Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Fishing Minister Paul Kirby says industry bodies, groups and operators will absolutely be included in further fishing law reforms

Transcript

Fishing Minister Paul Kirby says industry bodies, groups and operators will absolutely be included in further fishing law reforms · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Other amendments protecting the rights of Aboriginal landowners will passed
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: through Parliament last week. The amendment, which acknowledges the rights
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: of traditional owners to territory coasts, though leaves the industry
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: uncertain when it comes to access across the Northern Territory's waters.
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: So we know that concerns have indeed been raised about access,
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: but also about the Fisheries review and where things are
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: at when it comes to Blue Mud Bay. Now, we
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: spoke to the CEO of the Seafood Council last week,
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: we spoke to the CEO of AFANT yesterday, and we
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: also heard from the president of the king Ash Bay
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: Fishing Club who is also a business operator out there,
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: and all feel that there's been inadequate consultation with the industry,
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: leaving the future of their operations well hanging in the balance. Now,
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: the Minister for Fisheries, Paul Kirby, joins me on the
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: line right now. Good morning to you, Minister.
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie, morning everyone.
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: Now, Minister, why was this legislative amendment required last week?
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: So it's really I want to explain there's two trances
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: to this legislative changes. One was the one that was
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: done last week which purely and simply outlines the arrangements
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: that were clarified by the federal government many many years
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: ago and as an update to our act around that
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: and then ongoing and into next year will be a
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: review of the entire Fisheries Act, and that is the
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: broader consultation that will happen. That is certainly when we'll
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: be taking advice of the industry, and will be certainly
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: when we redesign the Act with better fit into whe
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: in today's modern world, and will certainly be consulting very
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: deeply and widely with people as that moves forward.
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: So, as the Minister for Fisheries, what do you think
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: that these changes mean for reck fishers and for industry
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: at this point?
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: So, as I mentioned, the changes that happened last week
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: were simply enshrining Indian Moman territory legislations and clarifying the
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: changes that have already happened about ownership of orders to
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: the low type market, all those relevant matters, a range
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: of negotiations that will continue to go as we move forward.
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: And as I said, that'll be with amateur fishows bodies,
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: with with our guided fishing tour operators, We met with
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: our ret Fishing Advisory Council yesterday to give them the
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: same assurances that they will absolutely be included in consultation
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: around the changes to the Act as we move forward
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: from this point on tape.
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: So I know that yesterday obviously, through those discussions that
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: we've had with our fan and also through the discussions
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: that we've had with the president of king ash Bay
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: Fishing Club, they are seriously concerned that they're not being
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: consulted with and that changes are going to move ahead
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: without that consultation happening. But from what you're saying to
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: me right now, when it comes to the review of
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: the Fisheries Act, those consultations haven't even started.
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: We've been on this journey. I guess it was probably
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: be about twenty eighteen when we signed a heads of
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: Agreement document down down at Catherine with everybody, with the
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: Northern Land Councils, with all of the peak fishing bodies
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: and agree that whilst we can't solve every problem for
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: every peak body, we're going to move forward together and
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: certainly as we move forward next year into redesigning the
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: Fisheries Act itself, everybody will be consoled and everybody will
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: be in the room. I can see why there's some
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: uncertainty and now often is around this and the NLC
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: do rightly negotiate on behalf of traditional loaners for access
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: and arrangements. We know that the NLC have got a
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: full council meeting in the next couple of weeks where
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: there'll be some decisions and announcements made from there. But
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: we're really confident that moving forward next year will all
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: do that together for the betterment of the industry going forward.
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: So in terms of the review, firstly, let's stick to that.
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: Where are things that or you know, when do you
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: anticipate that that genuine consultation is going to happen with
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: all of these different groups that it is going to impact,
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: I mean the Seafood Council and the likes of AFANT.
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: I would suspect very major stakeholders here and I know
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: that yesterday David Chirrovolo had told us on the show
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: that the other minister, Minister Ubo, who's obviously very much
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: involved in the negotiations with the Land Council, had said
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: that that who needs to be negotiated with, not these
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: other groups.
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: Well, so on the legislation that we passed last week.
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: Absolutely that is correct that they negotiated heavily with the
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: Northern Land Council because it was around enshrining those rights
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: that it had been dictated by the federal government many
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: years ago. As we move forward and all stakeholders need
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: to be at the table with actually exactly what will
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: happen and that will happen through the course of next year.
