Darwin Cup Carnival racegoers urged to go home safely

Darwin Cup Carnival racegoers who don’t plan ahead can leave their car at the track safely if they have a few drinks.

TIO is again sponsoring the provision of overnight security at the Darwin Turf Club as an initiative under its PartySafe road safety program.

The program raises awareness of the dangers of drink driving and encourages Territorians who have a few drinks to find alternative ways to get home.

TIO Community Relations Manager Chris Thiel said the car park security was one of a number of measures to give people peace of mind.

“Our aim is not to stop people having a good time but to make the right choices before getting behind the wheel,” she said.

“If they know their vehicle is going to safe if they leave it overnight, they will be more likely to leave it there and find another way home.”

The PartySafe program has teamed up with Darwin Cup Carnival since 2009 to drive home the road safety message.

On Darwin Cup Day the PartySafe tent will be at the races offering free breath testing and advice on getting home safely.

Partysafe heads bush for first time

TIO’s Partysafe program promoting anti drink driving messages is heading bush for the first time.

TIO will be taking Partysafe and its broader road safety program to the Borroloola Show in a partnership with AFLNT and McArthur River Mining.

NT Thunder CEO Jarred Ilett, player Jack McEwin and AFLNT sponsorship manager Brad Stewart will also conduct a “Always Wear a Seatbelt” footy clinic for local kids as part of the event.

TIO Indigenous Community Engagement Officer Mike North said it would be the first time the Partysafe program would be held in a remote Territory community.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to reach out with this important message in Borroloola,” Mike said.

“When McArthur River Mining approached us about getting together to promote road safety we jumped at the chance.”

Partysafe is an educational program which aims to reduce the incidence of drink driving among Territorians. It teaches people that if they do have a few drinks, they should find a safe way to get home.

In addition to providing activities that demonstrate that message, TIO will also be promoting messages around wearing seat belts and not sleeping on roads.

McArthur River Mining will make road safety a central theme of its show display and will be running a colouring-in and poster competition on this theme. The winning entries will be turned into road safety posters for display in local communities.

AFLNT partners with TIO on a range of road safety programs. In addition to helping sell the road safety message in Borroloola, Jarred Ilett, Jack McEwin and Brad Stewart will run a footy clinic for local kids.

Borroloola Show is being held Friday 27 and Saturday 28 June. The footy clinic will be held on Friday from 10am while the Partysafe tent will be operating throughout the show.

New flights available from Alice Springs to Tennant Creek and Kiwirrkurra

Outback Central Australia has been opened up to more travellers with the commencement of new flights from Alice Springs to Tennant Creek and Kiwirrkurra.

Territory company Chartair has commenced twice weekly services between Alice Springs and Tennant Creek and weekly services between Alice Springs and Kiwirrkurra.

Chartair Alice Springs General Manager Chris Nguyen said seven passengers could be accommodated on each flight, although the company would upgrade to larger aircraft if demand increased.

“It’s great to be able to offer these new services to travellers,” Chris said.

“For people travelling to Tennant Creek it cuts a five hour drive down to less than two hours in the air.”

Chris said the services were supported by the Australian Government’s Remote Area Subsidy Scheme and began this week.

Flight details are as follows:

·        Alice Springs to Tennant Creek departs Mondays at 7am and Wednesdays at 3pm.

·        Tennant Creek to Darwin departs Mondays at 9.30am and Wednesdays at 5.30pm.

·        Alice Springs to Kiwirrkurra departs Tuesdays at 8am.

·        Kiwirrkurra to Alice Springs departs Tuesdays 11am.

The Alice Springs-Kiwirrkurra route is $120 and the Alice Springs-Tennant Creek route is $385, which is higher due to operating costs.

Young Territorians wanted for national survey

Mission Australia is calling on young Territorians to help highlight important issues in their lives by taking part in the charity’s 2013 Youth Survey – the nation’s largest annual stocktake of the views, concerns and values of young people between the ages of 15-19.

