brink back banned drinker register now · 6 — centralian advocate, friday, january 10, 2014 brink...
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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
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 [email protected] 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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87
Bat
h St
COLESCOMPLEX
WOOLWORTHS
Target
Km
art Subway
Gregory Tce
Geo
rge
Cres
Bat
h S
t
Skinner St
Stuart Tce
rvice
Stua
rt H
wy
e
Stua
rt H
wy
Olive PinkFlora
Botanical Gardens
DesertRose Inn
Aurora Alice Springs
Resort
Anzac Hill Lookout
Anzac
Anzac Park
Leic
hhar
dt T
ce
Todd
Mal
l
Stott Tce
Sturt Tce
Chewings St
Wills Tce
Wills Tce
Linds
wnry To
dd R
iver
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
t
Stokes St
McDonald St
Whittaker St
Whi
ttak
er S
t
Best Western Elkira Court
Bojangle
sEspie St
Parsons St
Parsons St
Rai
lway
Tce
Har
tley
St
Post Offi ce
Police
s
dd M
all
Todd Tavern
Kirk Pl
Ewart Pl
Gru
nd
y St
Gason St
Blo
omfi e
ld S
t
Tuncks Rd
The Fairway
St A
ndre
ws
Berger CtAll Seasons
Traeger Park
Bagot St
Sou
th T
ce
Gap
Roa
d
Miln
er R
d
Price
St Kidman St
Elder St
Ross P
ark
Hill Road
KFC
HungryJacks
Barr
ett D
riv
Har
tley
St
GDMcGees
Cinema
Ara
lue
n A
rt C
en
treS
tua
rtC
ara
van
Pa
rk
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
h St
Har
tley
St
BendigoBank
Australian Central
Hertz ott Tce
Pioneer Park Racecourse
Jaycar
Alice
Sp
ring
sD
ese
rt Pa
rk
Woolworths
Caltex
Plus
LindsLindsLindsLindsLindsToTo
Ro
Ro
Ross P
ass P
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
glegle
tt D
rivtt
Driv
HeHertrtrtz
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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SUNDAYALICE TODAY
min 14° max 35°Sunny
SEND US YOUR UPCOMING EVENTS, NEWS & PICTURES
Got something newsworthy? Send it to us at: [email protected].(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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Geo
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Cres
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wnwnryryry
Kidman St
Kidman St
Wilkin
Wilkinson St
son St
Wilkin
Wilkinson St
son St
Cols
on S
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Cols
onCo
lson
St
WhittaWhittaWhittaWhittakekekekeker Str Str Str St
Miln
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Miln
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Kidman
Kidman St
St
Kidman
Kidman St
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.