Rock climbing gym’s future in the balance as judge defers decision on council repossession

The fate of Darwin’s Doctor’s Gully rock climbing gym still hangs in the balance after a judge on Friday reserved his decision on whether the council can legally repossess the Rock Centre.

Carolyn Reynolds is fighting to keep possessing of her Doctor’s Gully rock climbing gym.

THE fate of Darwin’s Doctor’s Gully rock climbing gym still hangs in the balance after a judge on Friday reserved his decision on whether the council can legally repossess the Rock Centre.

Lawyer for the City of Darwin, Sarah Pringle, told the Local Court gym owner Carolyn Reynolds had not provided written notice of her intention to renew the lease on the property by the deadline as required.

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Ms Reynolds earlier told the court she had given oral notice of her intentions but Ms Pringle said that was insufficient and there was “no evidence of Ms Reynolds actually providing oral notice to renew the lease” in any case.

Ms Pringle said Ms Reynolds evidence to the court was “self-serving” and “unreliable”.

“The evidence is deliberately vague because notice had not been provided,” she said.

In reply, Ms Reynolds said she had made “exuberant efforts” to organise a meeting with council staff to discuss the future of the lease but had been repeatedly knocked back.

She said the council had refused to co-operate with her efforts to track down witnesses in support of her case.

“They’ve been playing games, your honour, and I don’t find those games very funny or very fair,” she said.

“This is lives we’re talking about, that’s why I get emotional because what we do matters.”

The gym owner said various misfortunes meant she was distracted from dealing with the lease during the notice period, including the sudden death of her World War II fighter ace uncle and a doctor who had been “shooting (a gun) across my room” along with various health issues.

Ms Reynolds said she had spent $1.6 million renovating a planned “fantastic new facility that was going to put Darwin on the map.”

During her lengthy and meandering submissions, Ms Reynolds claimed the gym was a “vital space for young people in the city” and “a place where misfits fit in”.

“We are not a climbing centre, you honour, that’s the vehicle we use to provide mental health support, to provide youth at risk, to provide a place where we take our privilege of holding an ochre card seriously,” she said.

Ms Reynolds also accused council officers of “abus(ing) their power as public servants”.

“I think these people need to be reminded that they’re public officers, public servants, and a public servant is to serve the community, not to serve themselves,” she said.

Judge Alan Woodcock will deliver his ruling at a date to be fixed.