Latest news with #MattPaterson
ABC News
10 hours ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Alice Springs' youngest mayor, Matt Paterson, to step down to spend more time with family
He campaigned as a "boring" mayor, but Matt Paterson's term in office has been anything but dull. Cr Paterson made history when he defeated Jimmy Cocking by just two votes in 2021, becoming at 30 the youngest-ever mayor of Alice Springs, a Central Australian town that has recently been at the centre of a national reckoning over crime and regional neglect. His tenure saw him confronting the prime minister at round tables and featuring on national news broadcasts. And in a headline-grabbing bid to draw attention to the region's tourism struggles, he once greeted a new airline service at the Alice Springs Airport wearing nothing but budgie smugglers. Now, with just two months until the next local government election, Cr Paterson, now 34, has announced he will be stepping down to spend more time with his family. "I've got two young kids that are only little once," he said. "They don't know me not being an elected member and that puts a lot of things in perspective." Growing up in Alice Springs as a self-described "ratbag" and expelled from school, Cr Paterson had to navigate people's shock and doubt when he first ran for council as a 26-year-old sparky. "I had a teacher say that there was no chance she was going to vote for me in 2017, threw my flyer at me and then sent me a message in 2023 saying that she was very proud of how far I'd come," he said. A few years after being elected mayor, Cr Paterson was plunged into the national spotlight when crime and alcohol-fuelled violence severely ratcheted up in Alice Springs, and he called on the prime minister to deploy the army or federal police to assist with the prolonged crisis. He also publicly called for the entire NT government to be fired before a controversial two-week youth curfew was put in place over the town in 2024. Reflecting on that time, Cr Paterson said Alice Springs was "at breaking point" and the decisions he had to make were "tough". "We needed help, and I used my voice as mayor," he said. "There's no rule book. I don't get a rule book on how to handle situations here, and we all feel pressure. Controversially, the council banned football teams from remote communities — where there is little sports infrastructure — from using town ovals a number of times during Cr Paterson's tenure. And in 2023, the mayor publicly apologised for writing a letter of support for a controversial horticultural project without consulting other councillors. While he positioned himself as an advocate for change, willing to rattle cages at every level of government, Cr Paterson said he did not want to be remembered as "the mayor on the front page of the paper". He said his biggest achievements were the "small things", such as investments into sports facility upgrades, an adventure park and plans for a new library. "We're not solving world peace at local government levels, but we are making a difference, and it's those small things that help people live in Alice Springs and gives families and young kids something to look forward to," he said. On the streets of Alice Springs, opinions are divided. Michelle Pettit said the council could have been a "bigger, stronger voice for the community" in recent years. "We're still looking at a lot of basic human rights that are not always addressed," she said. "[The] word on the street is, 'Thank you very much and we wish you well.'" John Adams said: "It's a tough job to go into." John Maude, who voted for Cr Paterson in 2021, said he believed his term had been largely uneventful, but was pleased with his efforts to deal with crime. Alex Long said she was sad to see him go. "He's a young family man himself and I think that's important because most of the town is young families," she said. Federal Lingiari MP Marion Scrymgour said while she did not agree with Cr Paterson on everything, they "had the type of relationship where we could speak openly about things and that's something I appreciate". "Our town is at a critical juncture, and we need strong community leadership to get us through it," she said. Braitling MLA Joshua Burgoyne said Cr Paterson had "worked hard over his tenure to ensure Alice Springs has had its fair share". "Our town needs more pragmatic leaders like Patto; I have always appreciated his frankness and collaboration on important projects for the town," he said. This year, 16 territory councils will participate in local government elections in August, according to NT Electoral Commissioner Kirsten Kelly. She said that while voter enrolment in the territory was at its highest level (94.1 per cent), participation in elections was declining. Australian Electoral Commission data shows in the expansive seat of Lingiari, which includes Alice Springs, voter turnout at the most recent federal election was only 62.2 per cent, a drop from both the 2022 federal election (66.8 per cent) and 2023 Voice to Parliament referendum (64.4 per cent). In terms of what's next for Cr Paterson, he said that after August 24, once the election was over, he would be "taking a breath". "I'll probably go have a cold beer on the golf course and just have a few weeks to regroup and get in the garden because all of those things get neglected," he said. "We'll just take a breath and have some family time."
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Eversource partnering with local artist to raise awareness for disappearing turtle habitats
CONNECTICUT (WTNH) — On World Turtle Day, Eversource is drawing attention to their disappearing habitat. Eversource offering different options for ratepayers this summer Eversource officials say that turtles and other reptiles make their homes in powerline corridors — and that's not a great idea. The company says they constantly work to keep trees and grass cut down in powerline corridors, helping to prevent power outages. However, it places a reptiles home in jeopardy. Eversource is teaming up with wildlife artist Matt Paterson to bring awareness to this issue. Paterson is giving kids a tutorial via the internet on how to paint the turtle, while providing fun facts. 'All you'll need is a simple set of watercolor paints, a few brushes, a cup of water and a paper towel,' Kaitlyn Woods, external communications manager for Eversource, said. 'You will need the draw of the Blandings Turtle, so we've posted that on our website.' You and your children can log onto the Eversource website and follow along with the recorded version. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
ABC News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Proposal for councillors to elect all NT mayors instead of voters angers some leaders
The Local Government Association of the Northern Territory (LGANT) has criticised a proposal to change how council mayors are elected. Currently under the Local Government Act, councils decide prior to elections whether voters elect their mayor, or whether councillors appoint a mayor at their first meeting. But a potential amendment to the act proposes that all NT councils elect their mayor, removing the option for voters to elect their mayor directly. Kon Vatskalis is the president of the LGANT and the City of Darwin's lord mayor. ( ABC News: Sowaibah Hanife ) LGANT president and Dawin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis said he did not know why the change had been proposed. "All the examples we've got from down south actually indicate that … it will generate so many problems that the minister and the department will be sorry for doing it," he said. "If you look at what happened in Victoria, a lot of the councils are in disarray because of the politics played inside the council to elect mayors." No decisions made yet In the NT, most regional councils choose to appoint their mayor at the first meeting of council, but Darwin, Palmerston, Litchfield, Katherine, Alice Springs and Barkly's regional councils choose their mayors through popular vote. A discussion paper sent to LGANT and territory councils stated the proposed amendment would "align the NT with most other jurisdictions", would "promote consistency" and "may reduce conflict between elected members and directly elected mayors". However, the paper also asked whether the appointment-only model could "affect the perceived legitimacy, visibility, and representative role" of mayors, if voters did have the right to elect their own. Alice Springs Mayor Matt Paterson says he believes voters will be unhappy the changes become law. ( ABC News ) Alice Springs Mayor Matt Paterson, who became mayor after "I think you want to vote for your leader," he said. " I don't think the punters will wear it and I don't think that they'll be real happy about it. " Minister for Local Government Steve Edgington says no decisions have been made. ( ABC News: Pete Garnish ) Minister for Local Government Steve Edgington, who was once the popularly elected mayor for Barkly Regional Council, said the government was seeking feedback on the proposal. "What we have is a whole mixed bag of views right around the Northern Territory," he said. "We've made no decisions. As the minister, I've certainly made no decisions on what the best way forward is at this point."
