Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Regional Controller Danny Bacon says hundreds of evacuees from the Gregory District are being accommodate at Howard Springs with damage assessments underway in communities

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Regional Controller Danny Bacon says hundreds of evacuees from the Gregory District are being accommodate at Howard Springs with damage assessments underway in communities · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: As we know, an emergency was last week declared for
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  Speaker 1: the Gregory District for the communities. Now just make sure
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: we've got the right line here for various communities, and
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  Speaker 1: we also know the Upper Victoria River had reached major
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  Speaker 1: flood levels with seven hundred people evacuated. To Darwin and
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  Speaker 1: Catherine and joining me on the line to keep us
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  Speaker 1: up to date with exactly what is going on is
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  Speaker 1: the acting Assistant Commissioner Danny Bacon, who is in the
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  Speaker 1: I think it's the Emergency Management Center. Good morning to you, Danny, Morning,
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  Speaker 1: Daddy Nate, thanks so much for your time this morning.
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  Speaker 1: Sorry about that phone line. Now, let's find Assistant commissioner.
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  Speaker 1: How many people ended up having to be evacuated.
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  Speaker 2: I'm just on a six hundred we were evacuated. All
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  Speaker 2: the ones that have been sent to the National Center
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  Speaker 2: of National Resilience was five hundred and thirty four. People
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  Speaker 2: are being housed there and a small number of gone
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  Speaker 2: to family friends or are in medical facilities lifting conditions.
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  Speaker 2: So but yeah, this significant amount of people will evacuate,
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  Speaker 2: it is it's.
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  Speaker 1: A massive number. Really, did any end up having to
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  Speaker 1: go to the Foski Pavilion or are they all at
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  Speaker 1: the Center for National Resilience.
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  Speaker 2: Everyone's at the Center of National Resilience, And initially we
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  Speaker 2: set up Foski's because we were able to stand that
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  Speaker 2: up immediately, so the first ones that were able to
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  Speaker 2: be evacuated out went there initially, but that has since
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  Speaker 2: been closed down. That will remain as a steam by facility,
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  Speaker 2: as a number of other facilities would also be as
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  Speaker 2: part of our long term planning for events of this nature.
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  Speaker 1: So how are things going currently out there at Howard
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  Speaker 1: Springs in terms of that just under six hundred people
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  Speaker 1: that are out there, how are they all settling?
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  Speaker 2: They're selling rather well, it's basically it's another small community
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  Speaker 2: within a community. Obviously not obviously, but the community members
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  Speaker 2: from Calceringy, darg Ragu and Pigeonhole within the CNR, they're
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  Speaker 2: getting i suppose adjusted to life within the CNR environment
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  Speaker 2: and we would be looking at trying to transition them
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  Speaker 2: back to community as soon as it's safe to do so.
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  Speaker 2: So the center themselves is being run by the Welfare team,
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  Speaker 2: which is fantastic. They're organizing a range of activities to
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  Speaker 2: try and provide some form of normality in life there.
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  Speaker 2: And yeah, that's kids going to school, activities for the
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  Speaker 2: young ones and the ng things of that nature. So
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  Speaker 2: it's good to say, yeah, so.
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  Speaker 1: We have got some of those young people heading off
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  Speaker 1: to school. What's the sort of setup to keep them
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  Speaker 1: in that normality.
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  Speaker 2: Well, there's one hundred and twenty five kids that from
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  Speaker 2: the center we going to a number of pop up
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  Speaker 2: schools today around Darwin. I think they'd be very excited
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  Speaker 2: but also be a little bit nervous in that process.
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  Speaker 2: And the younger ones have all been sort of set
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  Speaker 2: up to a variety of creation activities from that as well,
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  Speaker 2: and that sort of sure that they have their normal
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  Speaker 2: routine in place, but also gives appearances a bit of
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  Speaker 2: a break as well.
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  Speaker 1: You can all understand, I certainly can. I've got kids
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  Speaker 1: that are probably that age, so I can only imagine
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  Speaker 1: how they must be feeling after being evacuated from their communities,
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  Speaker 1: and then you've got the kids running around and you know,
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  Speaker 1: looking for things to do. So I think that that
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  Speaker 1: is really a good way of doing it. Now, Acting
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  Speaker 1: Assistant Commissioner tell us, do you have any idea at
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  Speaker 1: this point in time the extent of the damage to
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  Speaker 1: those communities where people have been evacuated from well.
