Archive for February, 2009

A WHEELCHAIR-BOUND man felt humiliated at a foreign airport when Jetstar refused to let him on board because he couldn’t walk.

Glen McDonnell, 36, had travelled with the budget carrier from Darwin to Thailand via Singapore.

But when he was boarding the plane at Bangkok for his return flight, Jetstar staff told him they were unable to take him home.

Speaking from Bangkok airport yesterday, Mr McDonnell told the Northern Territory News that he felt humiliated.

“They told me I’m not allowed on the plane,” he said. “I think it’s very discriminating.”

Mr McDonnell, who was left paraplegic after a motorcycle accident when he was 15 years old, travelled by himself to Thailand on December 2 for a two-month holiday.

His trip turned into a nightmare when he faced staff at the boarding gate in Bangkok.

“I checked in my luggage and went through customs and all that,” the psychology student said.

“And then the station manager asked me if I could walk at all. I said no and he said I wasn’t allowed on board.

Continued here

“FORMER Territory administrator John Anictomatis was able to be propped up in bed to chat yesterday after undergoing open heart surgery.

And the first thing he did was thank staff at Royal Darwin Hospital for saving his life.

“They were marvellous,” he said. “I can’t speak highly enough of them.”

The Vietnam War veteran said the main artery to his heart had been almost completely blocked.

“I don’t know how it worked at all,” he told the Northern Territory News.

Mr Anictomatis, 63, was rushed to hospital 10 days ago after suffering chest pains at home.

“I was shocked,” he said. “I’ve always had good health, I’ve always been active.”

But there is a history of heart troubles on his father’s side. His dad died suddenly at 60 after suffering a massive heart attack.

Mr Anictomatis was treated at RDH and then flown to Adelaide for open-heart surgery.”

Continued here

Skye Blu is one of the new bikini clad waitresses at the Bikini and Topless Bar in the Top End Hotel. She has a few years experience in the hospitality industry, this is just a new challenge for her. As she enjoys meeting new people, I’m sure she will get to do that at the new Bikini and Topless Bar, especially with the tourist season coming up soon.

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett has given the green light to the $110 million expansion of the McArthur River Mine (MRM).

All work at MRM, near the Gulf of Carpentaria, stopped on December 17 after the Federal Court found the previous Howard government had botched the approval process.

It fell to Mr Garrett to decide whether he would go through the process again or negotiate a new mining deal.

MRM’s owner, the Swiss mining giant Xstrata, was forced to close the mine on Australia Day and at least 300 workers have not worked since.

Mr Garrett said today his decision to approve the mine’s expansion put in place new monitoring requirements to protect the environment.

It also took into account the future of the mine and the impact it had on the Northern Territory economy, he said.

“My decision making relates primarily to ensuring that the environmental impacts of the mine are acceptable,” he said in a statement.

“In particular, my approval decision and the conditions I have imposed relate to the project’s likely impact on the freshwater sawfish and listed migratory birds …

“In reaching my decision I also took into account the financial and employment benefits of the mine expansion for the region.”

The mine’s conversion from underground to open-cut required the McArthur River, which is sacred to indigenous people, to be diverted for 5.5km.

Continued here

More than 1000 people are expected to attend the ceremony on Thursday 19 February 2009 that will include wreath laying at the Cenotaph by such dignitaries as The Administrator of the NT, Chief Minister NT, the United States Consul General in Melbourne and the Lord Mayor.
This year’s guest speaker is Mr Ross Pulling, Royal Australian Air Force with the 105 Fighter Control based at Berrimah.
Also as part of the morning’s proceedings three RAAF F/A-18 Hornets will do a low level ‘fly by’ just before 10.00am and soldiers from the Royal Australian Artillery will carry out a re-enactment of anti-aircraft ground fire

Anniversary of the Bombing of Darwin
9.30 am Cenotaph, Bicentennial Park, Darwin
19-02-2009

Darwin Harbour Under Fire
Bombing of Darwin Exhibition
Mezzaine Level, Northern Territory Library,
Parliament House
9 February – 9 April

February 19 also is the anniversary of the sinking of USS Peary in Darwin Harbour

A TERRITORY teenager died last night after after he had to be revived when he was swept down a swollen creek while playing with friends.

The 13-year-old’s body was dragged from the fast-flowing rapids and police and paramedics frantically worked for more than 30 minutes to bring him back to life.

The boy was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital but later died while being treated in the Intensive Care Unit.

The tragedy happened near the popular White Rocks and Yankee Hole waterholes along Rapid Creek, behind the Marrara Basketball Stadium in Darwin about 5pm.

Police said the boy had got into difficulty in the water and drowned.

Hundreds of other swimmers and tube riders were along the creek at the time.

Police told most of them to go home as they set up a crime scene.

A bystander who saw authorities carry the boy through a bush track to the road almost 200m from the creek said everyone was running around frantically.

“I didn’t see what actually happened at the creek but you could tell it wasn’t very good as people were standing around crying, and the police and ambulance just surrounded the boy as they tried to resuscitate him,” she said.

Continued here

Cyclone Tracy survivors Peter Crook, 67, and his wife Wendy, 68, took shelter on Saturday in their house about 1.8km from Kinglake village, one of the areas worst hit by the fires. They put out the flames in their house with cans of soft drink as it was the only liquid they had access to.

Anjuli Afianos said it was a shock that the place they had been staying was in the midst of the horrific fires just the following day.

The 18-year-old of Tennant Creek is completing her final year of high school at Genazzano FCJ College in Melbourne. She was part of a group of 90 students from the school to take part in a three-day retreat at the Alpine Ash Mountain Retreat in the Toolangi region.

Dawn Chambers and her husband Bruce are travelling around Australia with their caravan and were stuck in the Gippsland town of Rosedale as the ferocious fires – which have claimed the lives of more than 130 people – destroyed everything in their path at nearby towns at the weekend.

“It was very scary – these fires just have no mercy,” Mrs Chambers said.

“I told Bruce that I’d rather go through another Cyclone Tracy than this – it is horrifying.”

I wonder if they ask to bare chested men flashing their man boobs to leave? Hmmmmm.

Barbara Rilatt and her husband Neil, both 28, were furious to be asked by security if they had a T-shirt to cover up her upper body or to leave Casuarina Square last week.

Centre manager Ben Gill said the incident was a misunderstanding as bikini tops were not banned in Casuarina Square.

Ms Rilatt, a nurse of Lee Point, said the incident was upsetting.

“How could you offend someone by being comfortable?” she said.

“The security guard – a woman – came up and said put on a shirt or leave.

“It is fine to wear your jeans down your crack, but not to wear a bikini top?”

Full story

Today marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of naturalist Charles Darwin.

The godfather of evolution rocked contemporary thinking of his time by providing scientific evidence that all species of life evolved over time from one or a few common ancestors through the process of natural selection.

Of course, Darwin is even more significant for Territorians because the Top End capital was named after him as well as a national park and uni.

To mark Darwin’s anniversary, the Northern Territory News has published a four-page pull-out feature on the scientist’s achievements and the celebrations that will be held this year in today’s newspaper.

February 11th, 2009

A DECISION on the McArthur River mine expansion is expected to be made within a week.

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett has collated and considered comments on the project from resources company Xstrata and traditional owners.

The Northern Territory News understands he will make an announcement later this week or early next week.

Mr Garrett has said he intends to approve the $120 million expansion, but with added environmental conditions.

The lead and zinc mine closed last month after the Federal Court declared the approval process for the expansion had not been followed.

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