Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Chief Minister Natasha Fyles says itinerant crime in the Top End is a high priority, with services continuing to roll out to minimise people turning to "risky behaviour"

Transcript

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles says itinerant crime in the Top End is a high priority, with services continuing to roll out to minimise people turning to "risky behaviour" · 360 with Katie Woolf

0:00
Speaker 1: Because joining me in the studio right now is the
0:02
Speaker 1: Chief Minister, Natasha Files.
0:04
Speaker 2: Good morning to you.
0:04
Speaker 3: Good morning Katie, Good morning listeners.
0:06
Speaker 1: Now, firstly, a massive weekend at the Supercars. Do you
0:09
Speaker 1: have any idea how many people we.
0:10
Speaker 2: Had there at this stage, Katie.
0:13
Speaker 4: I think some of the early figures coming through was
0:14
Speaker 4: over forty thousand people attended. It was a fantastic event.
0:18
Speaker 4: I think well done to Major Events, but everyone in
0:20
Speaker 4: the community that got behind it, the sponsors, you know,
0:23
Speaker 4: it takes a lot to bring this event to Darwin.
0:25
Speaker 3: But it was just fantastic out there.
0:27
Speaker 4: There was people of all ages really enjoying the atmosphere.
0:30
Speaker 1: It was a massive weekend. Forty thousand is that record
0:32
Speaker 1: breaking numbers?
0:34
Speaker 4: I don't think it's record breaking, but that was just
0:36
Speaker 4: a figure I was provided, so I'm sure inn tea
0:38
Speaker 4: Major Events they'll confirm all the figures and it'd be
0:40
Speaker 4: happy to chat with you later in the week. But
0:42
Speaker 4: well done to them and their team and the Supercars team.
0:45
Speaker 4: It's such a polished operation and they bring that to
0:47
Speaker 4: the territory and it's fantastic to see.
0:50
Speaker 2: It was a wonderful event.
0:51
Speaker 1: Look, we are going to catch up with NTA major
0:53
Speaker 1: events this morning after ten o'clock, so we'll see what
0:55
Speaker 1: else we can find out. Unfortunately, some pretty terrible visions
1:00
Speaker 1: emerged over the weekend of a stolen vehicle running down
1:03
Speaker 1: pedestrians outside a hotel in the Northern Suburbs. Now Police
1:07
Speaker 1: said in a statement yesterday that a series of incidents
1:09
Speaker 1: between two families, including one in which a man was
1:12
Speaker 1: struck by a vehicle on McMillan's road on Saturday morning,
1:16
Speaker 1: is being investigated. They've said that initial investigations indicate the
1:20
Speaker 1: two family groups were involved in a physical altercation with sticks.
1:25
Speaker 1: An axe was used as well, causing superficial injuries to
1:29
Speaker 1: a number of people. One family groups then alleged to
1:32
Speaker 1: have driven a stolen motor vehicle at the other groups,
1:35
Speaker 1: striking one person who'd fled the scene. It's made national
1:40
Speaker 1: headlines and gone viral. Have you seen it, Katie.
1:43
Speaker 4: I've been briefed on that footage and I do need
1:45
Speaker 4: to be careful with my comments because it is a
1:47
Speaker 4: matter that's under active police investigation. But it's just simply
1:49
Speaker 4: unacceptable behavior in our community and Territorians police our community
1:55
Speaker 4: get frustrated when we see this and everyone has a responsibility.
1:59
Speaker 4: I don't know the factors that led to this incident,
2:01
Speaker 4: but we know broadly that alcohol grog is a factor.
2:04
Speaker 4: But we'll certainly be awaiting police's information around this.
2:08
Speaker 2: It would be shocking. I mean when you think about it,
2:10
Speaker 2: like it's on a main.
2:11
Speaker 1: Road outside a hotel where presumably there's people who are
2:15
Speaker 1: staying in the hotel that are here for the supercars.
2:18
Speaker 1: Like it's just the last thing you want to see happening.
