Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Opposition spokesman for fishing Bill Yan says the NT Government needs to be more open and transparent on negotiations with the NLC and changes to fishing access and reforms

Transcript

Opposition spokesman for fishing Bill Yan says the NT Government needs to be more open and transparent on negotiations with the NLC and changes to fishing access and reforms · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Joining us on the line right now is Bill Yan,
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: the member of for Namajira and also the opposition spokesperson
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: when it comes to fishing and various other things. Good
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: morning to you, Bill.
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie. Always happy to talk about fishing.
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: I bet you are. Bill. Did you just hear the
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: Minister Paul Kirby on the show and what was your
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: reaction to some of those concerns that are being raised
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: at the moment by the Amateur Fishermen's Association and the
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: Seafood Council.
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, I just listened to the Minister and the
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: Seafood Counsel on Appan have got some really really valid
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: concerns along with Ashley the President out there at King
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: ash Bad. A lot of uncertainty sitting around this whole
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: Fisheries Act change at the moment, and the govern need
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: to be a little bit more open and transparent about
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: what they're actually up to, because that hasn't come out
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: in the last week or so that we've got these
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: changes to the Act, which actually go I suppose bigger
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: than the Blue Mud Bay discussions, because the changes to
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: the Fisheries Act give rights to aquatic resources, so that's
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: outside what Blue Mud Bay is the Blue Mud Bay
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: stuff is about then access to rivers and coastal areas again,
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: and there's deals being done between government and NLC about this,
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: But what's concerning fishers and tour operators. Won't we took
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: a tour operators, So we've got to think a little
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: bit bigger picture. It's it's not just those fishing charter operations.
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: We're talking about possibly the jumping crop crews on the
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: Adelaide River, the yellow water cruises that are being run
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: throughout the place. This has the opportunity or the ability
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: to affect all of those things, and government need to
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: be in there fighting for those business owners and those
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: operators to make sure that they're going to have a
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: livelihood come one January. Bill.
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: I know that the ministers at pains to say that
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: those major waterways are not going to change, but there
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: are still some concerns being raised about the likes of
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: Shady Camp. There's also concerns being raised, like I touched
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: on about king Ash Bay amongst others. What particular areas
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: are you most worried about at this point in time
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: and do you think that there's great uncertainty around.
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: Well, there's going to be there's great uncertainty around access.
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: So we've seen some of those native title climes, those
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: land rights claims, and if you look at Shady Camp
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: as the example, the report done by the Lands Commissioner federally,
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: the wording in that is just it's crazy. The fact
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: that they actually say that sporadic use of the Shady
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: Camp barrage in ramp, that's just absolute madness. That place
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: is fact and I think, as I've said, and a
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: number of people said, it's one of the busiest ramps
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: outside of Darwin. And for government to not go and
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: call out the Lands Commissioner on that comment and say,
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: well that's probably not correct. That's a very very busy area.
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: And considering the fact that the territory government's invested needs
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: upon means at dollars into Shady Camp and the ramp
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: and the car park access for wreck fishes, to then
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: put up with the Land Commissioner saying only sporated use
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: is just it doesn't make any sense. They should be
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: out there fighting tooth and nail for those reckfishes and
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: those tour operators who specifically say use.
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: Shading Camp, well, there's going to be people listening this morning,
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: who are thinking, well, shouldn't traditional owners be able to
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: oversee who accesses those waterways.
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: Oh, look, we've never said that we don't support the
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: traditional owners in there and the land claims that are underway.
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: That's given and that comes up out of the blue
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: mud baty issues and we certainly support that. But what
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: the government needs there was to be working with in
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: LC to make sure that there's open and transparent discussions
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: and that people are kept up to date with what's
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: actually going on, because at the moment, the uncertainty is
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: now fueling all sorts of issues across various sectors that
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: the reck fishing sector, that particularly the commercial industries that
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: the Catherine Winchester has come out from ntceafood caam soon
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: said that there's a lack of investment in seafood industry
• 3:56
  Speaker 2: development here in a territory because of that future uncertainty.
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: We've got to stop that. We need those dollars coming
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: into the territory if the economy is going to grow.
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: Yeah, she'd spoken to us on the show last week
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: and had said exactly that. You know, she'd raised some
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: very serious concerns around the future and future investment when
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: it comes to you to the Seafood Industry Bill. Where
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: to from here from the opposition's perspective, and what do
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: you think needs to be happening.
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: Well, there's a couple of things caved initially spring to mind.
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: And speaking with David from AFAN, he spoke about this
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: two hundred thousand dollars report that was done into fisheries
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: here in the territory. Now that report was paid for
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: by territory government. That was according to David, and I
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: agree with me, and he's explained it to me. That's
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: been given to NLC and included as part of their
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: overall report. Well, i'll tell you what territories would like
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: to probably see that report and actually see what it says,
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: because we had that document lead to the ABC some
• 4:55
  Speaker 2: time ago. From speaking about governments and involvement, how fisheries
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: have been cut out of the legislative charge to the
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: Fisheries Act. We've got to make sure fisheries involved in
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: in these changes in the Act because they're the experts.
