Time for right royal clean-up

DARWIN has the potential to be Australia’s best city. With its warm climate, laid-back residents, abundance of laksa, and lack of traffic — Darwinites have a lot to be thankful about

DARWIN has the potential to be Australia’s best city. With its warm climate, laid-back residents, abundance of laksa, and lack of traffic — Darwinites have a lot to be thankful about.

On the flip side, living in Darwin has a lot of challenges. There’s high vacancy rates, itinerants, expensive rents and lots of empty blocks. Much of the empty space is infamous — well known by long-term Darwinites for a total lack of change in decades.

With less than a month before Prince Charles lands in Darwin, it’s time pressure is put on land owners to keep their sites clean.

It’s time owners were reminded that during the royal visit, the eyes of the world will be on Darwin. We can make an amazing impression — show the world the beauty of the Top End, and how much there is to offer. Alternatively, we can make a terrible impression. We can show Darwin off as a messy, abandoned city — with empty stores and grubby building sites.

It’s not just up to Darwin City Council, but to land owners, too. It’s our capital city, it should be clean. Land owners who will one day profit from the blocks of land need to shape up. They need to clean up after themselves. Have some pride.

This visit has the potential to set Darwin up as the ‘must visit’ town of 2018. If we make the right impression, investors, travellers and people looking for a new tropical home will flock to Darwin.

It’s not just a job for council, or for the overworked cleaners in the CBD — it’s a job for everyone. Workers in the city need to make sure to pick up their rubbish. Shopkeepers need to make sure their displays are on point. People who live in the city need to make the time to clean up their balconies and be part of the solution by sweeping up trash on the street. Everyone who lives, works, owns a part of, or cares about Darwin City needs to help. We can be part of the solution, or part of the problem.