In launching the 2013 survey, Mission Australia’s Youth Services Manager, Adrian McCann, said it gave young people a voice across a range of issues with the information being used to help community groups and governments plan and develop youth services.

“Mission Australia’s annual national youth survey is a ‘temperature check’ on what young people are feeling, what issues concern them, what they think are the main challenges facing the nation and how optimistic they are about the future,” said Mr McCann.

“Responses to the survey help governments, youth agencies and ourselves improve and develop programs and strategies that are shaped by the voices of young people themselves.”

When asked what they thought was the biggest issue facing the nation, young Australians in last year’s survey overwhelmingly chose ‘the economy’.

Accompanying the increase in concern around financial matters was the number of comments – many by children as young as 15 – about the need to get a job and contribute financially to keep their family afloat.

The leading issues of personal concern to young people in 2012 were coping with stress, school or study problems and body image with 43 per cent of young women significantly concerned about the latter.

“The range of concerns – from financial matters to stress, family conflict and body image –suggest young people are facing increased challenges as they make the transition from adolescence to adulthood.

“We’ve also taken the opportunity to refresh the survey – now in its 12^th year – and make it more relevant than ever.

“In addition to the questions we’ve asked every survey, this year we’re also asking young Territorians about their future job aspirations, how much time they spend on the internet and their perceptions around local job opportunities,” said Mr McCann.

Mission Australia’s 2012 Youth Survey can be completed online: missionaustralia.com.au/youthsurvey

The survey closes on Friday, 28 June with the results to be published later this year.

Three lessons to take away from the Myer disability scheme backlash

By Tracy Jones

 

Comments by Myer and the Australian Retail Association about funding of the National Disability Insurance Scheme are proof of just how dangerous it can be to swim in other people’s ponds.

Both Myer CEO Bernie Brookes and Australian Retailers' Association's executive director Russell Zimmerman showed they had no business wading into this important community debate with their poor choice of language, tone and topic.

And their responses to the social media outrage that inevitably followed their comments made things even worse.

Bernie Brookes began the debacle by telling a Sydney conference the levy proposed to fund the scheme was not good for customers and not good for the discretionary income world – that presumably would be otherwise spent at Myer stores.

After the initial outrage, Myer tried to apologise via Facebook, saying while it supported a scheme of some description “we remain sensitive to imposts on the consumer by the government generally, for whatever purpose, as this adds to negative consumer sentiment and that adversely impacts sales, profit and jobs.”

After a further barrage of abuse from mainstream and social media, Russell Zimmerman weighed into the debate: “What the public's got to realise is there are a large number of consumers out there who are doing it tough.”

While both Myer and the Australian Retailers’ Association are busy saying they’re sorry “if they offended anyone”, the whole episode is a salutary lesson for anyone who provides commentary in the public domain.

There are three key points to take away from this:

1.  You should generally stick to swimming in your own pond: Offering public commentary on topical issues is a great way to position yourself as a subject matter expert – if the topic is one you should be commenting on. But why on earth is the CEO of Myer making comments about a national disability scheme? 
2. If you find yourself swimming in someone else’s pond, make sure you understand the ground rules: Notice both Bernie Brookes and Russell Zimmerman talked about consumers, profits and sales rather than people and families. They didn’t understand the right language or tone to use when communicating with this audience.
3. If you accidentally pee in someone else’s pond, just say sorry and get out of there: If you’re sorry, you’re sorry. Don’t try to justify it, explain it away or only be sorry if someone was offended. Say it like you mean it.

LinkedIn growth continues to outpace Facebook in the NT

Territorians are flocking to LinkedIn at three times the rate they are joining Facebook, according to the latest social media statistics for the NT compiled by Creative Territory.

While Facebook membership now stands at 92,720 against LinkedIn’s 19,352, Facebook has not been able to match LinkedIn’s growth rate. LinkedIn membership grew by 67 per cent in the 12 months to March 31 against Facebook’s 21 per cent.

As shown on the graph, Facebook membership tends to rise steadily in the lead up to Christmas and new year before suffering in a nose dive as people return to work from holidays. LinkedIn, while smaller in numbers, has continued steady growth over the past two years.