2:20
Speaker 4: And as I said, I do need to be careful
2:22
Speaker 4: with my comments, but it doesn't reflect the broader behavior
2:24
Speaker 4: of our community. We've just had a great weekend, you know,
2:27
Speaker 4: it was you couldn't get a hotel room in dah
2:29
Speaker 4: when the top end, you know, our community came together
2:32
Speaker 4: and we celebrated from the v eights you know, India
2:34
Speaker 4: at Mindle, down at Mindle Beach, there was you know,
2:37
Speaker 4: arts fares down at Daily River.
2:39
Speaker 3: And yet we have this behavior.
2:40
Speaker 4: That is small and a small minority, but it just
2:42
Speaker 4: leaves us feeling really disappointed. So Katie, we've spoken, you know,
2:47
Speaker 4: across the range of things that we're doing as a government.
2:49
Speaker 4: Will continue to listen to police, listen to community because
2:53
Speaker 4: this isn't just about a police response. They're there at
2:55
Speaker 4: that crisis point, but it's about those non government services
2:58
Speaker 4: and government services accepting this behavior before it escalates to
3:02
Speaker 4: this point. But I do need to be careful around
3:04
Speaker 4: that specific incident.
3:05
Speaker 1: Well, let's talk a bit more broadly, because, as I
3:07
Speaker 1: mentioned in the opener, the latest crime stats have been
3:10
Speaker 1: released and the numbers are terrible.
3:11
Speaker 2: There's no sugarcoating it.
3:13
Speaker 1: In Darwin, commercial break ins will they rose up eighty
3:18
Speaker 1: seven percent, house break ins through up sixty three percent.
3:21
Speaker 2: In Palmerston, including right.
3:23
Speaker 1: Out to Elizabeth River, those commercial break ins up eighty
3:26
Speaker 1: three percent, homes up seventeen Alice Springs, it's a similar
3:30
Speaker 1: story seventy four percent with the commercial break ins, homes
3:33
Speaker 1: fifty five.
3:35
Speaker 2: Catherine. It's pretty astonishing.
3:37
Speaker 1: Commercial break ins rose by ninety four percent and homes
3:41
Speaker 1: for up fifty four percent. I mean, what is your
3:45
Speaker 1: reaction when you hear this? Because every single you know
3:47
Speaker 1: all of those statistics. It's easy for us to look
3:50
Speaker 1: at them and go their numbers, but they're actually a
3:52
Speaker 1: business that's been impacted. It's an individual that's been impacted.
3:56
Speaker 1: It's the broader community that's being so heavily impacted, right.
4:00
Speaker 2: Yeah, Katie.
4:01
Speaker 4: So those crime statistics to the end of April, which
4:03
Speaker 4: were the ones released by police the time, we certainly
4:06
Speaker 4: felt those pressures within our community. It was something that
4:09
Speaker 4: we were talking about. We certainly saw in the top
4:12
Speaker 4: end a large number of people displaced and we commonly
4:15
Speaker 4: refer to them as itinerants. We do have a range
4:17
Speaker 4: of measures to support people when they come into town
4:20
Speaker 4: to access services, and one of the key roles for
4:23
Speaker 4: me is making sure that they're engaged. Because if we've
4:25
Speaker 4: got people sleeping rough that are entitled to come into
4:28
Speaker 4: Darwin to access health, business, whatever they may want to access,
4:32
Speaker 4: but then we've also got the services that we fund
4:34
Speaker 4: and provide accommodation that's not at capacity. We need to
4:38
Speaker 4: make sure these people understand that there is supports there
4:42
Speaker 4: because we know that when they are sleeping rough we
4:45
Speaker 4: then see a correlation to risky behavior and potentially the
4:48
Speaker 4: interaction to the justice system. But coming back to the
4:50
Speaker 4: figures that we just mentioned, we certainly had those pressures
4:53
Speaker 4: during that time. There has been an enormous amount of
4:57
Speaker 4: work since then around the Return to Country program, engaging
5:00
Speaker 4: those ngngos and buy police. So you know, we need
5:03
Speaker 4: to continue to work in this space, but it certainly
5:06
Speaker 4: reflected what we felt at that time.
