Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Treasurer Eva Lawler says new development has been approved on Shepherd Street for student accommodation

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Treasurer Eva Lawler says new development has been approved on Shepherd Street for student accommodation · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: We know that there was a further interest rate rise.
• 0:02
  Speaker 2: The Reserve Bank lifted its official interest rate to four
• 0:06
  Speaker 2: point one percent yesterday. It's a level that's not seen
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: since early twenty twelve, and the Bank's board decided to
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: lift the cash rate target by zero point twenty five
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: of a percentage point for the second month in a row.
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: It's amit concerns that inflation is taking too long to
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: come down.
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  Speaker 1: Now.
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  Speaker 2: The Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the decision will be
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: difficult for many Australian households, stressing that the rise was
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: not the result of the federal budget or wage rises.
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  Speaker 2: Now joining me on the line is the Northern Territories
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  Speaker 2: Treasurer Evil Lawler. Good morning to your treasurer.
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  Speaker 3: Good morning Katie.
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  Speaker 2: Now, Treasurer, what impact are these rate rises having here
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  Speaker 2: in the Northern Territory from your perspective?
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, so, I think that everybody that has a mortgage
• 0:51
  Speaker 3: is absolutely feeling the cash rate rise to four point
• 0:54
  Speaker 3: one percent, and that's why is the government we put
• 0:57
  Speaker 3: in some measures around costs of living in our budget,
• 1:00
  Speaker 3: so we're really pushing to keep our power prices down.
• 1:03
  Speaker 3: That's something that we can control in the Northern Territory.
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  Speaker 3: As I said, cash rates are the Reserve Bank and
• 1:10
  Speaker 3: the Federal government. So it's something that we can do
• 1:12
  Speaker 3: which is really pushed down those power prices.
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  Speaker 2: It is a really tough one though, isn't it, because
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: you know, we are saying more and more people start
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  Speaker 2: to struggle, and I think it's really like it's Middle Australia,
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  Speaker 2: those that do have mortgages and people are having to
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: tighten their belts in ways that they've maybe not previously
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: had to.
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  Speaker 3: Well, yes, it's all I think we heard today it's
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  Speaker 3: been ten years since we've seen a four point four
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  Speaker 3: point one percent cash rate, so it's been ten years
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  Speaker 3: where we've had really low, really low, less than one
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  Speaker 3: percent cash rates. So yeah, it is. It is a
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  Speaker 3: problem for territories, it's a problem across Australia. But it
• 1:49
  Speaker 3: is a way to drive down that inflation is to
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  Speaker 3: put up those cash rates and then that's the idea
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  Speaker 3: is that it pushes down spending. That that was a
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  Speaker 3: part of the result of OVID where we saw a
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: lot of cash flushing through. So things need to be tightened.
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  Speaker 3: But yeah, I can understand, and we're all in the
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  Speaker 3: same boat around comper living, you know, whether that's your
• 2:11
  Speaker 3: grocery bill going up. And I think everybody, every family
• 2:14
  Speaker 3: is having to make some adjustments around those things, the
• 2:17
  Speaker 3: decisions they make, which is, you know, less going out
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: for dinner, maybe you know, cheaper cuts of meat, all
• 2:22
  Speaker 3: of those things that we do. But Katie, I was
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  Speaker 3: around when interest rates with seventeen percent, Yes, I really
• 2:28
  Speaker 3: do remember only having not being able to pay off
• 2:32
  Speaker 3: any interest on loans and things like that at times,
• 2:34
  Speaker 3: and having your visa card maxed down was a terrible
• 2:37
  Speaker 3: situation to be in with young kids. So absolutely can
• 2:40
  Speaker 3: empathize and understand around this. So as I said, yes,
• 2:44
  Speaker 3: and it's a position no one wants to be in.
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's tough going.