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: K We've got a really full legislative agenda, which means
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: getting all of our legislation done pretty tight timeline wise,
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: but we will certainly have everybody at the table when
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: we when we're doing those negotiations next year. And we
• 5:03
  Speaker 2: understand access arrangements are always a hot topic of discussion
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: here in the territory.
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: Just understand what what are nor what are recreational fishers
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: saying to you, because you are obviously the Minister for
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: Fisheries or the Minister for reck Fishing. What are those
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: you know, those people saying to you at this point
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: in time when it comes to their concerns around the
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: review but also around access to Northern Territory waterways.
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: Look, as in any negotiations and as you Okati, we've
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: got a Mountain of Enterprise Agreement negotiations on at the moment.
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: It's each party will have their positions and very easy
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: for the fishers to have their opinion and absolutely support that.
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: We do want to see access to as many areas
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: as possible through the Northern Territory. Absolutely, we want to
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: see that and that's my job is to advocate for
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: the fishows and workers closing with Selena's office and with
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: the Northern Land Council and make sure that they're the
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: deals that we can get done and land as many
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: of those access arrangements going forward as we can. It's
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: around protecting sacred sites for traditional loaners around you know,
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: can we set up extra ranger stations. How are were
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: going to monitor compliance in areas. How do we introduce
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: Aboriginal people into businesses and into you know, whether they
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: want to be tool guides or into the fishing industry
• 6:29
  Speaker 2: in some way, shape or form. There's a range of
• 6:31
  Speaker 2: things that we are concentrating on to make sure that
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: we get those negotiations done. Absolutely, we would be further
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: down the track if we hadn't had a couple of
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: years where we can't get out on the country. But
• 6:40
  Speaker 2: I know that they are. There are people from the
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: Chief Team that are pushing those negotiations to happen as
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: we speak.
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: All right, there is some serious concerns obviously from the
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: likes of our fat This is what David Girovolo, the
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: CEO of AffA, had to say on the show yesterday.
• 6:54
  Speaker 3: We're not saying not to review the Fisheries Act or
• 6:59
  Speaker 3: to make progress. See, a lot of the governments delive
• 7:01
  Speaker 3: it a lot of things to improve traditional loaners abilities
• 7:05
  Speaker 3: to run businesses on country with the reviews and changes
• 7:08
  Speaker 3: to the Aboriginal Coastal License. They've provided ten million dollars
• 7:12
  Speaker 3: to the Aboriginal Sea Company. They've reviewed and reformed the
• 7:15
  Speaker 3: objects of the Act. So the government has been delivering. Meanwhile,
• 7:18
  Speaker 3: fishes have been losing access and now we're in a
• 7:22
  Speaker 3: situation where there is more uncertainty and we are really
• 7:25
  Speaker 3: really afraid that they're going to do that by an agreement,
• 7:27
  Speaker 3: which then means later on when things arise at our
• 7:31
  Speaker 3: fundamental problems for us, they get railroaded through because they've
• 7:35
  Speaker 3: already signed a deal. So this is why people are worried.
• 7:39
  Speaker 3: There is so much uncertainty. Come January one, a lot
• 7:42
  Speaker 3: of people don't know if they're going to be able
• 7:44
  Speaker 3: to operate their businesses where they currently can operate it.
• 7:47
  Speaker 3: Recreational fishes don't know if they're going to be welcome
• 7:49
  Speaker 3: in places that they've been welcome ever since they were
• 7:52
  Speaker 3: born in the territory or ever since they've lived in
• 7:54
  Speaker 3: the territory. And it seems like it's acceptable that people
• 7:59
  Speaker 3: just find out when gets announced and they just have
• 8:01
  Speaker 3: to live with the consequences, and that really is not
• 8:04
  Speaker 3: good enough.
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: Minister, what is your response to those comments?
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: Oh, look, Kati, there's absolutely been no deals done at
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: nothing signed. There are absolutely be consultation going forward. We
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: talked with David on an almost weekly basis and did
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: as recently with that Fishing Advisory Council yesterday. Look, our
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: most popular of waterways to daily, the Big Dadelade River,
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: the mayor who all of those have long term access
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: agreements on them. We're going to continue that hard work
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: to work with the NLC and the traditional owners in
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: those areas to make sure we can get long term
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: access across as many waterways as we can through the
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: Northern Territory.
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: Well, how long until access arrangements will be firmed up
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: I mean, operators need some certainty heading into next year,
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: and territorians want some certainty heading into next year.
