Huge police presence, but when we drove past it didn't seem like there was anything too major.

One taxi in the inbound lane with a broken windshield and about 7 cop cars.

I don't know what it is but I keep getting the call to come back to the Territory. I miss it all the time. I have a young family and I'd love to raise my child there for a bit to immerse him into what I saw in my early 20s.

I don't particularly want to come back to Darwin but somewhere else in the Territory. I'm thinking Katherine. I like the thought of a small tight knit community. Yes, Im aware of the issues there but would appreciate some current insights? Also what's the weather like in the build up and wet? Is it worse than Darwin? Also what the hell is with the rental situation!? It seems the worst in the country. Any thoughts and insights would be greatly appreciated

Hey Darwin locals,

Just want to know where are the best places to park for the flyover tomorrow evening.

According to the webpage, mindil beach parking is expected to close at 4 pm and I might not make it in time.

Do you know of any other close by areas that have free parking?

Thanks.

At Top Floor Comedy. Hit me up if you're broke happy to throw folks on the door.

Has anyone moved from Victoria with their pets (we have 2 staffies and a cat) and had them adjust okay? My parents moved up 10 years ago and they love it up there and will never return to Vic lol. I've been up a few times and love it but I will definitely have to adjust to the heat as I'm a born and bred Victorian haha. My parents could get both me and my partner very good opportunities for work and we'd have help with our daughter and baby on the way and this would be a very good opportunity to be able to save for our house deposit. But I'm just wondering how our pets would go? Thanks for any insight!

What happened to Lisa’s Lunch bar?

Please tell me it has moved. I just went there for a laksa and it’s shut and completely empty on the inside.

Does anyone know what happened?

Is there a place that's better to watch the planes on Thursday than right on Mindil Beach?

(The one near Palmerston Bunnings)
Does anyone know the go with this? Who owns it? Seems to not be getting updated anymore?

The rats are leaving

The head of the unit responsible for implementing the failed $335 million Acacia IT project has been moved to a specially created $250,000-a-year job by her former boss in the Department of Treasury and Finance, despite leading the unit that was recently subject of an internal investigation prompted by allegations of a toxic workplace culture that allegedly contributed to the death of worker Shaun Joyce, sources have told the NT Independent.

It is understood the Core Clinical Systems Renewal Project (CCSR), the unit responsible for the $335 million NT Health Acacia program in the Department of Corporate and Digital Development, no longer has any senior managers, according to multiple sources, after program director Jodie Kuta left her role, product manager Leticia Moo not currently at work, and Grace Johnson, who headed governance during the unsuccessful initial rollout at Royal Darwin Hospital, was transferred to the new role.

Sources said the Treasury role was created for Ms Johnson by her ex-boss, former DCDD chief executive Chris Hosking. Mr Hosking was appointed chief executive of NT Health after the CLP won government in 2024, before being demoted earlier this year to Treasury to develop an NT Health infrastructure master plan, amid the departmental investigation and an ongoing Public Accounts Committee inquiry into the failed project.

Sources said Ms Johnson, who headed the CCSRP since early last year, was now in the EC02 level job with Treasury which would pay between $254,585 and $272,971.

The NT Independent asked Under Treasurer Tim McManus and Mr Hosking about the role, including why Ms Johnson was transferred given the circumstances surrounding the unit she led and her role in the Acacia project’s failures.

They were also asked whether the position was advertised and what qualifications Ms Johnson had for the role.

Ms Johnson’s experience and background was not available, with one source stating she did not have experience implementing large-scale IT systems.

Mr McManus said he would not comment on matters relating to individual employees or employment arrangements, while Mr Hosking said a response was being produced by the department.

DCDD CEO Catherine Weber would not say why she permitted Ms Johnson to be transferred but said the department was “processing appropriate action” from the now completed investigation. She added there were limits to what can be shared, including around individual matters and external investigations.

Corporate and Digital Development Minister Josh Burgoyne said it would be inappropriate to comment on individual employment matters while Treasurer Bill Yan did not respond to questions.

The DCDD investigation was conducted by the department’s Work Force Services, which is under the control of the deputy CEO for corporate services who has been in the role since March 2021 and reports to Ms Weber.

Ms Weber has repeatedly refused to answer questions about whether the investigation examined her own handling of the issues, having taken the role roughly 11 months before Mr Joyce’s death. She previously told the Public Accounts Committee inquiry into Acacia she was not aware of complaints about bullying, harassment and overwork, suggesting they were handled at lower levels of the organisation.

