3AW causes panic with mock news bulletin

PRINCESS Charlotte is a lesbian, Bindi Irwin is leader of the Greens and Robert Doyle is still Melbourne’s Lord Mayor. Welcome to 2035.

Wildlife Warrior Bindi Irwin received the first ever ‘Young Achiever’ Award, winning the prestigious title at the 2015 Premier’s Sustainability Awards presentation dinner in Brisbane. Picture: Russell Shakespeare/Australia Zoo

GOOD morning Melbourne.

Today will be a top of 47 degrees, Bindi Irwin is the Opposition Greens Leader and driverless cars are malfunctioning.

City of Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle is also possibly running for a 10th term and Princess Charlotte has married her lesbian partner in a low key town hall ceremony in the United Kingdom.

Outside the Arts Centre, 200 people were arrested for booing the Prime Minister and the Minister for Respect Adam Goodes.

Laws have been introduced banning people from booing the former AFL player and they may be slapped with fines of up to $10,000.

Chief racing steward Michelle Payne is also fighting to break down the sexism that is still prevalent in the industry.

She is encouraging young men to break back into the racing industry after being sidelined.

If you’re starting to panic about the state of society, don’t worry — none of this will be a reality until 2035.

At least that’s what Melbourne radio station 3AW predicts.

3AW predicted Adam Goodes would be the Minister for Respect by 2035.

Presenter Neil Mitchell and senior producer Heidi Murphy invented an elaborate mock bulletin as part of today’s program, future forum.

Mitchell, broadcasting from the Eureka Skydeck, used his radio slot to discuss what could be in store for Melbourne by the year 2035 with Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, Destination Docklands’ Kelly Jensen and urban planning expert Roz Hansen.

After the fake bulletin aired, Mitchell’s producers were bombarded with phone calls and emails from panicked listeners.

Mitchell said they had a number of ideas for the mock bulletin to entice people to engage in an interesting debate about what the world could look like in 20 years time.

“It’s a bit of a War of the Worlds type thing but I’m not Orson Welles,” he told news.com.au.

“The thing I really noticed was the reaction to the weather forecast.

“People could accept driverless cars and the law against booing Adam Goodes but they couldn’t quite believe it was going to be 47 degrees.”

A mock news bulletin referred to wildlife warrior Bindi Irwin as the Opposition Greens Leader. Source: Australia Zooe Picture: Russell Shakespeare

Mitchell said he even received an email from Channel 9 news director Hugh Nailon, saying it caused panic in the newsroom for a couple of minutes.

“I think they were about to run out and look for a driverless car,” Mitchell joked.

During the future forum segment, Mitchell spoke about the prospects of bulldozing Etihad Stadium and the future of transport and sport.

“It was about provoking ideas and getting the audience to think,” Mitchell said.