Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie Woolf spoke with Northern Land Council CEO Marion Scrymgour

Transcript

Katie Woolf spoke with Northern Land Council CEO Marion Scrymgour · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie wolf On Mixed one oh four
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: point nine thanks to Joyce Main Darwin. Joining us live
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: in the studio is the CEO of the Northern Land Council,
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Marion Scrimjaw.
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: Good morning, Good morning Katie.
• 0:13
  Speaker 3: Now Marion, some good news.
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: It looks as though, following on from the consultations with
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: traditional owners of sea country in the Mini Mini and
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: the East Alligator River regions, a decision has been made
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: for wreckfishes and also for those tour operators.
• 0:28
  Speaker 4: It certainly has and can I say these the meetings
• 0:32
  Speaker 4: that we had last week had been planned for some time,
• 0:37
  Speaker 4: so it was good for me to join those meetings
• 0:40
  Speaker 4: and to make sure given that the importance of getting
• 0:45
  Speaker 4: a decision.
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: It was important for me to be involved in that.
• 0:49
  Speaker 4: And look, traditional owners were really clear that they don't
• 0:53
  Speaker 4: have a problem with access, but there are some long
• 0:56
  Speaker 4: term access agreements and issues that we need to put
• 1:00
  Speaker 4: on the table and make sure happens.
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: And so it does mean that there is essentially now
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: access for hundreds of kilometers of some of those prime
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: fishing grounds in those areas they were previously closed or
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: subject to further consultation. So no doubt wreck fishes, and
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: also those tour operators will be pleased that there is
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: that certainty.
• 1:21
  Speaker 4: Absolutely, and I think that for a lot of people.
• 1:25
  Speaker 4: We're heading towards the easter break people, there'll be a
• 1:29
  Speaker 4: lot of traffic going out there. Traditional owners have always
• 1:33
  Speaker 4: just said, we just need people to register and do
• 1:35
  Speaker 4: the right thing, and I think most fishermen will do that.
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: I think they'll do the right thing.
• 1:40
  Speaker 4: They now have access to a fantastic lot of waterway
• 1:46
  Speaker 4: down to those traditional owners who have been open to
• 1:50
  Speaker 4: allowing that access to happen and Marion.
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: This obviously means that there's going to be permit free
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: access until the end of twenty twenty two.
• 1:58
  Speaker 3: What happens after that.
• 2:00
  Speaker 4: One of the discussions that we've had with a lot
• 2:03
  Speaker 4: of the traditional owners, Katie, not just in the Mini
• 2:07
  Speaker 4: Mini or East Alligator, but we're saying across the board,
• 2:12
  Speaker 4: we need to start having the discussions now about long
• 2:16
  Speaker 4: term access agreements and what does this mean for traditional
• 2:20
  Speaker 4: owners but also fishermen, so that we get that out
• 2:23
  Speaker 4: of the way well before the end of twenty twenty two,
• 2:26
  Speaker 4: so that you know, announcements can be made and everyone
• 2:31
  Speaker 4: can have this access and certainty but traditional owners want
• 2:35
  Speaker 4: that certainty just as much as fishermen. So we'll start
• 2:38
  Speaker 4: the conversation immediately about long term axis agreements and how
• 2:42
  Speaker 4: this might you know, what this will mean going forward
• 2:46
  Speaker 4: beyond December twenty twenty two.
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: And there has been some criticism of the Northern Territory
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: Government that maybe they haven't done enough consultation with traditional owners.
• 2:57
  Speaker 3: From your perspective, have they?
• 3:00
  Speaker 4: I think there's two two aspects to this, Katie. I
• 3:03
  Speaker 4: think the consultation that we're doing is part of our
• 3:06
  Speaker 4: statutory role, so it's really important that that's not blurred
• 3:11
  Speaker 4: with anti government or anyone else talking to traditional owners.
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: So I think, look, I'm not sure.
• 3:21
  Speaker 4: What discussions the Northern Territory Government should have with traditional owners,
• 3:25
  Speaker 4: but I know that the Fisheries Department over many years
• 3:29
  Speaker 4: has had discussions with traditional owners in terms of fishing
• 3:33
  Speaker 4: access and different options with coastal licenses and programs like that.
• 3:41
  Speaker 4: But this is specific to the Northern Land Cancil's statutory role.
• 3:45
  Speaker 4: So it was important that we carry out this work.
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: And have the government been working closely enough with the
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: NLC as well.
• 3:52
  Speaker 4: Married We've had a number of discussions with the Northern
• 3:57
  Speaker 4: Territory Government, Katie, and we'll continue to have those discussions.
• 4:01
  Speaker 4: We've now got a lot of work to do with
• 4:03
  Speaker 4: all of the industry stakeholders, including the Northern Territory Government,
• 4:08
  Speaker 4: on the legislative reform that I think we need to
• 4:10
  Speaker 4: put in place within the next twelve months.
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: Now, how's that registration process been going since it was
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: implemented a couple.
