Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Natasha Fyles On 2nd Repatriation Flight

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Natasha Fyles On 2nd Repatriation Flight · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Now we do know this morning is the day the
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  Speaker 1: second flight of Ossie Expats arrives in the Northern Territory.
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: The Quantus Dreamliner from India expected to arrive before lunch
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  Speaker 1: as I understand it. Joining me on the line to
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  Speaker 1: talk more about this and plenty of other things. The
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  Speaker 1: Health Minister and also the Tourism ministon Attasha Files.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning, Good morning, Katie, Good morning listening Minister.
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  Speaker 1: Firstly, how many people arriving on the flight from India today, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: I've been briefed this morning by the National Critical Care
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  Speaker 2: and tom Response centered as one hundred and eighty two
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  Speaker 2: Australians who've been stranded in India on this flight, arriving
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  Speaker 2: in about half an hour's time, Katie at Darwin Airport
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  Speaker 2: and they'll go through the rath terminal side so they
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  Speaker 2: won't have any interaction with members of the public, and
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  Speaker 2: then they'll be transported out to Howard Springs as we
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  Speaker 2: saw with the flight that arrived from London on Friday.
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  Speaker 1: And any babies, any kids on board this time. I
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  Speaker 1: know that last one seem to have lots of kids.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, Katie's some really tragic stories and I think when
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  Speaker 2: we talk about COVID. You know, it's had devastating impacts
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  Speaker 2: and people have been unable to attend family events and
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  Speaker 2: see family and friends. But on this flight there is
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  Speaker 2: some children that have been caught up for many months
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  Speaker 2: overseas without their parents, elderly grandparents. So as well as
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  Speaker 2: one hundred and eighty two passengers who will go into quarantine,
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  Speaker 2: there will be some family members who have flown into
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  Speaker 2: Darwin who will then join their family members in quarantine
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  Speaker 2: at Howard Springs for the full two weeks to care
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  Speaker 2: for those young children or elderly people.
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  Speaker 1: Oh wow, so we've actually got people coming here from
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  Speaker 1: interstate to go into quarantine so they can be with
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  Speaker 1: their family.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah. I'm of the understanding that there's a couple, a few,
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  Speaker 2: a very small number, but there is individuals who've flown
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  Speaker 2: into Darwin to go into that facility, and they'll support
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  Speaker 2: those individuals during the quarantine process. They've been very happy
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  Speaker 2: to do that and we've certainly accommodated that.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, So one hundred and eighty two arriving on the
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  Speaker 1: flight in about thirty minutes time. When's the next flight
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  Speaker 1: of Ossie expats arriving from overseas?
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  Speaker 2: Katie, I don't have the specific details in front of me,
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  Speaker 2: but there is a couple more flights scheduled and as
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  Speaker 2: we know from the Prime Minister's announcement, there'll be a
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  Speaker 2: number of flights through until March to get around five
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  Speaker 2: thousand Australians home from these destinations in South Africa, India
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  Speaker 2: and London, Okay.
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  Speaker 1: And we caught up with Len Nataras yesterday and we
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  Speaker 1: spoke a lot more about the different things that they're
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  Speaker 1: doing out there to ensure that everybody stays safe and
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  Speaker 1: to ensure that the wider community is as safe as
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  Speaker 1: possible as well. I know that there had been a
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  Speaker 1: bit of talk over recent weeks and recent months about
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  Speaker 1: whether we start testing the wastewater. Is that something that's
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  Speaker 1: on the agenda sort of you know, to keep an
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  Speaker 1: eye on things, or you know, is it on the cards.
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  Speaker 1: I guess as we have more people stay out at
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  Speaker 1: Howard Springs.
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  Speaker 2: So Katie, I just want to acknowledge all those staff.
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  Speaker 2: There's private contractors, there's you know, Northern Territory government officials,
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  Speaker 2: there's medical people and of course the National Critical Care
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  Speaker 2: and Trauma Response Center, and they're all doing an amazing
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  Speaker 2: job working together to keep these individuals safe. In terms
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  Speaker 2: of testing wastewater, it's something that has been discussed at
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  Speaker 2: a national level about whether we should test our seerage
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  Speaker 2: to see if there is any elements of the coronavirus.
