BY JO ELLIS AND PETER JOHNSTON

DARWIN — Darwin City Council has made a significant concession to the distributors of Green Left Weekly. Council said that it will reconsider later this year the fees applying to “low impact uses” of public places by non-profit community organisations.

Council has also indicated that by-laws banning the distribution of Green Left Weekly are not likely to be enforced unless a complaint is made. As a result, distribution of Green Left Weekly in the mall has resumed, so far without harassment by council officers.

A free speech campaign was launched after a Green Left Weekly distributor was recently given a $50 on-the-spot fine for distributing information in a public place without a permit. A permits costs $10 per day per distributor. The council subsequently rejected Green Left Weekly's demand of no fees or permits for the distribution of information by non-profit organisations in Darwin's public spaces.

The council decision is a partial victory for the freedom of speech campaign, however pressure must be maintained on the council to ensure that the necessary change to the by-laws are made.

Please send letters to the Darwin City Council, GPO Box 84, Darwin 0801, fax 8941 0849, or phone Allan McGill, Darwin City Council CEO, on 8982 2511. Also write to NT News at GPO Box 1300, Darwin 0801 or fax 8981 6045, and Darwin Sun PO Box 36997 Winnellie 0821 or fax 8941 9132.

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