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: And as I've mentioned repeatedly and at the AFAN meeting
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: and at the Redfish's Committee meeting yesterday, we would be
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: a lot further down this road if it was for COVID,
• 9:00
  Speaker 2: but negotiating with traditional owners, where as you know, you
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: can't do that via video link. You have to go
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: out to country, sit and actually listen and negotiate with
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: traditional owners, and we haven't been able to do that
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: for the last few years. As I mentioned, we have
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: had seenior people from the Chief Men's Department very very
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: recently make arrangements to get out on country and continue
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: those negotiations. So I've got full confidence they will all
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: continue in the right space and time. So yeah, I
• 9:29
  Speaker 2: understand that people will have some concerns, but it's like
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: any negotiation which not only people.
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: Have concerns, but you've you've got business owners and operators
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: that are saying they do not know what it's going
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: to mean for them come January next year.
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: I understand that, Katie, and yeah, we'll certainly do everything
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: that we can to keep people informed and up to
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: date about where things are said, which there's a there's
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: a full council meeting of the Northern Land Council in
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: the next few weeks. But that's not stopping us either.
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: Will continue and theotiate continue to orchestrate to get out on
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: country and talk to people and make sure we get
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: as many of those bills done as we can. Go
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: on talk.
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: So are you confident that you know that people are
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: going to be able to access those waterways that they
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: have been fishing, you know, for their whole lives, and
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: their businesses are going to be able to you know,
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: to operate into next year. I mean a lot of
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: people questioning how are they supposed to hire staff, tourist bookings,
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: you know, what are they supposed to do at this
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: point with that uncertainty. And you're saying that there's going
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: to be that meeting, you know, before the end of
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: the year. But we're edging very closely to the end
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: of the year. I mean it's almost December.
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I understand that. And as I mentioned, I rattled
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: off those those key waterways where nothing will change. We've
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: got long term access arrangements in those in those waterways.
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: It was raised at the avent meaning the other night, Kadan.
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: Everybody knows that like traditional owners are beautiful welcoming people.
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: They want people to come to their country. They want
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: to show off their beautiful lands in their beautiful waterways.
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: They want their countries to be respected. So I am
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: extremely confident will be able to work our way through,
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: get the right deals done and make sure everybody gets
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: the right outcome out of this. But they are negotiations
• 11:13
  Speaker 2: and there is a full council meeting, so it is
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: it's a time that we need to step through gently
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: and talking about time, Kati, I'm sorry, I've got to
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: get Downderhall.
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: I just want to ask you very quickly, well Shady Camp.
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: Will people still be able to access Shady Camp? And
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: what about those concerns that have been raised around King
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: ash Bay.
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: Yeah, no, that's a really good point, yep, there is
• 11:32
  Speaker 2: so Federally the Lands Commissioner has made a determination across
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: that and said that they will grant that title. We
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: completely understand that, We completely agree with that. We have
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: written to Linda Burning to plead with her for that
• 11:48
  Speaker 2: those titles not to be granted until we have all
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: of the access arrangements at Shady Camp and those other
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: areas absolutely clarified and absolutely in place. There's a host
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: of work that has to be done physically out in
• 12:02
  Speaker 2: those areas for all of those titles to be pegged
• 12:05
  Speaker 2: and plotted before that goes ahead. So it's not going
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: to happen next week, but we have absolutely written to
• 12:09
  Speaker 2: the Federal Minister to make sure that there are no
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: grunting of those titles until all of the access arrangements
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: are sorted out.
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: So Minister, come January next year, are you confident that
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: Northern Territory fishermen are going to be able to access
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: all those waterways that they know and love, and that
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: businesses are going to be able to continue to operate.
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: We yes, certainly, we know that out the back of
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: the Northern Land Council meeting there might be some changes,
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: but we are absolutely confident will continue to work and
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: that for those the majority of those waterways that I've
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: mentioned before, we'll remain open and we'll continue to do
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: that hard work and negotiating with the traditional owners and
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: the Northern Land Council.
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: All right, Minister Kirby, just before I let you go,
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: raising the age of criminal responsibility that's expected to pass today.
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: Do you think that's in line with the community's expectations.
• 12:58
  Speaker 2: I think once the community understands that it's about with
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: those young children that are being encouraged by older people
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: to do the wrong thing, that putting them into facilities
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: is not the answer, and it's about giving those young
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: kids every opportunity. I think the broader public will understand
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: that once they hear the debates over the coming days.
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: Minister, thank you for your time this morning. I know
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: you've got to head into Parliament. We appreciate it.
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: Thanks a lot. Katie is