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: It is tough going for so many And I know
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  Speaker 2: that you touched on there and take that the Northern
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  Speaker 2: Territory government, you know, with the power prices, I think
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  Speaker 2: we are in a good situation here in the territory
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  Speaker 2: where at least we're not seeing those power prices go
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  Speaker 2: up enormously likes happened in other states. Treasure, do you
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  Speaker 2: reckon there is more that we could be doing in
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  Speaker 2: the Northern Territory to assist with the cost of living
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: for territorians.
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  Speaker 3: Know, I'm always happy to hear ideas from people, and
• 3:12
  Speaker 3: you know we take advice obviously from Treasury around that.
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  Speaker 3: We actually have some really good things in place in
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  Speaker 3: the territory and things like you know, the sports vouchers,
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: the back to school vouchers, all of our concessions for pensioners.
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  Speaker 3: We've got some really good concessions in place, but you know,
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  Speaker 3: we're always looking at other options and things to improve
• 3:32
  Speaker 3: that because you know, it's a double edged sword for
• 3:35
  Speaker 3: government as well. If people have more cash in their pocket,
• 3:38
  Speaker 3: people are more likely to go out and spend it.
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  Speaker 3: So you know, that's why I've just talked about restaurants.
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  Speaker 3: You know, if people have some extra cash, they're more
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  Speaker 3: likely to go out and spend that, which means more jobs,
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  Speaker 3: and that's what you want to see as a treasurer,
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  Speaker 3: more people in the territory, more jobs. So yeah, it
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: is one of those ones that but you know, the
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  Speaker 3: predictions are by the end of this year we'll start
• 3:55
  Speaker 3: to see things improve around inflation and going into twenty
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  Speaker 3: twenty four. So yeah, I think we all have to
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  Speaker 3: just hold our breath for a bitten as I said,
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  Speaker 3: ride this one out. But you know it's worldwide, it's
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  Speaker 3: not just here. And as I said, it was one
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  Speaker 3: of those results out of COVID where every country puts
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  Speaker 3: so much money into rebounding as well as things that
• 4:19
  Speaker 3: we're doing to simulate spending.
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  Speaker 2: Now, you did touch on just a moment ago you said,
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  Speaker 2: you know, more people coming to the Northern Territory and
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  Speaker 2: there has been some concerns around accommodation for international students.
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  Speaker 2: So I know that CDU Vice Chancellor Scott Bowman, he's
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: making headlines after urging territories with a spare room in
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: their homes to open them.
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  Speaker 1: Up to international students.
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  Speaker 2: It is expected that thousands of those students are going
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: to move to Darwin in the coming years, but in
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  Speaker 2: the short term, about six hundred are expected to flood
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  Speaker 2: into Darwin in the next few weeks with nowhere to stay.
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  Speaker 1: Minister.
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  Speaker 2: The government and CDU have been pushing for additional international
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  Speaker 2: students for quite some time. It was part of the
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  Speaker 2: Terci report. Why are we in a situation where there's
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: not adequate student accommodation?
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, so o, Katie, as you said, it has been
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  Speaker 3: a clear vision of our government to revitalize the CBD
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  Speaker 3: and bring more students into town. In government has been
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  Speaker 3: working on this since at least twenty sixteen seventeen, so
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  Speaker 3: you know Scott Bowman, we've heard him talking about study
• 5:20
  Speaker 3: stays and those options over the next few months or
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  Speaker 3: the next twelve months. The figures are I think between
• 5:26
  Speaker 3: six and seven hundred new students coming in. But government
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  Speaker 3: has been working. Louise McCormack, our Infrastructure Commissioner, has been
• 5:34
  Speaker 3: working on solutions. There is the Planning has approved the
• 5:38
  Speaker 3: seventy two room, eight story development in Shepherd Street, so
• 5:42
  Speaker 3: that's one option that's about to get off the ground.
