brink back banned drinker register now · 6 — centralian advocate, friday, january 10, 2014 brink...

6 — Centralian Advocate, Friday, January 10, 2014

Brink back BannedDrinker Register now

Lettersto the Editor

PO BOX 2254, 2 GAP ROAD, ALICE SPRINGSFAX: 8950 9740

ceneditorial@aliceadvocate.com.au

Having spent two late evenings in theCBD, I am nothing but disgusted withwhat I have witnessed.

More than 40 children, as young aseight, roaming the streets, two incidentsof men beating their partners, an objectthrown at a car, a trolley thrown on to theroad, drunk people everywhere. . .

The CBD was truly a dangerous anddisgusting place to be.

Mandatory reporting of domestic viol-ence and child neglect seems comical.

All these events unfolded in the prox-imity of CCTV, yet police presence wasalmost zero.

Police were presumably operating asstatic security guards at the front of

liquor outlets, performing some of theduties already required of the licensee.

This police resourcing suggest that theNT Government has had an about turn

and now believes limiting supply is animportant tool.

I desperately suggest the reinstate-ment of the Banned Drinkers Register sothat police can get on with police work.

The Mandatory Rehabilitation hasalso proven to be a farce, with majorlegislative flaws preventing abscondersfrom being imprisoned (expensive andhopeless idea anyway). I have steadilyseen the anti-social behaviour increaseover the past 18 months and no fudgedstatistics by taking drunks to hospitalrather than into custody will tell the truestory of what every resident can see.

Ex CLP voter and resident of 20 years

Alice Springs

97The record number of applicantsto the Inland Electrical Tatts GridGirls for the 2014 Tatts FinkeDesert Race in June6

The number of years since

petrol prices in Alice Springs

were at the $1.80-plus mark

reached this week25

The number of games Jayden

Prior played for NT Thunder

before announcing his

retirement this week

We welcome your letters to the Centralian Advocate.

Letters To The Editor should be 200 words or less and sent to PO Box2254, 2 Gap Road, Alice Springs 0871, or via email toceneditoral@aliceadvocate.com.au and include your name andaddress.

Electoral editorial comment published in the Centralian Advocate isauthorised by Bryan Littlely of 2 Gap Road, Alice Springs

EditorialDecember 7, 2012

Bonus needed

to boost schoolsWITH a growing number of people in the NTstruggling with the high cost of living, theSchoolKids bonus provides much neededfunds straight after the festive period whenmoney is tight.

Setting a kid up for school isn’t a cheapexercise. It all adds up. A pair of shorts for $25,a dress for $40, several pairs of shoes, station-ery, school bags, lunch boxes and bottles,secondary school jackets for $75, secondaryschool winter skirts and trousers for $65 each.

Kids get teased if they come to school intattered or stained shorts, or with a dress thatwas clearly bought before they hit their growthspurt.

As one Alice Springs father said, there’salways a reason why a kid decides not to turnup to school one day.

These reasons are what the governmentneeds to address.

Legislation to scrap the SchoolKids Bonus iscurrently before the Senate with the Coalit-ion’s Finance Minister Mathias Cormann ar-guing the bonus ‘‘involves spending money thegovernment doesn’t have.’’

Few disagree that savings need to be madeand this inevitably involves cuts to governmentprograms.

But when education and health funds aresiphoned off to save the budget, it putsgovernment priorities into question.

As it stands, a parent or carer eligible forFamily Tax Benefit Part A receives twopayments of $205 a year for a dependent childin primary school and two instalments of $410per each secondary school kid.

The money helps with the purchase ofmandatory school items and contributes to auniformity, a sense of equality among schoolkids.

Installing a policeman to force kids embar-rassed about their old pair of sneakers to sportsday will not solve the underlying problem.

But providing money to make a kid feel proudand happy on the first and every day of schoolcertainly helps.

ALICEBY NUMBERS

Kids needthe bonusThe Abbott Government isplanning to pass legislationto abolish the SchoolKidsBonus.

Labor ’s SchoolKidsBonus will be paid to morethan 9000 eligible Lingiarifamilies and students thismonth.

Payment of future instal-ments of the SchoolkidsBonus, including July 2014,will depend on whether thelegislation is passed by Par-liament this year.

Families and studentswho receive fortnightlypayments will be paid theSchoolKids Bonus fromJanuary 3-17.

The Abbott Govern-ment’s plan to scrap theSchoolKids Bonus willmean the average Territoryfamily with two childrenwill be $1230 worse off everyyear and $15,000 worse offover the life of their chil-dren’s education.

The scrapping of theSchoolKids Bonus will hurt

more than 1500 families inAlice Springs.

In 2013, 1687 primary and933 secondary students inAlice Springs had receivedthe SchoolKids Bonus,which pays $410 for eachchild in primary school and$820 for each child in sec-ondary school.

The SchoolKids Bonushas meant much neededrelief for low and middleincome families strugglingto meet the costs of theirchildren’s education.

The January SchoolKidsBonus payment for Aust-ralian families may be thelast.

The Abbott Governmentclearly doesn’t care aboutassisting Alice Springs fam-ilies with expenses likeschool uniforms and schoolshoes, textbooks, camps, ex-cursions as well as extracur-ricular activities like sport. . . The basics that give ourkids a start at school.