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  Speaker 2: We do need to be careful in the sense of
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  Speaker 2: doing that, Katie, because we have people that are coming
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  Speaker 2: in from interstate that it may have had the virus
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  Speaker 2: some months ago, and that residual will still be in
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  Speaker 2: their system and it could be identified, and we don't
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  Speaker 2: want to create a situation where we find it in
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  Speaker 2: our wastewater. But we don't have a clear plan around that.
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  Speaker 2: So as anyone has any type of respiratory that feeling unwell,
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  Speaker 2: they should reach out and get tested. That testing regime
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  Speaker 2: is the best thing to keep us safe.
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  Speaker 1: So you reckon we I mean, it sounds as though
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  Speaker 1: we could have a situation where we do detect COVID
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  Speaker 1: in the waste water.
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  Speaker 2: I understand Katie that in other areas they have picked
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  Speaker 2: up COVID in the wastewater but haven't had active community
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  Speaker 2: transmission and so they then had to go away and
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  Speaker 2: identify what that is. The gentleman that we had some
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  Speaker 2: weeks back that arrived from Melbourne. He'd been cleared of
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  Speaker 2: the virus in Melbourne and then it was picked up
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  Speaker 2: in one of the tests and it was sort of
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  Speaker 2: a false positive so to speak. That type of individual
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  Speaker 2: is how you would end up picking up the virus
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  Speaker 2: in your wastewater, but it's not necessarily giving you an
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  Speaker 2: accurate representation that there is community transmission of coronavirus. So
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  Speaker 2: we'll continue to listen to our clinical experts and this
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  Speaker 2: is something that is discussed at HPBC regularly.
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  Speaker 1: Would it be something good to do though, as sort
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  Speaker 1: of a second measure to make sure that we maybe
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  Speaker 1: don't have COVID in the community that we're not aware of.
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  Speaker 2: The kadi as I said that testing is the best
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  Speaker 2: measure right now. Of course, these issues are constantly looked
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  Speaker 2: at by a health professionals and if they identify something
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  Speaker 2: that we should be undertaking to help us, we of
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  Speaker 2: course will implement that.
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  Speaker 1: Now, just sort of thinking more with your tourism had
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  Speaker 1: on for a moment, I understand that it is actually
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  Speaker 1: when you talk about those flights that are coming from
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  Speaker 1: the UK, it's actually two and a half hours less
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  Speaker 1: is my understanding to fly to Darwin. Then what it
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  Speaker 1: is to get to Perth. We know that Perth is
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  Speaker 1: traditionally a location where those Quantus flights fly in and
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  Speaker 1: out of you know, pre COVID. But given the fact
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  Speaker 1: that we're working so closely with Quantus as in the
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  Speaker 1: Northern Territory government and the federal government at the moment
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  Speaker 1: on this route, do you think that it could actually
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  Speaker 1: present opportunity for US post COVID.
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  Speaker 2: Certainly, Katie, as we start to see Australia and then
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  Speaker 2: some international destinations when it's safe to do so, open up.
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  Speaker 2: We would very much work with airlines such as Quantus
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  Speaker 2: and say why not keep coming to Darwin. We're a
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  Speaker 2: great gateway into Australia, where the gateway into Asia from Australia.
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  Speaker 2: So certainly if we can be positive and work through
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  Speaker 2: those opportunities, we will do. So.
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  Speaker 1: Is it something that's sort of on the agenda at
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  Speaker 1: the moment when you do talk with Quantus or not
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  Speaker 1: at this stage.
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  Speaker 2: Well, at the moment, Katie, we're focused on domestics, so
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  Speaker 2: making sure that we have those domestic flights reinstated and
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  Speaker 2: that there's opportunities for territorians to get travel within the territory,
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  Speaker 2: but also for people into state to get into the
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  Speaker 2: destination that they choose, whether it's Alice Springs or Darwin
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  Speaker 2: within the Northern Territory. But as we do start to
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  Speaker 2: see those international destinations open up again next year, we
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  Speaker 2: very much want to use this relationship with Quantas to
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  Speaker 2: encourage them to have flights into Darwen internationally.
