A defence department decision to decommission 395 houses at the RAAF base in Winnellie in the Northern Territory rocked the owners of Winnellie News and other retailers nearby. That the decision appears to have been made five years ago but not discovered until just a few months ago means that they have invested in the future of their business without the full knowledge which out to have been available to them.
The outcome of the election is important since the Coalition has said that they would turn the houses into a new suburb. This is not only important economically but also socially driven the chronic shortage of homes in Darwin. I understand that at this stage, the Labor party does not plan to retain the housing.
When I heard about this issue yesterday my heart went out to the newsagent. I wish we had heard about it earlier in the campaign. I am sure that other newsagents would have wanted to support a fellow newsagent facing the loss of their business in these circumstances.
I am surprised that the ANF did not take up this issue as it goes to the core of the community of newsagents, regardless of membership status.
For more on this story, check out the Winnellie News blog.
What a heartwrenching story Mark. Thank you for writing about this. This is something I would have heard about through association channels. Sometimes we let ourselves down by not working as a community.
I’d be happy to sign a petition for compensation should the outcome be adverse – not only for the newsagent, but also other businesses possibly affected.
Being in a small community ourselves, and our little shop being all we have, I’d hate to think how things are for all these people.
Hives are forming just imagining ourselves in their shoes.
When you say labor does not plan on retaining the housing, does that mean bulldozing them or selling them off?