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Katie Woolf spoke with NT Farmers Association CEO Paul Burke · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Three point sixty with Katie Wolf.
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  Speaker 2: Everyone who's listening Mix one O four point nine one
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: hundred percent. We know it's been reported in the paper
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  Speaker 2: today that the peak body representing Northern Territory farmers. So
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  Speaker 2: the science has been done and the company wanting to
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  Speaker 2: develop a one hundred and fifty million dollar well horticulture
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  Speaker 2: farm on Singleton Station, which is just south of Tenant Creek,
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  Speaker 2: should be granted the water license it needs. Now joining
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  Speaker 2: me on the line to talk a little bit more
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  Speaker 2: about this is NT Farm at CEO Paul Burke. Good
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  Speaker 2: morning to you, Paul, Good.
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  Speaker 1: Morning Katie, Good morning listener.
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  Speaker 2: So Paul, what is the situation with this with this project?
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  Speaker 1: So, this project has obviously been on the cards for
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  Speaker 1: so many years now, the proponents have been more working
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  Speaker 1: through a pretty stringent environmental process and that's coming to
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  Speaker 1: completion now. They've lodged water application requests and we're now
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  Speaker 1: moving to finalizing those and getting the development underway.
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  Speaker 2: And what will this project mean to Tenant Creek but
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  Speaker 2: also I guess for our whole region.
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  Speaker 1: So it'll mean jobs and significant jobs. It will also
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  Speaker 1: mean bringing in a lot of infrastructure to the region.
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  Speaker 1: And obviously that region is one of the poorer regions
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  Speaker 1: of the Northern Territory and it's been plagued by a
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  Speaker 1: lot of social issues for a long period of time.
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  Speaker 1: But to bring a project of this scale will mean
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  Speaker 1: significant jobs and in the order of one hundred and
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  Speaker 1: thirty to one hundred and eighty full time equivalent jobs
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  Speaker 1: in the region. So it'll create an economy of itself.
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  Speaker 2: And as I understand it, we know that it is
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  Speaker 2: requiring a lot of water. Is everybody from NT farmers
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  Speaker 2: sort of on board and happy with the amount of
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  Speaker 2: water that is going to be required.
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  Speaker 1: So water is always an vexing issue, and there's always
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  Speaker 1: a lot of different views. I guess we go back
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  Speaker 1: to the water planning process and the Western Davenport Water
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  Speaker 1: Plan that was enacted in twenty eighteen that had stakeholders
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  Speaker 1: from that entire region, including the land councils, including the
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  Speaker 1: Berkley Regional Council and other growers, and that plan was
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  Speaker 1: ratified by the Minister back in twenty eighteen. And we're
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  Speaker 1: simply applying for what water that was identified as sustainable
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  Speaker 1: in that region to create development.
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  Speaker 2: So I mean, does the science sort of back it up?
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  Speaker 2: Are we going to is it going to be okay
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  Speaker 2: for it to utilize this amount of water or is
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  Speaker 2: it going to have an impact.
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  Speaker 1: Well, certainly, the science suggested that there was in excess
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  Speaker 1: one hundred and thirty eight giga leaders of water available
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  Speaker 1: in that region. So we're only looking at a percentage
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  Speaker 1: of that and so less than a third of the
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  Speaker 1: available water. And we think, you know, with that volume
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  Speaker 1: of water, we can create a significant precinct of our
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  Speaker 1: developments in that region that will really grow that region
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  Speaker 1: as one of the powerhouses for water culture and food
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  Speaker 1: development in Australia.
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  Speaker 2: Well, Paul, I want to move along to another topic
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  Speaker 2: which is making headlines all around the nation today as well,
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  Speaker 2: and that is the some of the changes to health
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  Speaker 2: Star ratings. Now I'm not sure whether you've seen much
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  Speaker 2: about this, but apparently fresh orange juice is set to
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  Speaker 2: have the same government Health Star rating as the likes
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  Speaker 2: of diet coke. Now The Australian is reporting that unless
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  Speaker 2: the fruit juice industry can convince ministers of Australia federal
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  Speaker 2: and state governments as well as New Zealand and otherwise
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  Speaker 2: at a meeting on Friday that well, orange juice, for example,
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  Speaker 2: and I'm assuming the likes of you know, our beautiful
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  Speaker 2: mangoes as well may have a part to play well
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  Speaker 2: unless they can convince them that it's you know, that
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  Speaker 2: it's that it is indeed healthy, it's going to have
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  Speaker 2: a similar star rating by the sounds of it to
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  Speaker 2: something like diet coke. It seems unbelievable.