Warren SnowdonFederal Member

for Lingiari

OPINION

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WOOLWORTHS

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Skinner St

Stuart Tce

rvice

Stua

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Olive PinkFlora

Botanical Gardens

DesertRose Inn

Aurora Alice Springs

Resort

Anzac Hill Lookout

Anzac

Anzac Park

Leic

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ce

Todd

Mal

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Stott Tce

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Chewings St

Wills Tce

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To

Goyder St

Mue

ller

St

Lind

say

Ave

Sture

Alice LodgeBackpackers

Gillen Park

Pedler Ave

Gee

St

Park

Kidman St

Wilkinson St

Cols

on S

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Stokes St

McDonald St

Whittaker St

Whi

ttak

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Best Western Elkira Court

Bojangle

sEspie St

Parsons St

Parsons St

Rai

lway

Tce

Har

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St

Post Offi ce

Police

s

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all

Todd Tavern

Kirk Pl

Ewart Pl

Gru

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Gason St

Blo

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ld S

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Tuncks Rd

The Fairway

St A

ndre

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Berger CtAll Seasons

Traeger Park

Bagot St

Sou

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Gap

Roa

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Miln

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Price

St Kidman St

Elder St

Ross P

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Hill Road

KFC

HungryJacks

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GDMcGees

Cinema

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Toddy’s Backpackers

Heavitree Gap Lodge

Wintersun Caravan Park

Car Wash

Memo Club

24St

Centrelink

RSL Club

Gille

nC

lub

MCDONALD’S

The Residency

Airport15km

BP

Telegraph Station

Gap View Hotel

Red Rooster

Ro

Old jail

Uncle’sTavern

Tennant CreekDarwin

UluruAdelaide

Car Wash

YHA

Westpac

ANZ

NABCBA

Courts

Yeperenye ShoppingCentre

Alice Plaza

Bank SA

Chemist

Chemist

Chemist

CentralCarRentals Thrifty

Northsideshops

Lasseters Casino &Convention Centre

Golf Course

Crowne Plaza

Alice in the Territory Hotel

Bat

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Har

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BendigoBank

Australian Central

Hertz ott Tce

Pioneer Park Racecourse

Jaycar

Alice

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Woolworths

Caltex

Plus

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aATTENTION TOURISTSPop into the acclaimed Visitor Centre in the Todd Mall for all information and booking needs in Central Australia Call 1800 645 199

Olive PinkOlive PinkFlora Flora

ReReResortrtrt

SturSturSturSturSturSturStur

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Driv

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LIVE MUSICJuicy RumpFRI: Ben Slip 6pm, DJ Shouse 11pm.SAT: DJ Johnny Beez 11pm.

LIVE MUSICThe Rock BarFRI: Toby & Kayne 8.30pm.SAT: Final Notice 8.30pm.MON: Dan Ec 8.30pm.

APOSTOLIC FAITH MISSION OLSH Sadadeen CampusSUN: 9.30am - midday.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH20 Parke Crescent, The GapSUN: 10am.

OZ LOTTO: 1038 WEDNESDAY LOTTO: 3311OPINION

REAL ESTATE

ALICE LIVE

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TV

COMICS

CLASSIES

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SUNDAYALICE TODAY

min 14° max 35°Sunny

SEND US YOUR UPCOMING EVENTS, NEWS & PICTURES

Got something newsworthy? Send it to us at: ceneditorial@aliceadvocate.com.au.(All inclusions at Editor's discretion)

SATURDAY

min 16° max 39°Mostly sunny

min 17° max 34°Mostly sunny

ULURU: Today min 19 max 39 Sat min 22 max 41 Sun min 24 max 40 TENNANT CREEK: Today min 23 max 39 Sat min 25 max 40 Sun min 26 max 39

AROUND ALICEF o r l o c a l s a n d v i s i t o r s

SUNDAY

Helm House

Crackers Lounge

Berger CtBerger CtBerger CtBergeBerger Ct

WHO TO CALLPolice, Fire, Ambulance:Emergencies only dial

000Alice Springs Police:131 444Ambulance: 8959 6600Fire & Rescue Service: 8951 6688Alice Springs Hospital: 8951 7777Power and Water (emergency number): 1800 245 090

RSPCA: 8953 4430Alice Springs Town Council: 8950 0500Wildcare: 0419 221 128

21, 19, 29, 5, 15, 4.Supps: 9, 6.

28,17,19,14,21,20,29.Supps: 1, 45.

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Wilkin

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KIDS ACTIVITY CLASSES

Alice Springs Youth & Community CentreFRI: Circus, cooking, jewelry making, dance, cheer dance and rollerskating 10am-3pm.MON: Circus, cooking, jewelry making, dance, cheer dance and rollerskating 10am-3pm.

Youth HubSAT: Girls Club 6pm-10pm.

Alice Springs Aquatic & Leisure CentreFRI: Splash Party 6pm-9pm.

Gap Youth & Community CentreFRI: Boxing 4pm, Gym 5pm, Friday Sesh 5pm.MON: Boxing 4pm, Gym 5pm.

Alice Springs Public LibraryFRI: Investigation games 2pm.MON: Treasure trail 3pm.

Bagot St St

Bagot St

BagotBagotBagotBagotBagotBagotBagot St St

T20 CRICKETTraeger ParkSAT: Feds v Gapview Works 7pm.