Carolyn Reynolds seeks stay as Rock Centre dispute drags on

‘I DON’T know if it’s because we’re women or whether it’s because we’ve got British accents — I don’t know and I don’t understand, your honour, but there are very bad forces at work.’

Carolyn Reynolds has been locking horns with the Darwin council over her Doctors Gully climbing gym for more than a year

• Court rejects Carolyn Reynolds’ appeal over judge’s alleged ‘skulduggerous behaviour’
• Rock Centre dispute akin to fable of smelly Chinese emperor, Carolyn Reynolds tells judge

A COURT battle between Rock Centre owner Carolyn Reynolds and the Darwin council continues to drag on with Ms Reynolds seeking a stay on any eviction order until her latest appeal can be heard in the Territory’s highest court.

Ms Reynolds appealed an eviction order from the Local Court after her 25 year lease expired last year but that was rejected by the Supreme Court earlier this month and Ms Reynolds lodged a further appeal with the Court of Appeal.

In submissions in a hearing on Thursday during which she had to be repeatedly reminded to stay on topic, Ms Reynolds told the court she had been prevented from developing the former World War II oil tank which is now the site of her rock climbing centre by the council since 2002.

“I don’t know if it’s because we’re women or whether it’s because we’ve got British accents,” she said.

“I don’t know and I don’t understand, your honour, but there are very bad forces at work.”

In reply, the council’s lawyer Wade Roper said the stay should not be granted as the appeal was “manifestly futile”.

“We say it’s an indulgence, Ms Reynolds has been granted indulgence after indulgence after indulgence and we say that it’s more than that — she’s indulged herself in an abuse of process right throughout,” he said.

OFFER EXTENDED: Amazing NT News subscription offer: Read everything for $1

The appeal remains ongoing along with a separate appeal in the same court challenging the mothballing of Ms Reynolds’ Lake Bennett resort restaurant by order of the Chief Health Officer.

Follow @jas_walls