• 5:46
  Speaker 3: But the government is absolutely working with a range of
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  Speaker 3: developers that have some interest. We've approved a number of
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  Speaker 3: developments previously for the CBD, so things like Palm Court,
• 5:57
  Speaker 3: Chinatown Noodle House on the Esplanade. There's been a number
• 6:01
  Speaker 3: of approvals that we've done in the past around future accommodation.
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  Speaker 3: I also suspect that some of our developers aren't jumping
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  Speaker 3: at development at the moment because we're seeing increases in
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  Speaker 3: the cost of building supplies by up to thirty percent
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  Speaker 3: and the shortage of labor as well, which is really
• 6:21
  Speaker 3: tight at the moment, So what we where we might
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  Speaker 3: have previously seen some developers who have already got approvals
• 6:26
  Speaker 3: around some developments that haven't rushed into that. That might
• 6:31
  Speaker 3: be one of the problems around that. But Louis and Formack,
• 6:33
  Speaker 3: our Infrastructure Commissioner, she's got a team that's working with CDU,
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  Speaker 3: so they have a very clear picture of the demand
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  Speaker 3: that Scott Bowman has for CDU around that. And again
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  Speaker 3: it's government's role to facilitate the process for private developers,
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  Speaker 3: not necessarily our role to compete with private developers.
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  Speaker 1: And I don't think anyone's suggesting that now people to sort.
• 6:55
  Speaker 3: Of provide some land or so a developer can come
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  Speaker 3: to our surround them at land and we might be
• 7:01
  Speaker 3: able to allocate land and then there's an opportunity for
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  Speaker 3: them to build and then to have long term leases
• 7:08
  Speaker 3: with Northern Terby Government or with CDUTH.
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  Speaker 2: So just with that, with that location on Shepherd Street,
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  Speaker 2: when are you expecting that that is going to get
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: under construction or is it a new build or is
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: it a refer No, No.
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  Speaker 3: It's a brand new build. So that has got all
• 7:23
  Speaker 3: the approvals, so it should be starting very very soon.
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  Speaker 3: So that's underway seventy two room specific student accommodation.
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I guess you know.
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  Speaker 2: The concern here is that, you know, if we do
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  Speaker 2: want to meet that seven thousand student target that was
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  Speaker 2: raised in the Tersi report, we are going to need more,
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  Speaker 2: of course than just locals offering rooms. And I know
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  Speaker 2: that you've touched on one of those projects there and
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  Speaker 2: said that Louise McCormack working with industry. But you know
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: this has been that Tersey report came out quite some
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  Speaker 2: time ago. Why are we dragging our heels well, I.
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  Speaker 3: Said, Katie. I think there's been a number of approvals
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  Speaker 3: and but I think also you know, it is costly
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  Speaker 3: at the moment to build, as we've talked about an
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  Speaker 3: additional thirty percent, So some of our people, who some
• 8:08
  Speaker 3: of our territorians who are developers, haven't jumped at those
• 8:12
  Speaker 3: opportunities around that. But you know, there is there are
• 8:16
  Speaker 3: other things that are in the pipeline. There is a
• 8:19
  Speaker 3: housing accord that's I mean obviously needing to go through
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  Speaker 3: the Senate, which the federal government is talking about a
• 8:25
  Speaker 3: million new homes in ten years. So you know, there
• 8:27
  Speaker 3: are options, and they're the conversations that we're having is
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  Speaker 3: can some of those suggestions around new builds or homes
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  Speaker 3: be around student accommodation? Could so could some of those
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  Speaker 3: be used for student accommodation in the Darwin CBD. So yeah,
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  Speaker 3: Louise McCormack's leading that team and doing a lot of
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  Speaker 3: work around that. But as you said, it's not cheap
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  Speaker 3: to actually eat it's how the new building or build
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  Speaker 3: a new builds around that. But as I said, it's
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  Speaker 3: one that there is something happening and will continue to
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  Speaker 3: work with developers and Louise has a couple she's having
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  Speaker 3: some good, strong conversations around around options that the territory
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  Speaker 3: might be able to facilitate around land and then building.