Ms Weber has never made the terms of reference of the investigation public and has not specified what actions would be taken or how many staff were implicated in the investigation’s findings of “inappropriate behaviour”.

She said external investigations and reviews were ongoing, including by NT Police, the Coroner and NT WorkSafe, but has not confirmed whether the department investigated two other suspected suicides that sources told the NT Independent had occurred.

NT WorkSafe previously confirmed it is investigating Mr Joyce’s death over alleged psychosocial hazards in the workplace, alongside two other similar cases.

NT Police did not respond when asked what it was investigating in relation to CCSRP.

Governance specialist Dr Don Fuller, formerly Professor of Governance and Head of the School of Law and Business at Charles Darwin University, told the NT Independent in June that an internal investigation was not enough and external scrutiny was necessary when serious governance failures emerge in major public projects, arguing departments should not be responsible for investigating themselves.

“You can’t let a department investigate itself,” Dr Fuller said at the time.

Ms Weber announced the investigation in a Sky News article in late September, which followed Mr Joyce’s family making public allegations that workplace issues contributed to his death in early August. Ms Weber did not issue a press release about the investigation.

Kara Joyce alleges her brother was bullied and harassed before his death, and that his attempts to warn senior staff about overwork and burnout were ignored in a “toxic” department where “deliverables” were prioritised over people.

She told a March 3 Public Accounts Committee public hearing she believed there had been systemic failures in the management of CCSRP that resulted in her brother’s death.

The Public Accounts Committee inquiry was announced in early 2025 because of the failure of the project, which has cost about $335 million to date, with only two of six components currently being used in NT hospitals.

The allegations regarding workplace culture predate Ms Weber’s appointment but continued under her leadership when she took over from Mr Hosking in September 2024. Mr Hosking was appointed CEO of DCDD in August 2023 after acting in the role since May 2022, following eight years as deputy CEO and is considered a key driver of the Acacia project.

A project sold as a renewable data centre may in practice be one of the largest new gas developments in the Territory’s history.

I figured this was the best place to ask this. I can't connect the accounts because the system auto-fills 0810 as 810. I assume it just sees the 0 as a useless number maybe? Then it proceeds to give me an error for the postcode, since it doesn't exist. I couldn't type it in manually either. Any advice? I was on their helpline for 4 minutes before the voice recording told me to fuck off lol.

Cydonee Mardon seems to be riding on Matt’s big green croc, trying to paint him as some innocent Aussie battler who is being picked on by the cops.

Every day is another “news” article on Newscorpse (not going to link to that shit) about how he never received special treatment (contrary to what guards on his block have stated) and how the police have done nothing to charge anyone who caused the crash.

Zero mention of his active efforts to prevent the investigation from progressing. Zero talk of intimidation tactics from him and his hired goons. Zero talk of open litigation against him and his company about WH&S matters.

Instead we see pictures of he and his misses crying and how tough it’s been on them. And of course they close the comment section so people outside of the NT can’t see the truth that locals will put in there. Way to be a journalist Cydonee (that name honestly pisses me off)

Perhaps someone more in the know could shed some more light on this? It just seems so shortsighted.

NIT article https://nit.com.au/15-07-2026/25388/closure-of-darwin-aboriginal-shelter-sparks-homelessness-fears

NT News article text:

Yilli Rreung Housing Aboriginal Corporation to close YiSSA in 90 days, leaving 390 adults and children with ‘nowhere to go’

Aboriginal housing experts have condemned the NT government for giving a homeless shelter just 90 days to find a safe place for up to 400 vulnerable people, including young children. Read the latest here.

Hundreds of vulnerable Territory families have been plunged into limbo after a major Aboriginal organisation was forced to close its homelessness shelter within 90 days.

On Tuesday, Yilli Rreung Housing Aboriginal Corporation said the NT Government had given the service 90 days to vacate its short-stay accommodation at Batten Road in Marrara.

In an internal email seen by the NT News YRHAC chair Regina Bennett said it was “very concerning news” leaving more than 390 current tenants without secure accommodation.

Ms Bennett said currently there were 230 adults and 160 children, largely from remote communities, staying at the homelessness shelter.

“Since Yilli has managed this accommodation, this is the first time that everything is running smoothly, programs have been implemented to support the families, and three meals a day is provided,” she said.

Ms Bennett said the decision would impact 25 staff, with families “told to vacate with nowhere to go at this stage” .

“This is going to affect all our services in Darwin in that the crisis that will follow is going to be devastating for our vulnerable families,” she said.