The latest statistics for the Northern Territory should dispel any doubts about the importance of social media in the public relations mix. More than half of Territorians aged 13 years and over are on Facebook and almost 1 in 5 of Territorians in the workforce are members of LinkedIn.

While younger Territorians are far more likely to interact on Facebook than older Territorians, usage is still high as people age, with around 1 in 4 people aged over 65 years remaining Facebook members.

The graph below shows the number of Facebook users in the Northern Territory in particular age groups. The red line graphs users in each group as a percentage of the NT population in that age group.

 

Darwin company recognised in global Social Responsibility Awards

Leading international media and public relations publication PR Daily has recognised Darwin’s Creative Territory in its Corporate Social Responsibility Awards.

Creative Territory has been selected as a finalist for the Grand Prize Campaign of the Year as well as the CSR on a Shoestring category.

The US-based awards recognise the use of public relations for the good of the community and attract entries from around the world.

Creative Territory has been recognised for research it conducted during and after Cyclone Carlos in February 2011. The research has led to improvements in how several organisations provide information in emergencies.

Managing director Tracy Jones said it was an honor to be selected among the world’s top public relations campaigns for CSR.

Entries come from a wide range of industries and organisations, from multi-national corporations, local governmental agencies and communication companies in industries as broad as energy, finance, entertainment, insurance, mining and healthcare.

PR Daily is a web-based publication read by more than 800,000 communication professionals in every country in the world.

 

Read more about the awards at PR Daily's website.

Six top online and social sources for Top End cyclone information

By Tracy Jones

With the cyclone season now upon us, all of us in the Top End need to be prepared. With your cyclone kit packed, your insurance updated and your family emergency plan updated, you need to think about how you will access the information you need to get through.

Our research at Creative Territory has shown us that up to 90 per cent of Top Enders are now using the web and social media to find out what is going on. The problem is, the social media space is now so overcrowded with “experts” it is hard to know who to trust.

Here’s our advice on where to go, depending on the type of information you are looking for:

1.       For official weather information go to www.bom.gov.au The Bureau of Meteorology issues all official cyclone watches and warnings. It is also the place to watch the latest radar information. You can also see radar images by downloading the Rain? app on your mobile phone or tablet device.

2.       For official updates on government information and services, go to www.secureNT.nt.gov.au This site aggregates information from all NT Government agencies in one place. It also includes useful tips to help you get ready for the season. You can also like secureNT on Facebook (www.facebook.com/secureNT) or follow them on Twitter (www.twitter.com/@secureterritory). This is a trusted source for official information.

3.       If you are looking for more colour and interest but still want to have a reasonable level of trust in the information, use local traditional media outlets. ABC regularly updates its website with the latest information. ABC Darwin, The NT News and Nine News Darwin have very active social media channels through both Facebook and Twitter.

4.       A number of websites provide great professional and para-professional commentary on weather conditions as they change. Try www.northauschasers.com , the Weather Channel or Weather Zone.

5.       In Twitter, do a search for hashtags that will help you sift through information. For example, in the Top End, search for #topend which is used by many locals to help index their Tweets. Once a cyclone is declared, many Tweets will use the appropriate hashtag – for example, during Cyclone Carlos in Darwin many people used #Carlos or #TCCarlos  Just be aware that not all this information can be trusted – not because people are trying to fool you, but because not everyone has accurate information.

6.       Watch out for what your friends are saying and see what people you follow are saying. They’ll provide you with a very local weather forecast right from their own home.

Creative Territory shortlisted for international social media award

Creative Territory has been shortlisted for an international award for social media.

The Darwin-based company has been named as one of three shortlisted entries in the Public Affairs Asia Gold Standard Awards, which recognise excellence in public affairs throughout the Asia Pacific region.

The company is up against campaigns by global companies Adidas and IBM in the Social Media Communications category, the winner of which will be announced in Hong Kong on December 6.

Creative Territory has been recognised for its use of social media during Cyclone Carlos in February 2011, including the provision of information through Facebook and Twitter during the storm and its research into community information sources afterwards.