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: Of weeks ago, Well, fantastic.
• 4:19
  Speaker 4: I've you know, like the response that you get from
• 4:22
  Speaker 4: people is that they've gone online, they've registered, it's been seamless,
• 4:28
  Speaker 4: it's been painless, and people have got their response back.
• 4:31
  Speaker 4: So look, and that's the aim is that this shouldn't
• 4:36
  Speaker 4: be an onerous process. It is simple, and it gives
• 4:42
  Speaker 4: people free access or permit free.
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: Access, I should say, up to twenty twenty two.
• 4:47
  Speaker 4: So I encourage everyone that wants to go into these
• 4:50
  Speaker 4: title waters get online, register, it doesn't cost anything.
• 4:55
  Speaker 2: And you'll get your you know, your paperback.
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: Because it's really not the intention of our traditional owners
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: to stop people from fishing or to stop them from
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: having access, is it.
• 5:06
  Speaker 4: No, Look, they want they just want us say in
• 5:10
  Speaker 4: the process going forward, and they've made it clear to
• 5:14
  Speaker 4: the lane Council as well, Katie, that they've been sick
• 5:17
  Speaker 4: of the talking about this issue for a long time,
• 5:21
  Speaker 4: so they've.
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: Put it back on the Lane Council.
• 5:23
  Speaker 4: They they haven't been cranky with fishermen, they haven't been
• 5:27
  Speaker 4: cranking with the Northern Territory Government, but they have said
• 5:30
  Speaker 4: very clearly to the Northern Land Council, you're our representative
• 5:34
  Speaker 4: and you need There's some work that we want you
• 5:36
  Speaker 4: to do and you need to do it.
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: Marrying on to another topic, we learned late last week
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: that you have been endorsed by the Labor Party as
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: the candidate for Lingiari.
• 5:47
  Speaker 3: How are you feeling about that?
• 5:48
  Speaker 4: Oh?
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: A bit nervous, Katie. Look it's one of that. Look.
• 5:55
  Speaker 4: I'm extremely humbled by the support of the rank and
• 5:59
  Speaker 4: file of the Australian Labor Party. You know, I was
• 6:03
  Speaker 4: up against three very good candidates as well, so quite
• 6:08
  Speaker 4: humbled that I'd received the tick and the support from
• 6:11
  Speaker 4: rank and file party members.
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: A lot of work to be done.
• 6:15
  Speaker 4: I've still got my work with the Northern Land Council,
• 6:18
  Speaker 4: so I need to separate, you know, the work that
• 6:21
  Speaker 4: I do with the Land Council and Lingiari and make
• 6:24
  Speaker 4: sure that I do the right thing by my full
• 6:28
  Speaker 4: counsel of the Northern Land Council, that I'm not allowing
• 6:30
  Speaker 4: the politics of Laniari to come into the work of
• 6:35
  Speaker 4: the Land Council. So there's a lot of separation happening
• 6:39
  Speaker 4: at the moment, Katie. Once I start campaigning, I'll be
• 6:43
  Speaker 4: taking the required lead that I should be doing and
• 6:47
  Speaker 4: not do that on Northern Land.
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: Cancel time and.
• 6:50
  Speaker 3: Do you reckon that's doable?
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: You know in terms of separating those two things at
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: this point in time.
• 6:54
  Speaker 4: Oh look, I know that a lot of people will
• 6:56
  Speaker 4: think that with the Blue Munt Bay that there's a
• 6:58
  Speaker 4: bit of politics caught up with that. Can I just
• 7:01
  Speaker 4: say that the consultations with Blue Mud Bay and the
• 7:05
  Speaker 4: Mini Many and East Alligator were planned way before the
• 7:10
  Speaker 4: announcement on Lingiari, so there was nothing in that. I
• 7:14
  Speaker 4: was actually out bush with the consultations when the announcement
• 7:17
  Speaker 4: was made, so there was no you know that wasn't
• 7:23
  Speaker 4: that had nothing to do with ling Yarra And I've
• 7:25
  Speaker 4: been at pains. Let me tell you, Katie, to separate
• 7:28
  Speaker 4: my role as the CEO of Northern Lane Council and
• 7:32
  Speaker 4: my role as the candidate for the seat of Lingiari.
• 7:36
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: Oh well, it's going to be interesting times. We're all
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: wondering exactly when that federal election is going to get called.
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: Oh look, I don't think it'll well, let's see.
• 7:45
  Speaker 4: I think it's probably going to be next year, but
• 7:49
  Speaker 4: it could be the end of this year.
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: Who knows.
• 7:51
  Speaker 3: Well, wait and see. Well. Maryon Scrimjaw, always good to
• 7:54
  Speaker 3: catch up with you. I really appreciate your time.
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: This morning, Norries, thank you, Katie.
• 7:57
  Speaker 3: Thank you.
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: That is Marion Scrimjaw there, who is the CEO
• 8:01
  Speaker 3: Of the Northern Land Council.