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  Speaker 3: So there are things. When the time's we'll obviously make
• 9:11
  Speaker 3: announcements around that.
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  Speaker 2: And look, I guess what people will be wondering is
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  Speaker 2: are we going to have adequatesh and enough accommodation for
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: international students when the new CDU campus is complete, Because
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: you know, we do want international students here, we do
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  Speaker 2: want to see the town flourishing, but we've got to
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: make sure that there's somewhere safe for them to live.
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  Speaker 3: Yes, one hundred percent absolutely agree on that we know
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  Speaker 3: the value of having international students for the economy let alone,
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  Speaker 3: you know the vibrant multicultural community having young people in
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  Speaker 3: our CBD. So yes, government's very much aware of that.
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  Speaker 3: As I said, Louis McCormack at one of our great
• 9:45
  Speaker 3: public servants, is working very hard around this issue.
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  Speaker 2: I know the CLP did say yesterday they'd come out
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: and said that we could be capitalizing on the high
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: commercial vacancies in the Darwin CBD and create an immediate
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: framework that will allow the streamlined conversion of commercial to residential.
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: Is that something that the Northern Territory government is looking.
• 10:05
  Speaker 3: At, that's already happened, that can already happen. I was
• 10:09
  Speaker 3: actually quite confused when Leah came out talking about that,
• 10:11
  Speaker 3: the leader of the opposition. So there's already buildings that
• 10:14
  Speaker 3: have been repurposed so people would understand the Hate hotel
• 10:18
  Speaker 3: and those apartments in Smith Street. So that was during
• 10:23
  Speaker 3: the impacts when there was a strong demand for accommodation.
• 10:26
  Speaker 3: In Palmerson, there's Baywood Plaza which has a retail down
• 10:31
  Speaker 3: the bottom and some office down the bottom. It used
• 10:33
  Speaker 3: to have on its second the next floor up office
• 10:36
  Speaker 3: accommodation that's been turned into bedsits, So there is you know,
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  Speaker 3: as long as as long as the building owners comply
• 10:44
  Speaker 3: with the National Construction Code guidelines around that that's already
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  Speaker 3: in place. And as I said, we have examples where
• 10:51
  Speaker 3: there's already work being done to convert office accommodation into
• 10:56
  Speaker 3: residential or to as I said, apartments and things, so
• 11:00
  Speaker 3: that one absolutely can happen. And if there are any
• 11:03
  Speaker 3: landholders or in the CBD, absolutely have some conversations with
• 11:09
  Speaker 3: either myself or Louise McCormack. Very open to those conversations.
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: Minister.
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  Speaker 2: Let's move along because there is a few other things
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: I'd like to get your take on. But one of
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: the things that got a few of our listeners well
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: really quite concerned a couple of weeks ago was the
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: situation on school counselors. Are you able to give us
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: a bit of an update or is there a bit
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: of an update on the situation with those school counselors.
• 11:31
  Speaker 3: Yes, so, Katie, I absolutely must emphasize that counselors must
• 11:35
  Speaker 3: be in schools. You know, it's my role as minister
• 11:38
  Speaker 3: and the Northern Territory Government's role as elected government is
• 11:41
  Speaker 3: to set the policy position. It's then up to the
• 11:44
  Speaker 3: CEO and the department who then implement those policy decisions
• 11:48
  Speaker 3: and operationalize those policies. So I can assure people your
• 11:52
  Speaker 3: counselors will not be removed from schools. We all absolutely
• 11:56
  Speaker 3: understand the value of counselors. You know that work around
• 11:59
  Speaker 3: the social well being of young people in our schools
• 12:03
  Speaker 3: is absolutely important.
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  Speaker 2: Are they going to be based at the Mitchell Center though,
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: and then sort of sent out to rove around.