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  Speaker 1: Now talking of you talking of flights in and out
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  Speaker 1: of Australia or domestically, we know that it's on the
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  Speaker 1: front page of the paper today. Avalon Airport Chief Executive
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  Speaker 1: Justin Giddings has been in talks with airlines to open
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  Speaker 1: up flights between the Northern Territory and their regional airport,
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  Speaker 1: which is of course located fifteen kilometers northeast of Geelong.
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  Speaker 1: Is this something that you'd like to see happen.
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  Speaker 2: So, Katie, that would be a commercial arrangement between Darwin
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  Speaker 2: Airport and that Avalon Airport and also for the operators,
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  Speaker 2: So whether it was Jetstar or Virgin or Quantas, those
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  Speaker 2: flight operators they would make that commercial decision. But of
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  Speaker 2: course as a government, we would be very supportive of
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  Speaker 2: new air routes coming into the territory and if we
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  Speaker 2: can assist, we certainly would do.
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  Speaker 1: So all right, well, we're going to catch up with
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  Speaker 1: him in about fifteen minutes time, so we'll find out
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  Speaker 1: where these discussions are at when we talk to Justin Giddings,
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  Speaker 1: are the CEO there of the Avalon Airport. Still on tourism,
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  Speaker 1: let's talk about the vouchers. I understand that yesterday another
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  Speaker 1: round of vouchers was announced. How's this round going to work?
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  Speaker 2: So, Katie, the next round of the tourism vouchers will
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  Speaker 2: kick off next Monday evening at eight pm. So start
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  Speaker 2: thinking about where you'd like to go in the territory
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  Speaker 2: and get ready to jump online and book your vouchers.
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  Speaker 2: And what this does is you can get an upfront
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  Speaker 2: discount of fifty percent of the total booking up to
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  Speaker 2: two hundred dollars. And so these vouchers, you apply for them,
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  Speaker 2: you're granted a voucher and you've got fourteen days to
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  Speaker 2: make a booking with one of our tourism Tourism Top
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  Speaker 2: End or Tourism Central Australia. But this round of vouchers
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  Speaker 2: will also see a bonus claim and so that's where
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  Speaker 2: if you travel over four hundred kilometers for one trip,
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  Speaker 2: you will get a further two hundred dollars return to
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  Speaker 2: you from that, so really encouraging people. We saw the
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  Speaker 2: success in the first round. It's generated over nine point
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  Speaker 2: six million dollars into an industry that's been particularly devastated
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  Speaker 2: by COVID. We're trying to get territories to travel a
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  Speaker 2: little further. The Christmas holidays for kids are coming up,
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  Speaker 2: so Central Australia really plan that getaway and take advantage
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  Speaker 2: of this opportunity.
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  Speaker 1: So yesterday we did hear from Tourism Central Australia CEO
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  Speaker 1: Daniel Rochford. We spoke about a number of things, but
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  Speaker 1: we know that there has been a number of incidents
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  Speaker 1: of crime related issues and then on Friday a group
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  Speaker 1: of views allegedly surrounded a van with tourists inside before
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  Speaker 1: allegedly indecently assaulting them. Take a listen to what Daniel
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  Speaker 1: had to say yesterday.
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  Speaker 3: We're deeply concerned, Katie, around the current situation and its
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  Speaker 3: potential impact on the tourism industry. There's no doubt about that.
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  Speaker 2: We've certainly been.
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  Speaker 3: Making our voice heard to the government and the government
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  Speaker 3: has recently launched a task Force Viper down here, which
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  Speaker 3: is about really strengthening the police efforts on the street,
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  Speaker 3: and that's warmly welcome, but we all have to get
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  Speaker 3: into a room together. They alla Springstown Council, the Northern
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  Speaker 3: Territory Government, all the providers, all the organizations have skin
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  Speaker 3: in the game here because this is not an easy
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  Speaker 3: issue to fix and we all have to work together.
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  Speaker 1: Do you feel as though that's happening at the moment
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  Speaker 1: or does more need to happen in that space.
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  Speaker 3: I think there's a lot of people with a lot
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  Speaker 3: of positive interest to try and fix this issue, but
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  Speaker 3: I think more has to be done to work together
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  Speaker 3: and be more collaborative, and that's across governments and we
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  Speaker 3: need to make sure that we involve the relative, the
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  Speaker 3: relevant business associations and also all the other non government
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  Speaker 3: organizations that have skin in the game on this issue.