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: They actually know what's going on, and we need to
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: make sure that there's very very open discussion and of
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: course clear and wide consultation with all sectors of our
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  Speaker 2: wreck and commercial fishing industry p any changes to that
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: Fisheries Act going into the.
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: Future Bill today, we are expecting that the age of
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: criminal responsibility is going to be raised. Do you think
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: this is in line with the community's expectations.
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: I don't think so. Okay, and I'm speaking about my
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: community in all springs, I don't think it meets our
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: community expectations down there. What it does it disempowers the
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: police and the judiciary to be able to intervene when
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: there's behaviors of concern and actually provide a direction for
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  Speaker 2: the kids under the age of twelve to attend programs
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: and do certain things to address behaviors. So it's not
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: going to reduce crime. It's probably just going to empower
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: some of those unscrupulous people within our community to utilize
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: those younger kids to commit more crimes.
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: So, Bill, what exactly is the process today in Parliament
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: around this legislation.
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: So the government gave notice that it was going to
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: come up. We believe it's going to come on today,
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: so we'll have debate about it today, So the opposition
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: and Independence will get to have there say on what
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: we think about the legislation. Of course, government will speak
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: in support of it, and then will there'll be some
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: consideration in details to some of the causes and change
• 6:42
  Speaker 2: this act. So it could be another long day in Parliament,
• 6:45
  Speaker 2: another late night as we debate and discuss some of
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: the finer points of the legislation. But at the end
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: of the day, the government has the numbers that they've said
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: unequivocally they're going to push it through, so I have
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: no doubt we'll probably we see the change this Act
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: implemented in a Nazi diistion in future.
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: Well, it does seem as though there's a lot being
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: rammed through in this last parliamentary sitting of the year.
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: Oh it's been There's been so much pushed through last week, Katie,
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: and then what we're going to see the same this week.
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: The change to the End of Discrimination Act, also the
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: changes to Mandatory Sentencing and the Sentencing Act all pushed through.
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: None of the stuff that we raised in consideration in
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: detail was taken on board. It was just everything was
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: just ram through with Labour's numbers that are effectively doing
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: what they want, how they want it, when they want it,
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: with no thoughts to anybody else.
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: Is it time for us to look at things. You know,
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: particularly when it comes to you it's mandatory sentencing, you know,
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: the raising of criminal age and then separate separately obviously
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: mandatory sentencing. Is it time for us to look at
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: things a little bit differently the way that the government's
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: doing or or do you think that they're going the
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: wrong way.
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: I have no doubt that we need to look at
• 8:04
  Speaker 2: things differently. But I look at the stuff around the
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: change demand Tree sentencing and think, and I speak of
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: this from my history in corrections. The judiciary already had
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: the ability to push people across to programs and different
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: things rather than sending them into the customer environment, but
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: the programs had not existed, so the judiciary didn't have
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: the opportunity. Now we're seeing this change specifically to the
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: man tary sentence and in the Sentencing Act and government
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: saying well, these offenders will go and do all leader
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: this programs, Well, they don't exist where we're going to
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: get the people to deliver them. There's only limited programs
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: out there now. Tree could have used this previously if
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: they had the opportunity and couldn't. So it's like it's
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: putting the horse before the car. It doesn't make a
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  Speaker 2: lot of sense to me. This could have been done
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: if the programs had been put in place. But we're
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: here in the age of he's saying that, well, I'm
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: not going to approve and allow this to be implement
• 9:00
  Speaker 2: an until those programs are in place. Well, that could
• 9:03
  Speaker 2: be twelve months, two years, five years, ten years. We're
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: just or they'll push it through without the programs there.
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  Speaker 2: We're going to see issues with victims. We're going to
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: see victims put at higher risk because those offenders, particularly
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: in that DV space, won't get the programming and won't
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: be in custody.
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: Hey, Bill, just on a side note, have you had
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: any update or any word as to out at Holt.
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: You know that area of the prison that was obviously
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: extensively damaged in a riot a while back. Have you
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: got any idea whether it's back operational or not.
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: I'm not exactly sure, Cad. It haven't spoken to with
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: anyone out there. I know there was thirty to forty
• 9:40
  Speaker 2: million dollars in repairs after that right that went through,
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: and there's been some charges laid against some of the
• 9:47
  Speaker 2: offenders that were responsible for that. But it was always
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: going to be a very, very long and lengthy repair
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: process because I remember seeing the damage and it was
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: it was extensive the damage out there, so but mainly
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: to some office space and some education and programs delivery space,
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: so that hinders the prisons opportunity to deliver programs and
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: they had to find alternative areas to do that. So
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: you think a couple of years on that that hopefully
• 10:15
  Speaker 2: would be back up and online. But it comes down
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: as the contractors in the ability for them to get
• 10:19
  Speaker 2: in there and actually do those repeats.
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I'll be keen to find out well. Bill Yan
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: the opposition spokesperson for various portfolios, but Parks and Rangers.
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: We appreciate your time this morning.
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, great to talk.
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: Thank you,