• 12:10
  Speaker 3: No, they aren't. They will be in schools. Have been
• 12:13
  Speaker 3: absolutely adamant about that. As I said, that's our policy
• 12:17
  Speaker 3: position is to have that additional support, whether it's school nurses,
• 12:21
  Speaker 3: whether it's school based constables, or whether it's counselors. Schools
• 12:27
  Speaker 3: need those additional resources. They're part of the whole puzzle.
• 12:30
  Speaker 3: I mean, a school will have a well being planned.
• 12:32
  Speaker 3: They will you know, in their curriculum they'll talk about
• 12:35
  Speaker 3: well being and how to be resilient and you know,
• 12:38
  Speaker 3: all of those things around the health and well being
• 12:40
  Speaker 3: of young people. They have policies in place, but it's
• 12:43
  Speaker 3: also the culture of the school. You know, that zero
• 12:45
  Speaker 3: tolerance to bullying, you know, supporting and celebrating the diversity
• 12:49
  Speaker 3: of their student population, whether it's students with disabilities or multicultural.
• 12:53
  Speaker 3: But absolutely those counselors will stay in schools.
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: But we also did the department.
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: Was the Department doing something contrary to what you wanted
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: in terms of talking about them being based out of
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: the Mitchell Center, because that was a really big concern
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: that was being raised both by the Council of Government
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: Schools COGSOIT and also by students.
• 13:14
  Speaker 3: Yes, yes, I mean obviously heard Ladline and clearly from
• 13:18
  Speaker 3: a range of people around that. I think the issue
• 13:21
  Speaker 3: is that there's a national shortage of qualified professionals, whether
• 13:24
  Speaker 3: that's social workers or ots or speech therapists. There is
• 13:29
  Speaker 3: an absolute shortage across Australia child psychologists in all of
• 13:33
  Speaker 3: those areas, so all those areas that support the young
• 13:36
  Speaker 3: people with their mental health. So I think what the
• 13:39
  Speaker 3: Department was doing was trying to manage the shortage, but
• 13:44
  Speaker 3: also where there was a vacancy, say at Nightclift Middle School,
• 13:49
  Speaker 3: trying to move staff between those and manage it that way.
• 13:52
  Speaker 3: But as I said, it then obviously worried people that
• 13:54
  Speaker 3: their counselor that they had in their school, whether that
• 13:57
  Speaker 3: was Casualina Senior College would be removed. So we've been
• 14:02
  Speaker 3: very clear about that. The Department's now doing a national
• 14:05
  Speaker 3: recruitment campaign around that. We're also in discussions with the
• 14:08
  Speaker 3: department around ideas to look at how they can get
• 14:13
  Speaker 3: how they can support and train people to become those
• 14:17
  Speaker 3: allied health professionals as well, So whether that's through scholarships
• 14:21
  Speaker 3: or opportunities for them to be on the current wage
• 14:25
  Speaker 3: where they are, but to get those qualifications because we
• 14:28
  Speaker 3: do know there's a shortage whether you're waiting for your
• 14:30
  Speaker 3: child to be assessed for speech or ot. But yeah,
• 14:34
  Speaker 3: very clear that those counselors must remain in schools.
• 14:37
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it is so incredibly important. We know
• 14:39
  Speaker 2: that they do a phenomenal job. Now, Minister, before I
• 14:42
  Speaker 2: let you go this morning, just a couple of quick ones.
• 14:44
  Speaker 2: Yesterday the Children's Commissioner released a position paper on restraint
• 14:48
  Speaker 2: chairs and spi hoods, calling for their prohibition to be
• 14:51
  Speaker 2: enshrined in law. Does an Athern Territory government have any
• 14:55
  Speaker 2: plans to do this?
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: No, we don't. The band spittled for you detention facilities
• 15:01
  Speaker 3: and for young people. That was a decision of Cabinet
• 15:04
  Speaker 3: so you know, that is an absolute decision of Cabinet
• 15:07
  Speaker 3: that we've put in place. So at this stage there
• 15:10
  Speaker 3: is no plans around putting that in legislation.
