "
Compared to the year before, more cars were stolen, more cars were broken into, more businesses were robbed...
Hey, lets buck the trend in 2009. Palmerston and Darwin need to be places of safety, places where each person is treated with dignity and respect.
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Apparently 24% of Territorians don't drink Alcohol. Thinking about how much Alcohol is consumed in the NT, the other 76% must do a good job!
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Residents of Palmerston are looking forward to the building of a Water Park IN Palmerston. Hopefully the ball is rolling, and the plans are well underway. Thanks Mr. Henderson.
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If you've got a story for Palmerston Daily, email: peter.brookshaw@aus.salvationarmy.org

The NO FRONT FENCE Army - Will you join?

Farrar hardly has a fence out front of people's property. Woodroffe has fences blocking everyone from the front door of their houses. I drive around Farrar and feel like the community is accepting, warm and friendly. I drive around Woodroffe and feel like people are disconnected, distant and unfriendly. It's amazing how feelings change just by where the fence is positioned on our properties!
Maybe I should start a 'NO FRONT FENCE' Army, and ask people to join. Many like their big dogs, and their privacy. Sure. Just move your fence back, and you can still have your dog, and your privacy, yet the perception of your property will be different. Feel free to comment below.
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Friday night. 10:30pm. Darwin. Mitchell Street. Drunks. Swearing. Not even Midnight yet.
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I heard that the flashing, electronic 40 Km an hour Road Sign near Driver Primary School is working effectively. People are slowing down. Maybe this could be rolled out to other local Palmerston primary schools?
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Palmerston Daily: Local News, Local Issues, Local Voices.

Paul Henderson and his Flashy Marketing

NT Opposition leader Terry Mills was speaking publicly today about the cost that Chief Minister Paul Henderson has been spending recently on glossy fliers promoting the Government's work. There's really a fine line between providing the people of Darwin, Palmerston, etc, updates on the work of the Government, but then is it simply wasting money attempting to improve the image of the Chief Minister?
The last couple of fliers have been about the new city Weddell, and about the WaterPark in Leanyer, which is informative. The latest flier is an absolute waste of money, with pictures splatted on it of Paul Henderson. It seems more like a marketing ploy than an important piece of communication for the public.
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Palmerston is set to benefit from some public housing in the future, within the Palmerston East area. 15% of the land released will be dedicated to public and affordable housing. Sounds great, but surely will not even put a dent into the increasing need of affordable housing in Palmerston and the top end. Though, it's a move in the right direction. The Government will commit to spending $10 million in Palmerston East on the Bellamack Senior's Village.
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Palmerston Daily: Local News, Local Issues, Local Voices. Have your say, comment here, or email: peter.brookshaw@aus.salvationarmy.org

Waterpark in Palmerston by 2012

So it looks like Palmerston will have a Waterpark by the 2012 election. The only trouble is finding the right land! The $5 Million election promise is set to most likely be built in Driver next to the existing swimming pool. Will this have a positive or negative effect on the Driver swimming pool. Hopefully a positive one. I know that a Waterpark in Palmerston, especially one like Darwin's Leanyer Waterpark, will attract tourists, and also provide some fun activities for young people.
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I have family visiting from Melbourne, and staying with us in Palmerston. Where do I take them to see the sights? I was thinking Litchfield National Park, or down the Wharf for some Fish n' Chips. Maybe Eastpoint? Casaurina for some shopping? What about in Palmerston? Palmerston needs more infrastructure that provides entertainment and interest for tourists; this would no doubt boost the Palmerston's local economy. The Waterpark mentioned would help create that tourist buzz. Maybe we could do up the water tower? Make it an artistic feature. Now, there's an idea for all the artists out there.