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  Speaker 1: Minister, are you concerned about the impact that these incidents
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  Speaker 1: are having on tourism in Central Australia.
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  Speaker 2: Katie, there's no silver boot solutions to solving crime, and
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  Speaker 2: of course any incident is concerning. We certainly acknowledge that
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  Speaker 2: it takes hard work and persistence. We've got those. As
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  Speaker 2: Doniel mentioned, Strikeforce Viper is on the ground in our
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  Speaker 2: springs and understand that they're already getting results. We've got
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: more police which will hit the streets of Ala Springs
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  Speaker 2: in the coming week. So we certainly need to work
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: with the community and particularly those tourism operators to make
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  Speaker 2: sure that there is a safe visitor experience for people
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  Speaker 2: when in Central Australia.
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  Speaker 1: Now, I do want to ask you a question has
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: just come in from one of our listeners. It says, Hi, Katie,
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  Speaker 1: can you please ask the Health minister why workers are
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  Speaker 1: wearing gloves and only one set of gloves them washing
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: their gloves while checking domestic passenger border passes at the airport.
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  Speaker 1: This is extremely poor hygiene. No clean pens for people
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  Speaker 1: to sign the pen should have clean pen container and
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: dirty pen container and nowhere for people to discard masks
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  Speaker 1: in a controlled infection control bin. And I mean, what's
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  Speaker 1: your response to that? Is that your understanding?
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  Speaker 2: So, Katie, when I flew to Alice Springs recently, I
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: was most impressed with the public and Environmental Health and
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: the teams that were working in terms of the hygiene
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  Speaker 2: and the precautions that were taking place. But those comments
• 10:55
  Speaker 2: are concerning, so ill of course take those away and
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  Speaker 2: ask the department to make sure that all those measures
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: are in place to keep people safe and that we're
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  Speaker 2: not missing something minor.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I've got to say, when I flew back from Kansas, well,
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  Speaker 1: same situation. I thought that it was really being very
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  Speaker 1: well managed. But I'm a bit the same as you.
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  Speaker 1: I think if there are some changes that need to
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: come into play, well obviously they should. Now. Finally, I
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  Speaker 1: do just want to ask you. I know that this
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: isn't your portfolio, but we know the State of the
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  Speaker 1: State report was released yesterday by COMSEK the NT last again,
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  Speaker 1: the Chief Minister is calling us the comeback capital, but
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  Speaker 1: these reports really demonstrate that we've got a long way
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  Speaker 1: to go. How long is it going to take for
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  Speaker 1: us really to become the comeback capital?
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  Speaker 2: So, Katie, I think it's important to acknowledge that this
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  Speaker 2: report compares the Northern Territory to its own tenure average,
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  Speaker 2: which obviously includes that IMPEX construction boom. So we need
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: to make sure that when we're comparing the figures that
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  Speaker 2: we're not sort of you know, the Highest Mountain, which
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  Speaker 2: was a significant project. We certainly acknowledge we need to
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  Speaker 2: diversify the economy so that we don't see that boom
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  Speaker 2: and bus cycle in the territory. And we've seen that
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  Speaker 2: through projects in the past such as the railway and
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  Speaker 2: Philip's kind of co But we're certainly building off the
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  Speaker 2: fact that we've kept the community safe from coronavirus. It
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  Speaker 2: means that we've got the opportunity to drive economic activity
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  Speaker 2: within our communities so that we can have that economic
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  Speaker 2: prosperity as well.
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  Speaker 1: I mean taking that into account and us comparing ourselves
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  Speaker 1: to sort of ten years ago, does it show though
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: that we've made any improvement from us two years ago?
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  Speaker 2: So what it is, it's a ten year average. And
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  Speaker 2: so the economic update release recently it shows that we
• 12:27
  Speaker 2: are expected to have the strongest economic growth in the
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  Speaker 2: country next year and we currently have the second lowest
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: unemployment rate in the country. So there is some promising
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  Speaker 2: figures within that and so we certainly need to build
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  Speaker 2: upon that.
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  Speaker 1: All right, Health Minister and also Minister for Tourism, Natasha Fhiles,
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  Speaker 1: we always appreciate your time. Thanks so much for having
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  Speaker 1: a chat with us today.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you