5:07
Speaker 2: Do we know how many people have been now returned home.
5:11
Speaker 4: I don't have the specific figure from Larakian Nation who
5:13
Speaker 4: provide that return to country, but we had thousands.
5:16
Speaker 3: It was estimated three to four thousand.
5:18
Speaker 4: It has come down significantly, and I think listeners would
5:21
Speaker 4: articulate that from what they see in their community.
5:23
Speaker 3: Happy to get you a specific figure.
5:25
Speaker 2: I mean, you described it then as.
5:26
Speaker 1: Risky behavior, but you know, if we go by what
5:28
Speaker 1: the police had said obviously in that press conference on Friday,
5:31
Speaker 1: in many cases or in some cases, you're talking about
5:34
Speaker 1: criminal behavior.
5:35
Speaker 4: So what I was trying to explain then, Katie, was
5:37
Speaker 4: that people come into town and they're accessing services, they
5:40
Speaker 4: sleep rough when there is accommodation available for them. They
5:43
Speaker 4: then put themselves in situations that's risky. Their behavior is risky,
5:47
Speaker 4: and yes, it can lead to criminal behavior. I wasn't
5:49
Speaker 4: trying to say that their behavior wasn't criminal, but just
5:52
Speaker 4: showing the sequence and how we need to intercept because
5:55
Speaker 4: there is services here, there is accommodation, which if somebody
5:59
Speaker 4: has got a good roof over their head and they'reetting
6:01
Speaker 4: a good night's sleep. They may not be participating in
6:04
Speaker 4: these types of activity.
6:05
Speaker 1: There are these situations at the moment where you really seem,
6:08
Speaker 1: since becoming the Chief Minister, to have the good will
6:10
Speaker 1: of the community behind you.
6:11
Speaker 2: But I've got to say that I.
6:13
Speaker 1: Don't think it'll last for a long time if this
6:15
Speaker 1: crime situation continues on the path that it is. You've
6:20
Speaker 1: said since becoming the leader that you really want to
6:22
Speaker 1: make some change in this space. What immediate steps are
6:26
Speaker 1: happening right now? You know that the community can look
6:29
Speaker 1: at and go, Okay, well she is actually trying her
6:31
Speaker 1: best to make some change in this crime space.
6:34
Speaker 2: Yeah.
6:34
Speaker 4: So, Katie, in terms of making sure that we're allocating
6:37
Speaker 4: the recesses where they need to be allocated, and so
6:40
Speaker 4: that is particularly with police and focusing around alcohol. We
6:44
Speaker 4: know alcohol is a driver to this, so we had
6:45
Speaker 4: specific units within police that were focused on alcohol through COVID,
6:49
Speaker 4: those resources had to be deployed elsewhere, although there was
6:52
Speaker 4: a continued focus, so bringing back together that alcohol policing
6:55
Speaker 4: unit and also ensuring that the patrol response and police
7:00
Speaker 4: are working through this. But it's active and it's responding
7:03
Speaker 4: to the community's needs immediately when there might be sort
7:06
Speaker 4: of less serious incidents taking place, but we need to
7:09
Speaker 4: capture those. So that's been the work that I've been
7:11
Speaker 4: doing with police and the incoming policemanis.
7:13
Speaker 2: State additional patrols to what we've been saying.
7:16
Speaker 4: So we have put a record investment into police since
7:19
Speaker 4: Labor came to government in twenty six It's been a
7:21
Speaker 4: thirty six percent increase on budget. Yes, we have got
7:24
Speaker 4: in terms of police attrition, we do have people leaving
7:27
Speaker 4: the force, but really focusing on police numbers, giving police
7:30
Speaker 4: the resources CCTV, but specifically around what they're doing are
7:35
Speaker 4: the make is the makeup of the police force serving
7:38
Speaker 4: our community and equally Katie around business secure, we know
7:42
Speaker 4: that businesses there is measures they can take security through
7:47
Speaker 4: environmental design, so working with them.
