‘We can do better’: Eva Lawler and Lia Finocchiaro join hands on panned Cyclone Tracy sculpture

The Chief Minister and Opposition Leader weighed in on the backlash engulfing Darwin Council, as the Lord Mayor rejected calls to reconsider the design and blamed a messaging “stuff up”.

The Chief Minister and the woman vying to unseat her have found common ground in their verdict of a Cyclone Tracy sculpture planned by Darwin City Council.

Since it was unveiled two weeks ago, the $700k “wind-activated sculpture” has been attacked by survivors who want the council to “go back to the drawing board”.

It comes as Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis doubled down on remarks that it was “not a memorial” but rather a public artwork, brushing aside the council’s original announcement as a “stuff up”.

A new monument inspired by Cyclone Tracy has been likened to a “kid’s playground”, “mango tree” and “fallopian tubes”. Picture: City of Darwin Council

At a press conference on Tuesday, Chief Minister Eva Lawler stood behind criticisms that it did not represent the disaster’s human toll, having lived through it as a child.

“Personally, I don’t think it’s suitable and I don’t particularly think it reflects the community’s views around (Tracy),” Ms Lawler said.

“The survivors of Cyclone Tracy have been very loud about what they want to see and I think the council needs to have another look at that.

“Time is running out as well, it’s getting very close to December … I think all survivors are grateful that we’ve gotten to 50 years and we haven’t had another cyclone like Tracy.”

Chief Minister Eva Lawler said that “survivors of Cyclone Tracy have been very loud about what they want to see”. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro echoed those views and said “the council can do better”. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Tracy flattened Darwin on Christmas Eve 1974, killing 66 people and leaving virtually the entire population homeless.

Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro echoed her rival’s point of view.

“I think council can do better and Territorians have made that clear too,” Ms Finocchiaro told the NT News.

“The anniversary of Cyclone Tracy is a very significant and important event for the Territory and in particular those Territorians who were in Darwin in 1974.

“City of Darwin Council must ensure it consults widely with all stakeholders impacted by Cyclone Tracy and listen to the community to get this right.”

The council’s choice to contract prolific New Zealand artist Phil Price has faced scrutiny as survivors question why more of them were not first consulted.

The 12-person committee organising this year’s anniversary includes at least four Tracy survivors, but they are unable to comment publicly due to confidentiality agreements.

Mr Vatskalis, also a committee member, faced a grilling from Mix 104.9’s Katie Woolf on Wednesday after arguing “this is not actually a memorial for Cyclone Tracy”.

“But you said in a press release it was,” Woolf replied.

The Lord Mayor admitted this had been the case, but argued that a separate art installation at East Point was the proper memorial.

“It was actually a stuff-up, because it was mentioned as a monument, which it’s not going to be … it’s public art which shows the forces of nature,” Mr Vatskalis said.

Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis said that the sculpture was a “public artwork” rather than a proper memorial. Picture: Alex Treacy

Mr Vatskalis confirmed that the contract had been inked already but the final colour may be tweaked, having drawn comparisons to a “mango tree”.

“Some people said, ‘You have to listen to survivors’ – we did, but if this opinion doesn’t agree with other Cyclone Tracy survivors, you want us to knock it back,” he went on.

“I think having public art in Darwin is very good. As we’ve seen before, public art can be very, very controversial … we’ve seen it before and we’ll probably see it again.”

Darwin Council contributed $400k while the federal government pitched in $300k for a “permanent memorial to mark the impact Cyclone Tracy had on Darwin”, according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Federal MP for Solomon Luke Gosling said he has written to Mr Vatskalis requesting clarity around the “planned permanent monument” and “how it relates to the 50th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy”.

“I am aware of community feedback and uncertainty around the planned City of Darwin project and the distress it has caused some survivors and those connected to Cyclone Tracy,” Mr Gosling said.