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  Speaker 1: And I'm glad you said that, CODI. It is unbelievable
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  Speaker 1: that we're in the situation where we're actually comparing a
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  Speaker 1: diet coke or a cola product with a natural orange
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  Speaker 1: use that's one hundred percent creatures. So it makes no sense.
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  Speaker 1: We've obviously been advocating very hard across the entirety of
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  Speaker 1: Australia as a collective group, and we believe that common
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  Speaker 1: sense must prevail in this case. It just doesn't make
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  Speaker 1: any sense.
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  Speaker 2: Is it something that you know that we've sort of
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  Speaker 2: got farmers from all around Australia kind of trying to
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  Speaker 2: join forces here and really say to the government, come on, guys,
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  Speaker 2: let's be serious.
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely, and we've been reaching out to our leaders here
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  Speaker 1: in the territory now that sits with Natasha Philes. We've
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  Speaker 1: been reaching out to say that this just doesn't make
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  Speaker 1: any sense. And let's have a common sense approach. And
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  Speaker 1: we all know that if you've got a kid and
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  Speaker 1: you're sending them off to school, if you further stend
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  Speaker 1: them with a free sharine jeese or a fresh mango jeese,
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  Speaker 1: yeah than a can of cola. And I don't think
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  Speaker 1: anyone in Australia would disagree with that.
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  Speaker 2: Oh mate, I love a bit of mango in my
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  Speaker 2: smoothie in the morning. I think it's a fantastic way
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  Speaker 2: to start the day. And and you know, look, I
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  Speaker 2: actually think that. I know that there's plenty of natural
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  Speaker 2: sugars in fruit, but to me, you know, you can't
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  Speaker 2: beat some of that beautiful fresh fruit, particularly when it's
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  Speaker 2: territory growing.
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  Speaker 1: One hundreds agree, So start the day with a mango
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  Speaker 1: smoothie and finish the day with a mango dacker and
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  Speaker 1: every under happier person.
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  Speaker 2: That sounds like a great plan. Good on you, Paul.
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  Speaker 1: I like it absolutely, I know I do.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I bet well. Good good to talk to you
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  Speaker 2: again today. I really appreciate your time and no doubt
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  Speaker 2: being contact to get in the near future.
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  Speaker 1: Thanksatie, have a great day.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you. That is nt farmer's CEO there, Paul Burke,
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  Speaker 2: and yeah, this is quite unbelievable. I reckon. Ronnie, my
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  Speaker 2: producer had told me about this a bit earlier this morning,
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  Speaker 2: that the Health Star ratings. So essentially they're changing these
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  Speaker 2: Health Star ratings. I'll read you a bit more of
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  Speaker 2: this story out. So unless the fruit juice industry can
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  Speaker 2: convince ministers of Australian federal and state governments and New
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  Speaker 2: Zealand otherwise at a meeting on Friday, ossie oj will
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  Speaker 2: be a drink. Just well, it'll be a junk drink,
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  Speaker 2: despite the famous vitamin C. Now, a powerful anti sugar
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  Speaker 2: campaign is targeting fresh juice in a battle that pictures
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  Speaker 2: rising obesity concerns in Australia against jobs and the livelihoods
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  Speaker 2: of the bush. And well, this is just another nanny
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  Speaker 2: state law, says Maury citrus grower and juice manufacturer dick Eston's.
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  Speaker 2: And he goes on to say that government's managing down
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  Speaker 2: on rural Australia, killing jobs. And all these votes come
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  Speaker 2: in from these mad left city people, over educated elites.
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  Speaker 2: That's what's causing it. It's not common sense, he says.
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  Speaker 2: Now he goes on, well, It goes on to us
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  Speaker 2: say this report that the new rating of orange juice
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  Speaker 2: will be set by Health and agriculture ministers on well
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  Speaker 2: will be set by Health and Agriculture ministers who make
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  Speaker 2: up the Australian and New Zealand Ministerial Forum of Food Regulation.
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  Speaker 2: Of the ten votes, labor states are expected to back
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  Speaker 2: the lower rating and liberal states to back farmers, with
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  Speaker 2: Western Australia abstaining. Now the crucial vote still being fought
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  Speaker 2: over is Queensland. The decision comes at a time when
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  Speaker 2: health ministers are at peak power in the COVID nineteen crisis.
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  Speaker 2: I tell you, Wash, I'll be very keen to hear
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  Speaker 2: what the Health Minister Natasha Files says about this on
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  Speaker 2: the show tomorrow. She's on for the week that was.
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  Speaker 2: But you know, it seems unbelievable to me that we're
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  Speaker 2: in a situation where coke diet coke could be as
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  Speaker 2: healthy as orange juice. Goodness, gracious,