7:49
Speaker 3: So I've been working with Minister Paul Kirby around that
7:51
Speaker 3: program because we have had feedback.
7:53
Speaker 4: From businesses that it isn't quite meeting their needs and.
7:57
Speaker 1: So is it going to be modified or is it
7:59
Speaker 1: going to be an extension to that program.
8:00
Speaker 4: I'm working on that modification so that we can ensure
8:03
Speaker 4: that businesses can access resources that help them secure their
8:07
Speaker 4: premises to avoid these incidents taking place and before avoid
8:11
Speaker 4: crime taking place, but as I just said, also making
8:14
Speaker 4: sure police are able to respond if it does take place.
8:16
Speaker 4: Muld you then consider some kind of program for homes
8:19
Speaker 4: so people can make their homes more secure. Oh, Katie,
8:21
Speaker 4: I mean, and nothing's off the table, but I think
8:23
Speaker 4: that police would be better place to respond to that.
8:26
Speaker 4: And I know that they have a lot of key
8:27
Speaker 4: messaging around. You know, when please lock the doors, lock
8:31
Speaker 4: the windows, leave car keys, you know, not just it's
8:35
Speaker 4: something that happens. You walk in the door, you dump
8:37
Speaker 4: your bag, you put the keys on the bench, but
8:39
Speaker 4: actually you know, there is a number of messages that
8:41
Speaker 4: they provide the community around securing individual household premises.
8:46
Speaker 1: Look, some are suggesting that we need to look at
8:49
Speaker 1: the hours that people can buy alcohol as well. I
8:51
Speaker 1: know that one community member in Karama last week was
8:54
Speaker 1: questioning on nine News if we need to limit the hours.
8:57
Speaker 4: But would that make a difference, Okatie, this is some
9:00
Speaker 4: that has been talked about, and you do see on
9:02
Speaker 4: and off we already have some significant restrictions around alcohol.
9:06
Speaker 4: We've got a risk based licensing model that targets those
9:09
Speaker 4: operates that are selling the product that potentially causes harm.
9:13
Speaker 4: So we look at the amount of alcohol sold. Does
9:17
Speaker 4: that match the BDR transactions. There's a whole body of
9:20
Speaker 4: work that takes place. I think that the restrictions that
9:23
Speaker 4: are in place around timing are sufficient presently, but you know,
9:27
Speaker 4: don't rule anything out into the future.
9:30
Speaker 1: So it sounds like for you at the moment, everything's
9:32
Speaker 1: on the table.
9:33
Speaker 4: Oh, Katie, I'm not going to rule something out just
9:35
Speaker 4: because you know, like it's not my idea. This is
9:39
Speaker 4: a you know, we need to be agile, we need
9:41
Speaker 4: to continually respond and also it's not one solution fits all.
9:44
Speaker 3: We need to have.
9:45
Speaker 4: You've got listeners in Catherine Alice Springs as well as
9:48
Speaker 4: right across the territory. And so the situations they face
9:51
Speaker 4: in their community, very being out nul and boy recently
9:53
Speaker 4: around alcohol. They've got different measures there, but it suits
9:56
Speaker 4: their community.
9:57
Speaker 2: Well. Look, I've just.
9:58
Speaker 1: Received a message from Bill at Mitchell's in Birama. He said, Hi, Katie,
10:02
Speaker 1: Mitchell's opening to again this morning, got gate smashed again,
10:07
Speaker 1: door destroyed, They stole bows, crossbows, arrows and crossbow bolts.
10:12
Speaker 1: This time around. Things need to change. It is beyond
10:16
Speaker 1: the joke, Katie.
10:17
Speaker 4: And you know, of course for that business, it's not
10:20
Speaker 4: the way they want to start their week, not the
10:22
Speaker 4: way they want to start their Monday. And that's where
10:24
Speaker 4: bit secure helping them protect their premiers so that they
10:27
Speaker 4: don't have that continued break in pattern.