Managing director and social media commentator Tracy Jones said her company’s work has led to a greater understanding of how people in the Top End access information during emergencies in the social media age.
 

“Our research has shown that Territorians are increasingly switching to their smartphones and computers in an emergency,” Tracy said.

“When Cyclone Carlos hit Darwin, Territorians were looking to Facebook and Twitter to find out what was going on but few local organisations were there with them.

“We’ve seen an amazing turnaround since then, with authorities and the media now providing a complete social media service that not only provides information but engages Territorians in the recovery process.

“The use of Facebook and Twitter during Cyclone Carlos was 22 per cent. Just 10 months later during Cyclone Grant that had jumped to 38 per cent. More importantly, Territorians feel much better informed about what is going on as the use of social media grows.”

Creative Territory has shared its research with the local community, media and government as well as interstate and international colleagues. This work has contributed to creating a better understanding about how people access and use information during emergencies and recovery.

For more information about the awards: http://www.publicaffairsasia.net/goldstandard/index.html.

Facebook just keeps growing in the NT

By Tracy Jones

Following a dip in Northern TerritoryFacebook membership post Christmas, membership has surged again to increase by 32 per cent over the past 12 months.

There are 95,320 Territorians on Facebook, up from around 72,000 on 30 September last year and well ahead of the previous peak in December of 84,580.

Most interesting is where that growth is coming from. While teens and those in their thirties and forties have left Facebook since June, people in their twenties and those aged 50 and over have flocked to the social media network.

The green and red bars in the graph below shows the current break-up by age and gender of Facebook users as at 30 September 2012. The blue line shows total Facebook members in each age bracket as at 30 June 2012.

Perhaps it's all the new parents in their twenties sharing baby photos with their parents.

While the number of LinkedIn members remains relatively small, it has maintained its place as the fastest-growing social media platform in the Northern Territory with an annual growth rate of almost 60 per cent over the past 12 months. In Katherine, growth was 72 per cent as shown in the graph below.

It's a shame we are unable to produce reasonably reliable statistics for Twitter. Anecdotally, it appears to have experienced steadt growth, particularly among opinion makers and shapers.

Lesson from Wivenhoe Dam - emergency response only as good as the manual

As someone involved in emergency and crisis communication, I often have to work with company emergency manuals.

Some of them are great and provide a logical and easy-to-follow guide to how to cope with the emerging situation.

But some of these manuals have been written simply to comply with legislation or policy then promptly placed on the shelf.

When something goes awry they are pulled out, dusted off and handed out to the team specified in Chapter 3, Section 2, Subsection 11.4. And that’s when everyone realises that something is very wrong.

Today’s report by the Crime and Misconduct Commission into the failure of processes surrounding the Wivenhoe Dam water release and subsequent downstream flooding in Queensland is a clear and compelling example of how bad the consequences can be.

Put simply, the Commission found conflicting information and flowcharts in the manual for a series of failures and cleared the three engineers involved.

In other words, the people putting the plan in place are only as good as the plan itself (read the ABC online story about the case here).

This is a timely reminder than emergency plans are not documents designed to simply tick a box – they are living, breathing manuals that should provide a guide to those professionals at the coal face when the worst comes to pass.

Whatever your business and whatever the risk, your emergency manual will only get you through if you observe the following:

1.  Write your manual based on best practice. Allocate the task to someone who knows what they are doing, not the person with the most time to spare.

2.  Test and test again. Only through testing will you discover if the thing actually works.

3.   Train your team. Make sure everyone knows what to do and has the skills and experience to do it.

4.  Practice, practice, practice. Handling an emergency is not something most people do every day. People need to practice to gain experience.

5.  Learn and grow. Practice and testing on a regular basis will also allow you to adapt your manual for changing circumstance.

6.  Update contact lists. When an emergency happens you need to be able to contact people. If you can’t reach them, you need to contact the next person in line. That’s pretty hard when your contact list is two years old. Make it someone’s responsibility to review contact lists monthly.

