Territory Story Leon Loganathan & Peter Gowers

Each week we speak with Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, about some of the stories making news in the Territory. This week, Chris is on leave so we spoke with his deputy editor, David Wood. This week’s stories are: 

Minister gives TIO Stadium exemption, with no end date, from complying with Building Act 

‘Domestic dependent nations’: Treaty report proposes self-governing and law making for Territory Indigenous groups 

Entire Casuarina Police Station night crew called in sick, two officers doing second shift left to run the station: sources 

Private security guards to patrol northern suburbs and Palmerston, more money for business security upgrades 

NT Police attrition rate 10 per cent over the last 12 months, with 171 officers leaving: NTPA figures 

Territorians to be charged 2.7 per cent more for power from July 1

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Each week we speak with Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, about some of the stories making news in the Territory. This week’s stories are: 



Chalker shares his ‘heart-breaking’ position with Estimates hearings, blames ‘mistruths’ and ‘disgusting commentary’ for problems 



Vote of confidence in Police Commissioner by officers to happen in ‘coming weeks’ 



‘Figures so terrible you don’t want to tell us’: Minister refuses to release Corrections vacancies 



‘Not a reality’: Fyles Government admits no crime-reduction plan for Alice Springs 



Family groups, elders, TOs and government agencies need to solve Wadeye violence together: NT Police 



Judge rules ICAC failed to provide procedural fairness to Turf Club board member 



CLP nominate disgraced former speaker Kezia Purick to return as Speaker of the House 



Drone follows alleged drink driver home leading to arrest: NT Police


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Alan Berman is Dean of Law at Charles Darwin University. Born in the USA, Alan, comes from interesting stock. His father was Latvian American and his mother, Moroccan American. Alan is a global citizen, comfortable in both Riga and Casablanca. After finishing Law School at Duke University, North Carolina, Alan worked in Sacramento, California. But he was never comfortable as a lawyer, preferring public service. He worked on Walter Mondale’s failed bid to oust Ronald Reagan in ‘84 and then went on to accept a position teaching at Massey University, in Palmerston North, New Zealand. From there he made his foray into Australia and completed a PhD before returning to the US. But he came back to Australia and accepted various teaching roles until he was finally offered the position of Dean of Law at Charles Darwin University. This is Alan’s Territory Story.

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Each week we speak with Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, about some of the stories making news in the Territory. This week’s stories are:

1. New HR and well-being roles announced in NTPFES after delayed review into mental health

2. DIPL executive changes story on internal corruption report as ICAC conducting ‘review’

3. ICAC forced to end ‘serious’ investigation after Labor Cabinet documents withheld

4. Grey Nomads in the NT warned about Swift 500 series gas cookers after severe burns

5. NT vaccine mandate ends at midnight as public ‘health emergency’ lifted

6. Fyles says NT Independent not ‘reputable’ despite winning ‘Best News Coverage’ in the NT, ban continues

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Each week we speak with Chris Walsh, Editor of the NT Independent online newspaper, about some of the stories making news in the Territory. This week’s stories are:


‘Indefensible and lacked common sense’: NT teacher reinstated by Fair Work after losing job over COVID vaccine
NT Government to lift vaccine mandate, public health emergency to end
Lawler rejects independent engineer report into TIO Stadium, claims water pressure issue resolved but offers no proof
This is how the NT Police failed in Yuendumu the night Kumanjayi Walker was killed
‘Does not comply with expectation’: Indigenous employment scheme fraud case delayed three years by judge
Darwin’s rental market back to pre-2014 all-time high levels
NASA’s NT rockets to investigate heliophysics, astrophysics and planetary science phenomena


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Dr Sabaratnam Prathapan was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. At the age of 19 he left for the UK and completed an Honours Degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Brighton. He worked for four years as an engineer in the UK before relocating to Singapore where he took up a position lecturing at an institute of higher education.



During this period he saw a position advertised at the then Darwin Community College. He applied for the job but thought nothing further about it. Around six months later, he received a telegram inviting him to attend an interview in Darwin. He didn't know where Darwin was but he had a sister in Sydney, so he thought he would go for the interview and then go to Sydney to see his sister. He attended the interview in a suit and tie as was customary in England. His three interviewers were in shorts! Prath went onto Sydney and whilst there received the offer of employment from Darwin Community College. It was 1977. 



Prath has devoted 44 years of his life to what is now Charles Darwin University. He became Deputy Vice Chancellor but never gave up teaching. But it is not just in academics that Prath has made a contribution to the Territory. He was President of the Australian Institute of Engineers (NT), President of the Rotary Club (NT) and President of the Hindu Society. He was instrumental in building the Hindu temple and Harmony Hall in Malak, a northern suburb of Darwin.



Now in semi-retirement Prath has been nominated  District Governor of the Rotary Club, Northern Division, which takes in Central and North Queensland, as well as the Top End and East Timor. He has been married for 44 years and has two sons, both of who have established careers in the foreign service and accounting respectively.



This is Prath's Territory Story.


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