10:31
Speaker 1: Do besides, like you've already got a gate, You've got
10:34
Speaker 1: you know, like presumably you know a door that's like
10:36
Speaker 1: a heavy door.
10:37
Speaker 2: Look, how much more do they have to do? Oka?
10:39
Speaker 4: And I don't know that individual premise is building, so
10:41
Speaker 4: I'm not going to comment there, but I know as
10:43
Speaker 4: working as a local member in the community, it's really
10:46
Speaker 4: around security through environmental design. So having someone come in
10:49
Speaker 4: with a fresh set of eyes, and you know, it
10:51
Speaker 4: may be a simple solution, it may not be, Katie,
10:53
Speaker 4: but can absolutely sure the government this is a key
10:56
Speaker 4: priority for me.
10:57
Speaker 2: All right.
10:57
Speaker 1: One of the other situations that we saw last week
11:00
Speaker 1: was one in Alice Springs where two women were badly
11:02
Speaker 1: assaulted at a service station. Now, I've got no idea
11:05
Speaker 1: if the offender was known to those victims or not.
11:07
Speaker 1: My understanding is that they weren't. Quite frankly, it probably
11:10
Speaker 1: it doesn't matter. It's actually irrelevant at the time, police
11:13
Speaker 1: said both women were taken to the hospital in Alice
11:16
Speaker 1: Springs for treatment following what they can well what can
11:19
Speaker 1: only be described as a violent, unprovoked attack. I mean,
11:24
Speaker 1: it is unbelievable that the police even said that it
11:28
Speaker 1: was unbelievable that they didn't suffer more significant injuries. How
11:32
Speaker 1: long can a place like Alice Springs continue to deal
11:35
Speaker 1: with this type of crippling crime because you think to yourself,
11:38
Speaker 1: you know, whether they're local women or whether they're visitors.
11:41
Speaker 1: No matter who they are, it is just entirely unacceptable.
11:45
Speaker 1: But they have been dealing with it now for such
11:47
Speaker 1: an incredibly long period.
11:49
Speaker 4: Katie having been down to Alice Springs a number of
11:52
Speaker 4: times recently, and I'll be heading back there next week
11:54
Speaker 4: meeting with their local town council. Because this is when
11:56
Speaker 4: I talk about tailored solutions for each part of the territory.
11:59
Speaker 4: I think that the issues in Central Australia and Alice Springs,
12:02
Speaker 4: we need to listen to their local resources down there,
12:06
Speaker 4: so police and the non government organizations that work in
12:08
Speaker 4: this space, the town council, and of course ensure that
12:11
Speaker 4: we can provide them with whatever support they need, whether
12:14
Speaker 4: that's funding, whether that's legislative changes, we need to make
12:18
Speaker 4: sure that we work through these issues. It's unacceptable the
12:20
Speaker 4: rates of assault in the Northern Territory. We know the
12:23
Speaker 4: are cohol factor and we just touched upon that, but
12:25
Speaker 4: also the scourge of domestic family and sexual violence, and
12:28
Speaker 4: so we certainly have put record investments into this space.
12:32
Speaker 4: Fifty four million dollars in the NT budget goes specifically
12:36
Speaker 4: to that right.
12:37
Speaker 1: Now as well, though, you've got a situation in Tenant
12:39
Speaker 1: Creek where teachers are concerned for their safety. They've written
12:42
Speaker 1: to the education departments seeking help. What is being done
12:45
Speaker 1: to make sure that those teachers are safe and that
12:47
Speaker 1: the students that are there as well are safe.
12:50
Speaker 4: So, Katie, in terms of the specific Tenant Creek issue,
12:53
Speaker 4: the Department of Educations working with the teachers of course,
12:56
Speaker 4: and the school, but community leaders, families around is what
13:02
Speaker 4: is taking place there and what measures will make the
13:05
Speaker 4: school a safer environment. Also working with key Aboriginal groups
13:09
Speaker 4: to ensure that we're I understand that they need or
13:12
Speaker 4: they're recruiting to your position of Aboriginal liaison officers that
13:15
Speaker 4: provide a really vital role there. So, in terms of
13:18
Speaker 4: Tenant Creek, that every teacher, every student has the right
13:21
Speaker 4: to go to school and be safe, and it is
13:24
Speaker 4: a unique environment and we need to make sure we're
13:26
Speaker 4: putting solutions in place that they will work.