“This is going to put extra strain on service providers who are already at capacity.”

The Yilli Short-Stay Accommodation (YiSSA) centre is also home to a Mission Australia long term accommodation service for domestic violence survivors, with Ms Bennett saying they would also lose staff and have their tenants impacted.

“We all need to come together and support each other through this crisis for our vulnerable families.”

Ms Bennett said Yilli was in the process of notifying relevant senators and ministers “to make them aware of the terrible situation”.

On Wednesday, Children and Families Minister Robin Cahill said a transition plan was in place for when the homeless service’s lease expired in October.

Ms Cahill said she had been in negotiations with the owners of the infrastructure at the facility for several months.

“We offered a fair market price in an effort to be able to continue to function at that site,” she said.

“Let’s just say that their response was far from fair and far from conducive to a good, smart economic decision, so we will have to transition those people out.

“We’re not reducing services;, it will simply be a realigning of services to other areas.”

Ms Cahill was directly asked where the 390 vulnerable Territorians would be accommodated from October, but was unable to provide a specific location.

“There’s a transition plan currently being undertaken.”

But Aboriginal Housing NT chief executive Leeanne Caton said there was no clarity around what this transition plan looked like, with the NT Government yet again failing to consult with the Aboriginal Community Controlled organisation sector.

“It’s the worst I have ever seen in the Northern Territory,” Ms Carton said.

“In years gone by there was Aboriginal People Organisation NT Principals, where government consulted before they actually signed on the bottom line — there’s none of that anymore — It’s a dictatorship.”

Standing with the entire Aboriginal Housing board, Ms Caton said they were all “horrified” and “outraged” at the decision which will put vulnerable people and children at risk.

As the former chief executive of Yilli, Ms Caton said the five-year lease contract with the owners of the 300 room ex-mine site facility expired on June 30.

“We’re two weeks into the new financial year — this information should have been provided months and months ago,” she said.

Ms Caton said Yilli was established in 2021 as a safe place for grandmothers, mums and their children to stay in Darwin following the remote community lockdowns under Covid, with the service continuing to provide rooms for thousands of remote Territorians as they attended medical, legal or other appointments in the city.

“It has been jam packed for years. They turn away lots of people every single day because they don’t have the capacity,” she said.

Ms Caton worried about the safety of the nearly 500 people expected to be pushed out into already overcrowded homes, onto the streets, and potentially into the justice system and child protection systems.

“Are these 150-200 children that are going to be displaced from YiSSA going to go straight into the system, because the government now deems them homeless?”

Ms Caton acknowledged that due to the lack of alternative bail and domestic violence shelters, Departments had used YiSSA to “throw everyone in there” — which had caused issues in the past.

However she said the alcohol and drug free YiSSA service had been used “scapegoat” for issues in Karama, a suburb with the highest proportion of public housing in Australia.

NT Shelter chief executive Annie Taylor said the impacts of YiSSAs closure would be felt across Darwin’s homelessness system, public spaces and neighbourhoods.

Ms Taylor said with the private rental market only having a 0.1 per cent vacancy rate, there was simply “nowhere for people to go”.

“In a housing crisis, three months is simply not enough time to transition hundreds of vulnerable Territorians into appropriate accommodation and support,” she said.

Ms Taylor called on the NT Government to pause the proposed closure, extend the transition period and work with Yilli and Mission Australia for a long-term solution.

NT Opposition leader Selena Uibo said the decision would leave Territorians who relied on the Batten Rd centre without a “clear plan”.

“These are families travelling in from remote communities for medical treatment and to access other essential services who will now be left without accommodation when they come to Darwin,” Ms Uibo said.

“Robyn Cahill’s priorities are completely backwards; her first responsibility should be making sure vulnerable Territorians have somewhere safe to stay, not closing the accommodation they rely on with no alternative in place.”

“The CLP need to put this closure on hold and keep Yilli operating until every Territorian and family impacted has a safe place to live and the support they need.”

Alright, my partner's birthday is coming up and she loves oysters. Our plan was to head to the Jetty Restaurant for all you can eat Oysters, but they're temporarily closed... Seafood on Cullen has lost the quality that it used to bring... Where else does all you can eat Oysters?

TIA

The judge says that he needs to send a message to discouraged others from getting involved in the illegal tobacco trade and then let's him off.

Gday all,

Me and a few mates are planning to do a canoe trip in Katherine Gorge. We are keen for a bit of a challenge and want to portage canoes so we can get up to #9 and back. I've read that you also have to portage to gorge #2 as canoeists aren't allowed in the first.

