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Volume 10, Wednesday, September 4, 2013
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Woomera still treated as closed town By Millie Thomas
T
he Defence department’s removal of the only pokies in Woomera earlier this year was considered both a hinderance and a help, but the recent removal of TAB and Keno facilities from the Eldo Hotel has left locals reeling. ‘Censorship’, ‘closed town’ and ‘hypocrisy’ are some of the words being thrown around by residents who feel they are left with little to no entertainment in town anymore. A Defence spokesperson said gambling facilities have been taken out of the town due to recent Defence “cultural reforms”. The Woomera township was originally purpose built to service the Woomera Testing Range, but has been classified as ‘open’ since 1992. “Defence cultural reforms in recent times have reinforced
the need for Defence to review and enforce its policy regarding gambling on Defence establishments,” the spokesperson told The Monitor last week. “One of the outcomes has been to enforce a restriction on the presence of Electronic Betting Terminals across Defence establishments such as Woomera.” The spokesperson said residents were still free to access forms of gambling using phone and internet avenues. They also suggested locals seek alternative forms of entertainment within Woomera, or that residents drive the 80 kilometres to Roxby Downs to utilise facilities. Liberal Federal Member for Grey Rowan Ramsey said the move ‘seemed a bit stupid’ as not all people who lived in Woomera were Defence personnel. Labor Member for Giles Lyn Breuer said Defence seemed to continue to treat Woomera as the ‘closed town’ it
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Digital TV on the way! Digital TV came one step closer to Roxby Downs last week as the local digital tower finally got off the ground. Roxby Downs and other remote areas of central Australia will be some of the last regions to get the service, which is expected to be available by the end of September. The old analogue service is expected to be switched off by December 10. Residents are reminded to make sure they are digital ready in time for the switch. To find out exactly how the digital switch over will affect you go to www. digitalready.com.au.
was over 20 years ago. “ Woomera is essentially a defence department town, and it always has been,” Ms Breuer said. “My understanding is that rather than treating it as a town, defence seem to be treating it as a base and using their base regulations rather than treating it as a township, so that’s why the TAB has been pulled out, and the pokies. “I think that’s what it is – is the Defence department see it as a closed town, but it’s not. “I knew it when it was a closed town, but it’s a different community now.” Ms Breuer said she will work with the Defence department to help them understand Woomera is a open township. “Obviously the nature of Woomera is going to change and it has changed considerably from 20 years ago.”
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