Issue 35

It's
official: the northern end of Todd Mall is definitely intended to be
opened to traffic – two-way – down to The Sails and left into the
eastern end of Parsons Street opening onto Leichardt Terrace. The road
will be narrow, the speed 30kmph, and the footpaths wide; at Parsons
Street on the southern side, as wide as 7.5m.

This will create space for pedestrians, for future al fresco seating
in front of commercial premises, and also for a "bio-diversity
corridor". The idea is to make a connection between the majestic red
river gum, known as the Grandfather Tree or Knowledge Tree, that stands
just west of The Sails, and the Todd River. The bio-diversity will come
from a water feature – a slender stream, fed by periodic flood
irrigation, running the length of the street, and plantings, including
"dancing trees", coolabahs with their writhing limbs, planted in
human-like clusters.  These in turn will attract wildlife, such
birds and butterflies. Pictured: from top
– View east from the Knowledge Tree through The Sails to the river:
de-cluttering will be a first step to improving this area. • The
Knowledge Tree from Parsons Street west: the works will restore it to
pride of place. • Yeperenye hawkmoths, detail of photograph by Mike Gillam: the moth wings have inspired the design of new shade structures. KIERAN FINNANE reports.

Map above: fires today. Note color code bottom right of country already burned this year.

Police should treat firebugs as major criminals, says Matt Braitling,
of Mt Doreen Station, the chairman of Bushfire NT, southern region.

He says except for the blaze at Numery Station, set off by lightning,
all the massive number of bushfires in Central Australia in the past
weeks were deliberately lit.

Meanwhile South Australia is sending fire fighters, and MLA for
Braitling Adam Giles lashes out at the lack of preparedness for the what
was long known would be a catastrophic fire season.

"It's usually easy to pinpoint where fires start," says Mr Braitling.

"Police need to set up crime scenes at these locations."

They should deploy forensic teams, check for things like tyre marks
and discarded rubbish, fingerprint items, use trackers and seek the
assistance of people who have local knowledge.

"It's attempted murder," says Mr Braitling. "People will die." ERWIN CHLANDA reports. 

Posted Oct 4, 2011: Interesting story on
the ABC about concerns in South Australia about buffel grass invading
from the NT. The introduced grass species is a major contributor to the
seriousness of the current bushfires. Today rain is providing relief.
Search the Alice Springs News Online archive for articles about buffel grass.

My unit adjoins a garage that accesses a public laneway at the rear
of the property. At 2:15pm on Thursday, 22 September, I was in my
unit when I heard the rattle of a spray paint can followed by a hissing
sound just outside the garage roller door.

As I stepped out into the laneway I noticed the distinct smell of wet
paint. Two big teenage lads – both taller than me – were already
some distance away, walking towards the Todd River. Neither was
Aboriginal. ALEX NELSON wonders about the merits of a night curfew while daylight vandalism, including by whites, is rampant.

UPDATE: Police have informed Mr Nelson that the
youths were identified from the photo by their school principal. They
ran but they couldn't hide!