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  Speaker 2: Certainly the image declaration remains in place for Calking, Dagga,
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  Speaker 2: argue Yarrown, Pigeonhole and Plumper. Probably the significant damage is
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  Speaker 2: caused to the Darga, Argue and Pigeonhole communities, which receives
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  Speaker 2: significant inundation to majority of the dwellings quite often up
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  Speaker 2: to roof height CALCARINGI probably about fifty percent of the
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  Speaker 2: dwellings from that. So in essence, there has been a
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  Speaker 2: quick rapid assessment, but that needs to be some further
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  Speaker 2: in depth assessment of those particular dwellings just to make
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  Speaker 2: sure that they are safe for residents. You'll need to
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  Speaker 2: qualified electrician and arrange difference so as well as to
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  Speaker 2: make sure that they are safe to be re housed
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  Speaker 2: again within those particularly dwellings. But also we need to
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  Speaker 2: make sure that the infrastructure in the community can sustain
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  Speaker 2: the community returning to normality. And that's the only series.
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  Speaker 2: Ship power and the light makes sure that the loads
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  Speaker 2: here can take a return to the community as we
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  Speaker 2: need be. So I don't have a specific date, but
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  Speaker 2: what we will be doing is transitioning from a response
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  Speaker 2: to a recovery phase. But I would submit that that's
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  Speaker 2: going to be a part transition, and probably the communities
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  Speaker 2: that haven't been impacted as much as in Calcaring, you've
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  Speaker 2: probably see much a bit more of a staggered approach there.
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  Speaker 2: But certainly for the residence of Daga, Ragua and Pigeonhole,
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  Speaker 2: I think there'll be a longer period of time before
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  Speaker 2: we can get them back to their communities.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, right, Like, how long are we thinking?
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  Speaker 2: I'd hate to put a figure out, I really do.
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  Speaker 2: Until we get a full assessment on the ground, Katie,
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  Speaker 2: until we can actually examine you know, the series ponds
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  Speaker 2: that the power station to see you know, what's damage,
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  Speaker 2: If it's damaged at all, can it be repaired? And
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  Speaker 2: so until we can sort of do that full assessment,
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  Speaker 2: I think by placing a timeline on it, unfortunately may
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  Speaker 2: create on intations which may not be able to be managed,
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  Speaker 2: both from community people that want to return back as
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  Speaker 2: quick as possible. So yeah, until that full assessment can
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  Speaker 2: take place, they can't provide an outcome.
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  Speaker 1: And are the residents sort of bracing to have to
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  Speaker 1: rebuild from scratch or how they're feeling at this point
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  Speaker 1: from what they're telling you guys.
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  Speaker 2: Oh, certainly the very distressing for the evacuees themselves. You know,
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  Speaker 2: a lot of these people lost everything. You know, there's
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  Speaker 2: some residents obviously within kal Karingi that that weren't inundated,
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  Speaker 2: but majority of the dwellings were. So there's various degrees
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  Speaker 2: of what people have lost. They're all unsure of what
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  Speaker 2: they're going to return back to, as anybody would, and
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  Speaker 2: so it's about trying to keep that information to them
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  Speaker 2: as best we can and trying to actually a provide
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  Speaker 2: some form of normality for them in the evac center,
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  Speaker 2: but also trying to provide some information for them to
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  Speaker 2: return home and what that may look like and how
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  Speaker 2: we can support them in that transition.
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  Speaker 1: And what are we expecting this week when it comes
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  Speaker 1: to the weather. From those briefings that you've had with
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  Speaker 1: the Emergency Operations Center and with the Bureau, what are
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  Speaker 1: we expecting this week when it comes to the weather.
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  Speaker 2: Well, initially, I suppose our immediate concern for the for
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  Speaker 2: our emergency response is a watching breath, particularly for Timber
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  Speaker 2: Creek posts. The water going past of the river bathhouse
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  Speaker 2: that's still not expected to peak until Tuesday and Wednesday.
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  Speaker 2: Although I rising slowly So what's that look like for
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  Speaker 2: on the track for Coulibar Station, Viture Station and tim
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  Speaker 2: mcreek community itself. So keeping an eye on that watching
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  Speaker 2: brief for a number of other communities, particularly where below
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  Speaker 2: is that's still going to provide signing the amount of
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  Speaker 2: rain across the top end. But I'm not overly concerning
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  Speaker 2: the information like currently have before me of any other
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  Speaker 2: sort of community being in undated or flooded. So Tim
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  Speaker 2: mccreek probably our watching brief at this particular point in time.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, right, Well, we will catch up with the Bureau
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  Speaker 1: of Meteorology a little bit later this morning as well.
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  Speaker 1: Now what are we what's the situation right now as
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  Speaker 1: well when it comes to the rail line because I
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  Speaker 1: as I understand that the public are being advised that
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  Speaker 1: a two hundred meters section of the rail lines being
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  Speaker 1: washed away north of Tenant Creek due to flooding. So
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  Speaker 1: what's the situation at the moment.