13:28
Speaker 1: I think the really difficult thing that we're facing in
13:31
Speaker 1: the territory at the moment is, like I say, you know,
13:33
Speaker 1: you seem to have the good will of territories behind you.
13:35
Speaker 1: People want to see the Northern Territory succeed. They want
13:38
Speaker 1: to see this issue sorted. But you know, if you've
13:40
Speaker 1: got a case in Tenant Creek where the teachers don't
13:44
Speaker 1: feel safe, and then when you've got other students who
13:46
Speaker 1: don't feel safe, you wonder what kind of impact that
13:49
Speaker 1: is going to have on recruitment and on retaining staff,
13:52
Speaker 1: but also losing good families.
13:54
Speaker 4: And Katie, this is where in terms of TANet Creek
13:59
Speaker 4: and also the issue within that youth space, it's around
14:01
Speaker 4: making sure we've got the resources for kids when they
14:03
Speaker 4: start to develop those risky behaviors. And there is a
14:06
Speaker 4: difference between just being a grumpy teenager and behavior that
14:10
Speaker 4: will eventually lead to interactions with the justice system and
14:13
Speaker 4: criminal behavior. So we've certainly focused and the Department of
14:16
Speaker 4: Territory Families has programs as suite of programs to support
14:21
Speaker 4: young people, but we do need to continue in that
14:24
Speaker 4: space to make sure that they're agile and they're not
14:26
Speaker 4: just waiting to kids get interactions with the justice system,
14:29
Speaker 4: that we're supporting those individuals and their families before that point, when.
14:32
Speaker 1: Do you reckon that we're going to start to see
14:34
Speaker 1: some change in this space with crime? Like I know
14:37
Speaker 1: we've heard it before, there's no silver bullet, there's no
14:40
Speaker 1: overnight fix.
14:40
Speaker 2: If there was, we'd be doing it already.
14:42
Speaker 1: But we're talking about now, you know, years upon years
14:45
Speaker 1: of businesses and individuals suffering. Like I keep saying, you know,
14:49
Speaker 1: they're looking at you and saying, all right, well, this
14:51
Speaker 1: is somebody with hopefully a bit of a fresh approach.
14:54
Speaker 1: When do you think that we're going to start to
14:55
Speaker 1: see some change in this space, Katie?
14:58
Speaker 4: I think that we're already seeing a change in some
15:00
Speaker 4: some of the behaviors with itinerants in our community. But
15:02
Speaker 4: we also need to be careful because many of these
15:04
Speaker 4: factors are seasonal, and so we need to make sure
15:07
Speaker 4: that as we're head into for example, school holidays, have
15:10
Speaker 4: we got those programs in place have we got all
15:12
Speaker 4: of our coordination services working together. So Katie, I want
15:17
Speaker 4: to see changes immediately, but it's also a long road
15:20
Speaker 4: ahead of us, and we will see bumps in that road.
15:23
Speaker 4: But people can be assured that we are absolutely focused
15:26
Speaker 4: to this and tailoring those solutions to the local community
15:29
Speaker 4: that has those issues at the time.
15:31
Speaker 2: How important is this issue of crime.
15:34
Speaker 4: Oh, Katie, it's community safety, property crime. I have said
15:38
Speaker 4: from the moment I became Chief Minister. It's a key
15:40
Speaker 4: priority for me. I did a significant amount of work
15:43
Speaker 4: and we will continue to do that work in the
15:44
Speaker 4: space around alcohol policy. But this is something it's not
15:47
Speaker 4: easy work and as you said, there's not a single solution,
15:50
Speaker 4: but it's a key priority for me.
