LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Sir – The stand-off developing over this Anzac Oval and Indigenous art gallery is intriguing.
The Gunner Government claims a public approval rating of 88% either for or at least not opposed to building the gallery using the oval.
Council’s own survey shows 58% against.
With the Centralian Advocate’s survey showing 67% against, that’s two out of three public surveys showing most respondents want the oval left alone.
It is council’s position that is so intriguing. Their own survey says no, but still they sit on the fence. It seems common knowledge that at least some of them are in favour of selling the oval to the NT Government to use as they will.
Since council manages the ownership of the oval in trust from its ratepayers, and having done the right thing by consulting those actual owners, if they sell it against their stated wishes they will have a job explaining away that 58%.
The question has become, are they a responsive government, or are they just another government?
I imagine the pressure being put on council by Darwin would be like the pressure put on Darwin by Canberra to resolve the fracking moratorium in a certain way.
Remember when all that GST money disappeared recently, and then the moratorium on fracking ended and it seemed like overnight that GST money was back in the NT coffers?
Big fish eat little fish.
Hal Duell (pictured)
Alice Springs