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  Speaker 2: Well's exactly that, Cuddie. It's just north of Tenant Creek
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  Speaker 2: Judon Meet as a section of rail line has been
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  Speaker 2: washed away. Advice is that will take it least four
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  Speaker 2: to five days for that to be repaired then inspected
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  Speaker 2: to make sure that there's no other issues with it.
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  Speaker 2: So at the moment, the particularly the freight, they'll be
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  Speaker 2: looking it offloading in Ours Springs and that'll be through
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  Speaker 2: a road transport. The Stuart Highway is currently open, so
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  Speaker 2: it's the Barkley were where the Victoria Highway is currently
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  Speaker 2: closed at the Buntei and Highway turn off, and for measures,
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  Speaker 2: we've also closed the Victoria Highway at the border of
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  Speaker 2: Wa And that's just so we don't we stop people
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  Speaker 2: coming into Timbercreek being the next town, and just so
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  Speaker 2: we don't reduce the critical infrastructure or goods sort of
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  Speaker 2: stuff in case we need to sustain them for a
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  Speaker 2: period of time during their isolation.
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  Speaker 1: And Danny, what's that going to mean for us when
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  Speaker 1: it does come to freight and food and things like that.
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  Speaker 1: Do we have any idea at this point? Is it
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  Speaker 1: going to be disruptive all?
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  Speaker 2: Certainly disruptive now. So I'm very comfortable with the functional
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  Speaker 2: groups that focus on critical goods and services and communities
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  Speaker 2: and in the top end are used to being isolated
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  Speaker 2: during the wet season normally, So I'm very comforfable that
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  Speaker 2: they've got a lot of processes and plans in place
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  Speaker 2: to have looked at alternative methods, be that air freighting,
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  Speaker 2: in barging, or as we're doing with the railay at
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  Speaker 2: the moment, reverting the road when needed. So there still
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  Speaker 2: needs to be a number of coordinated points to that.
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  Speaker 2: There really does, given the signial amount of rainfall we
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  Speaker 2: have for this particular event. But I'm very coforfable that
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  Speaker 2: I have said that the teams involved in that functional
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  Speaker 2: group well across the issues there at the Canter Measure
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  Speaker 2: that well.
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  Speaker 1: Acting Assistant Commissioner and also the regional controller with the
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  Speaker 1: Emergency Operations Center, Danny Bacon. We always appreciate your time.
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  Speaker 1: Anything else we should be aware of quickly before I
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  Speaker 1: let you go.
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  Speaker 2: The only thing is is I said flood and forget it.
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  Speaker 2: Please stay off our road network if there's no need
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  Speaker 2: to travel at all. You know, we've had to divert
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  Speaker 2: rescue choppers for evacuations for people that were bogged on
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  Speaker 2: the road over road network as well. So don't you
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  Speaker 2: know into a river crossing that that's over the road
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  Speaker 2: your own safety, but also that we don't have to
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  Speaker 2: divert resources to rescue you as well.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, whereabouts did that happen.
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  Speaker 2: Oh, I had that occurred during the evacuation process of
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  Speaker 2: calcuering itself. Just a vehicle was stranded along the roadway,
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  Speaker 2: which we had divert one of the helicopters to rescue
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  Speaker 2: those particular individuals. We've just took that away from our
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  Speaker 2: immediate task of evacuating. Caltering you that's on.
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  Speaker 1: Must be a bit frustrating when people do that. I
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  Speaker 1: mean I listened to that and think, oh goodness mate,
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  Speaker 1: why would you try and drive through flooded waterways and
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  Speaker 1: then ending up having to have the you know, the
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  Speaker 1: emergency those that are organizing the evacuation come and rescue
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  Speaker 1: you would be a bit embarrassing.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't think it was intentional. All the parties
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  Speaker 2: already don't. But I'm just asking, you know, if there
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: really is the need to travel. If there's not, please
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  Speaker 2: don't travel. Particularly the road network certainly is saturated during
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: this time of year anyway, as you're well aware, through
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  Speaker 2: iceolated storms, rivers go up and down very very quickly.
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  Speaker 2: If there's no need to travel, don't travel. And as
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  Speaker 2: I said, if it's flooded, forget it, because we don't
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  Speaker 2: become a statistic.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, very good advice indeed well Danny Bacon, the regional
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  Speaker 1: controller at the Emergency Operations Center and also acting Assistant Commissioner.
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  Speaker 1: We always appreciate your time. Thanks so much for coming
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: on this morning.
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  Speaker 2: Thanks very much, Katie, thank you.