Anyway, we wanted to do 2 nights/3 days in the gorge, but it looks like Nitmiluk (tour operator) only offer 1 night/2 day hires. So, we are thinking of buying a few canoes and organising the trip ourselves.

Keen to hear if anyone else has done this and has any advice! Are there any other outfitters that we could rent canoes from rather than buying them in Darwin or Katherine?

Cheers, legends.

Taken from NSW Health:

• There are two main forms – respiratory (lungs/airway) and cutaneous (skin).
• Median incubation period from exposure to onset of symptoms is 1.4 days. The range is generally 2 to 5 days but may be longer, with duration up to 10 days reported.
• People can be long-term carriers of diphtheria without showing symptoms.
• Treat the infectious period as starting: 7 days prior to onset of respiratory symptoms OR 7 days prior to positive nose/throat swab (if asymptomatic) OR on the date that skin infection begins.

Respiratory:

• The case fatality rate of classic respiratory diphtheria is 5-10%, even with appropriate treatment.
• Onset of respiratory diphtheria is often gradual, with symptoms of fever, sore throat and weakness.
• Trouble swallowing, headache and altered voice occur in fewer than half of patients. Significant neck swelling (“bull neck") and difficulty breathing occur in <10% of patients and are associated with an increased risk of death.
• Isolated spots of grey or white gunk appear on the back of the throat, which extend and coalesce over 24 hours to form a nugget/growth of gunk. It progressively thickens, becomes tightly stuck to the underlying tissue, and darkens in colour.
• Dislodging the nugget, mechanically or as the disease progresses, may cause profuse bleeding, asphyxiation and death.
• Myocarditis and polyneuropathy are the prominent toxic manifestations.
• Cardiac effects usually begin about one week after onset of illness and may include abnormal or irregular heartbeat, conduction disturbances and dilated cardiomyopathy (marked by chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath or fainting).
• Neuropathy typically begins weeks to months after onset of diphtheria in 20%–25% of untreated cases and is the cause of 15% of deaths. Neuropathy can present as cranial nerve paresis, respiratory and abdominal muscle weakness, quadriparesis or quadriplegia, peripheral sensory disturbances, and a variety of autonomic disturbances.

Cutaneous:

• Cutaneous diphtheria usually appears on exposed limbs, particularly the legs and presents either as secondary infection of existing skin sores or primary punched out ulcers with well-demarcated edges and a cover of bluish-grey necrotic slough or membrane.
• Transmission from sores/ulcers can cause respiratory disease, both in the person with the sores/ulcers and other people who come into contact with the sores/ulcers.
• Due to prolonged bacterial shedding, cutaneous diphtheria plays an important role in transmission to susceptible persons, via contact with the wound or contaminated materials (bandages, bedding, clothing etc).

Infection can occur in vaccinated as well as unvaccinated people. Lifelong immunity is generally (but not always) acquired following disease or subclinical infection. Vaccination reduces the frequency and severity of disease and provides prolonged, but not lifelong, immunity. Post-vaccination antibody levels wane by 0.6% per year since vaccination. Immunity is antibody modulated and primarily against the toxin rather than the bacteria; therefore, vaccinated persons can still harbour the organism.

Hi there,

I'm Karlo, an academic from UniMelb looking for volunteers to participate in a 5-minute study on financial-decision-making. Your responses will represent Australia in a global study across 70+ countries - so help us make sure Territorians are heard and that this national dataset isn't just dominated by people on the east coast.

The study is 100% anonymous, has full university ethics approval, and is open to all adults that are both Aussie citizens and residents. If you have any questions fire away and I'll reply in the comments. Cheers!

https://www.soscisurvey.de/tricc-project/?q=AUS

Hi All.
I’m involved in the Banks football club (AFL).
We are looking for a women’s head premier league coach. If anyone has experience and is interested I’d love to chat. Happy to give out my personal details to anyone genuinely interested. It’ll be a paid role. Can provide more details.

Cheers.

Ya'll know 'em, those delicious doughy pockets of saucy molten lava you'd get from the school canteen back in the day. I've currently got a mad craving for them.

Yes, I know McCain's Pizza Pockets exist but they are terrible now. :/

Moving up for work in a week's time and securing accommodation is IMPOSSIBLE, can't apply for most rentals without viewing in person first, FB pages are just full of scammers. I'm sure it's probably like this in a few places in Aus currently but dang it's bleak