6 Facebook tips to protect your reputation

By Tracy Jones

Facebook can be a booby trap for people in the public eye. And you don’t have to be famous to get caught out. I’ve seen public servants, senior executives, front-line staff and company representatives all find themselves in hot water with a simple slip of the mouse.

1.       Check your security settings regularly. Facebook is constantly changing its security settings. You need to stay on top of what you are and are not allowing others to see. Pay particular attention to the Timeline and Tagging settings, which control the level of privacy on what others are saying about you.

2.       Ditch the funny profile photo. I know of a case where two men were killed in a tragic accident. The media sourced photos of them from their Facebook profiles and plastered them all over the news – one posing in his uniform and the other obviously taken during a long Sunday-afternoon session with the boys.

3.       Be careful what you Like. Yep. That new Facebook page “I think the Government sucks and should be thrown out at the next election” was really funny. It’s just a shame you’re a public servant and your boss doesn’t agree. You might also want to think twice before Liking “I’m not an alcoholic – I’m Australian” or “If I could punch you without getting in trouble, believe me, I would”.

4.     Keep track of your friends. Remember your second cousin’s ex-girlfriend who befriended you on Facebook a few years back? She now works as a journalist for the local newspaper.

5.     Your friends have other friends. It’s a great lark when you and your friends share a “private” joke about what you got up to on the weekend. Just be aware that they have other friends who may not see the funny side. You particularly need to watch for this one if you missed point number 1.

6.     Don’t drink and drive. Don’t drive a car, a keyboard or a mouse.

Share your cyclone experience with us

How do people access information during severe weather events in the Top End? And has this changed since Cyclone Carlos last year? We’re trying to find out.

Creative Territory is encouraging people to tell us about their experiences during the recent cyclone and floods so we can find the best ways to communicate in the future.

This survey follows a similar one undertaken after Cyclone Carlos battered Darwin in February 2011, flooding properties and bringing down thousands of trees. That survey showed a growing reliance on the internet and social media as a means of accessing information. (You can see the results from that survey here)

This survey will help us understand if the trend has continued.

You can access this new survey here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Z9DQN7Z

We will publish the results of the survey along with an analysis of how information access has changed since Cyclone Carlos in February 2011 based on the survey we conducted then.

NT Facebook membership up 20% in six months

Facebook membership across the Territory has grown by more than 20 per cent over the past six months, according to the latest statistics compiled by Creative Territory.

There are now almost 85,000 Facebook users who list the Territory as their home, including 64,860 in Darwin and 12,920 in Alice Springs.

The raw data, drawn from Facebook’s advertising tool, shows more substantial increases in smaller centres such as Nhulunbuy and Tennant Creek. However, this is likely to be the result of more accurate data collection as the number of Territorians listed in “unknown” towns as dropped considerably since Creative Territory first started collating this data.

Facebook membership	Jun 11	Sept 11	Dec 11	Six-month Growth %
Total NT	69,620	72,420	84,580	21.49
Darwin	50,240	52,020	64,860	29.10
Alice Springs	10,060	10,260	12,920	28.43
Katherine	2,640	2,780	3,360	27.27
Nhulunbuy	1,280	1,380	1,960	53.13
Tennant Creek	780	880	1,160	48.72

Facebook usage is highest among Territorians in their 20s with almost 30,000 members. But don’t think that Facebook is not an effective means to reach older Territorians – there are still more than 10,000 Territorian members aged over 50.

While both men and women use Facebook at around the same rate while they are younger, women are more likely to be members as they age.

While LinkedIn continues to enjoy stronger growth than Facebook in the Territory, it has a long way to go before it catches up. At 31 December it boasted 11,091 Territorian members, about one-eighth the following.

LinkedIn Membership	Jun 11	Sep 11	Dec 11	Six-month Growth %
All major centres	8,177	9,494	11,091	35.64
Darwin	6,219	7,214	8,254	32.72
Alice Springs	1,344	1617	1845	37.28
Katherine	252	308	367	45.63
Nhulunbuy	462	555	625	35.28