15:51
Speaker 1: All Right, let's move along because I do want to
15:53
Speaker 1: ask you about a couple of other things, and we're
15:55
Speaker 1: fast running out of time, but I do want to
15:57
Speaker 1: ask you about this health funding. It was a topic
15:59
Speaker 1: raised at the meeting of State and territory leaders with
16:02
Speaker 1: the Prime Minister last week. Are you seeking additional funding
16:05
Speaker 1: when it comes to health for the Northern Territory or
16:07
Speaker 1: what exactly has been decided here?
16:09
Speaker 4: So, Katie, it was a real privilege to represent the
16:11
Speaker 4: Northern Territory out National Cabinet last week and the Prime
16:13
Speaker 4: Minister and the other state and territory premier premiers and
16:16
Speaker 4: Chief Minister were very welcoming to me in terms of
16:19
Speaker 4: the health funding. We were seeking a continuation of the
16:22
Speaker 4: COVID funding around health which the Commonwealth have agreed to
16:26
Speaker 4: through to September thirty. So that's important because we are
16:28
Speaker 4: still seeing an impact of COVID within our health system.
16:31
Speaker 4: So that was very much welcomed and health and health
16:34
Speaker 4: reform will be a continued focus for the National Cabinet.
16:37
Speaker 3: The other big issue that we talked about, Katie.
16:39
Speaker 4: And I know something your listeners will be keen to
16:41
Speaker 4: hear about is around workforce and the fact that we
16:45
Speaker 4: are now you know, have lots of tourists here. People
16:48
Speaker 4: are going out and enjoying the dry season, but our
16:51
Speaker 4: hospitality sector particularly, but I know that agriculture, the Farmers
16:55
Speaker 4: Federation are very concerned ahead of mango season, where are
16:57
Speaker 4: we going to get workers from. So Anthony Alberniz as
17:00
Speaker 4: Prime Minister, has pivoted resources within the Federal government to
17:03
Speaker 4: ensure visas and migration is an absolute focus and we're
17:07
Speaker 4: getting those process because there's some extraordinary weight for people
17:12
Speaker 4: getting visas, and also what can we do into the
17:15
Speaker 4: future to ensure that we attract both skilled and unskilled workers.
17:18
Speaker 4: Not saying we can't grow our own, but that will
17:20
Speaker 4: take time. We need these resources into our community immediately.
17:24
Speaker 2: So when do you.
17:25
Speaker 1: Reckon we are going to start to see that skilled
17:27
Speaker 1: migration and when do you think we're going to start
17:29
Speaker 1: to see some of those workers back into Australia but
17:31
Speaker 1: more specifically the Northern Territory.
17:33
Speaker 4: So the Prime Minister, as I said, has pivoted resources
17:36
Speaker 4: within government to process those applications, so we should be
17:39
Speaker 4: seeing people immediately, but we didn't rule out going back
17:42
Speaker 4: and working on potentially some trials or bespoke arrangements, particularly
17:47
Speaker 4: here in the territory where we're talking about small numbers,
17:49
Speaker 4: but they'll make a huge difference. So that's something we'll
17:51
Speaker 4: continue to work with the Commonwealth.
17:53
Speaker 1: I'll be keen to find out more about that. Hey,
17:55
Speaker 1: one of the issues that was raised by our listeners
17:57
Speaker 1: last week is around parking out at the hospital. They reckon,
18:00
Speaker 1: it's an absolute nightmare. We heard from one beautiful lady
18:04
Speaker 1: who's going through her cancer treatment at the moment you know,
18:07
Speaker 1: she was having to park right over, you know, well
18:11
Speaker 1: past the private hospital on that block of land to
18:14
Speaker 1: then get into the Alan Walker Center. You know, I mean,
18:17
Speaker 1: you know, we both know what it's like when somebody
18:20
Speaker 1: is going through a cancer journey or a very difficult
18:22
Speaker 1: medical journey to have to then be walking you know
18:25
Speaker 1: what feels like an enormous an enormous distance.