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: I mean, we've got to make sure our police are
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: protected too, right, you know, stare being spat at. It's disgusting.
• 15:19
  Speaker 3: Oh, I think absolutely all our front line I mean,
• 15:23
  Speaker 3: and I include teachers in when I talk about frontline,
• 15:26
  Speaker 3: I also include teachers in frontline. Often we talk about
• 15:29
  Speaker 3: ambos and fieries and our police, but our teachers and
• 15:32
  Speaker 3: health workers. But also I'd like to include teachers in that.
• 15:35
  Speaker 3: It is a disgusting thing to do and I think
• 15:37
  Speaker 3: all territorianes agree around that. So you know, police have
• 15:41
  Speaker 3: previously reviewed what they're doing in their watch houses, they
• 15:44
  Speaker 3: have modernized their processes, but it has to uphold the
• 15:48
  Speaker 3: safety of our police and we know those in custody
• 15:51
  Speaker 3: as well. And I think we all agree it's absolutely
• 15:54
  Speaker 3: disgusting and we absolutely support our police around that.
• 15:57
  Speaker 2: A lot of concerns being raised at the moment as well.
• 16:00
  Speaker 2: We've had quite a few calls and messages about this,
• 16:02
  Speaker 2: and I know that it is a federal government responsibility.
• 16:05
  Speaker 2: The lights of the Berkley Highway. But we're being told
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: that there's massive potholes around the place.
• 16:12
  Speaker 3: Yes, so that we do gain. I often get lots
• 16:16
  Speaker 3: of text messages and emails around potholes. So the diple
• 16:19
  Speaker 3: have a plan around what their road repairs. And obviously
• 16:23
  Speaker 3: they've been very much focused on where they've had to
• 16:26
  Speaker 3: literally rebuild roads in that kal KORINGI that area, but
• 16:30
  Speaker 3: they continue to roll out upgrades. I know the Stuart
• 16:34
  Speaker 3: Highway has been a priority for them as well as
• 16:36
  Speaker 3: I drove between Tenant Creek and Alice Springs recently and
• 16:39
  Speaker 3: there's some washout areas there that they are working on.
• 16:42
  Speaker 3: So but yet, let any of listeners let them know
• 16:45
  Speaker 3: anybody listening. You know, you can on the Dipple's website
• 16:50
  Speaker 3: there's a complaints aureo, an area where you can actually
• 16:54
  Speaker 3: notify and we'll we'll get onto it. But there is
• 16:57
  Speaker 3: a plan around that work. And as I said prior,
• 17:00
  Speaker 3: I think some of the bigger areas. But yes, understand
• 17:02
  Speaker 3: around potholes, it's something when you've had a big wet
• 17:05
  Speaker 3: that's inevitable almost.
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it is. And pleased to hear that that work
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: is getting underway. Minister.
• 17:11
  Speaker 2: Before I let you go it is thank you first
• 17:13
  Speaker 2: responded day. Obviously we just touched on the wonderful work
• 17:16
  Speaker 2: that our first responders do. But do you have a
• 17:18
  Speaker 2: message for our first responders this morning?
• 17:21
  Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely grateful for the work you do. None of
• 17:23
  Speaker 3: us ever want to be in the situation where we
• 17:26
  Speaker 3: need an ambulance or we need to need police, but
• 17:30
  Speaker 3: absolutely grateful for the work our first responders do. My
• 17:34
  Speaker 3: husband was a firefighter for thirty five years and I
• 17:37
  Speaker 3: know how difficult that work was at times. But thank
• 17:39
  Speaker 3: you to all our first responders.
• 17:41
  Speaker 2: Well Treasurer and also Minister for various portfolios, Evil Lawler,
• 17:46
  Speaker 2: We really.
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: Appreciate your time this morning. Thanks for coming on the show.
• 17:49
  Speaker 3: Thanks Katie, thank you