18:28
Speaker 2: To get to your treatment.
18:30
Speaker 1: Are there plans for there to be further parking out
18:33
Speaker 1: at that hospital precinct?
18:34
Speaker 4: So Katie, as your listeners, well know, we put in
18:37
Speaker 4: place the multi story car park four hundred and sixty
18:39
Speaker 4: five car spaces, and that saw an additional three hundred
18:42
Speaker 4: and sixty cars spaces come onto the campus. I certainly
18:45
Speaker 4: will talk to the health team because it's not fair
18:47
Speaker 4: that that individual has to walk that far, and they
18:50
Speaker 4: do have the ability around some of the service centers,
18:53
Speaker 4: particularly with Alan Walker which is located away from the
18:56
Speaker 4: main tower, to implement some isolated parking measures to provide.
18:59
Speaker 2: That she wasn't alone.
19:01
Speaker 1: Though unfortunately, we would have had about ten people get
19:03
Speaker 1: in contact with us to say it's a nightmare out there.
19:06
Speaker 1: You know, there isn't enough parking in the multi story
19:09
Speaker 1: car park. There's not enough parking at the private hospital.
19:11
Speaker 1: I know that the private hospital is their own facility,
19:14
Speaker 1: but the fact is that you know, there's people parking
19:16
Speaker 1: absolutely everywhere and there's nowhere for people to park then
19:20
Speaker 1: who need to.
19:20
Speaker 4: So we've put in those additional car spaces. But what
19:23
Speaker 4: I'll do is talk to the health team, because they
19:25
Speaker 4: certainly do focus their resources. For example, they keep that
19:28
Speaker 4: main car park next to the tower closed in the
19:30
Speaker 4: morning when staff are arriving and staff parking other locations,
19:35
Speaker 4: and then that allows the flow through of car parks
19:37
Speaker 4: during the day, and there's some areas that are four
19:40
Speaker 4: hours which are designed very much for patients. So I'll
19:42
Speaker 4: talk to the health team and say that it's been
19:44
Speaker 4: an issue from multiple community members around accessing the car
19:48
Speaker 4: park through parking.
19:49
Speaker 1: Alright, another issue that has been raised by some pretty
19:52
Speaker 1: concerned parents.
19:53
Speaker 2: It is around school sport.
19:55
Speaker 1: So basically we've got a situation right now where kids
19:57
Speaker 1: who are chosen to represent the Northern Territory a national
20:00
Speaker 1: stage are unable to travel away due to rules which
20:03
Speaker 1: are apparently implemented when COVID hit.
20:06
Speaker 4: Now.
20:06
Speaker 1: From what I'm told, students, so primary school, middle school,
20:09
Speaker 1: and high school kids are unable to travel away for
20:12
Speaker 1: their chosen sports because there's apparently some kind of rule
20:15
Speaker 1: in place meaning that they can't travel more than three
20:17
Speaker 1: hundred kilometers. So, even as I understand it, if there's
20:22
Speaker 1: a Northern Territory based carnival, kids from Alice Springs for
20:25
Speaker 1: school sport can't travel here, which I've got to be honest,
20:29
Speaker 1: I find quite ridiculous, Katie.
20:31
Speaker 4: Last week the public health emergency ended in the Northern Territory,
20:34
Speaker 4: So I cannot be clear as Chief Minister and Health
20:36
Speaker 4: Minister that the use of COVID as a reason not
20:39
Speaker 4: to do things is done. Yes, COVID's here, but we're
20:41
Speaker 4: learning to live with it. We've also got a flu
20:43
Speaker 4: outbreak and that's having an impact on our health system.
20:45
Speaker 4: But I get frustrated time and time again when COVID
20:49
Speaker 4: is given as a reason. Now, in terms of this,
20:51
Speaker 4: there has been policies I think we've spoken. When I
20:53
Speaker 4: was allowed to do week that was back in the days,
20:58
Speaker 4: but around Excursion and the Department of Education, they were
21:01
Speaker 4: good meaning policies, Katie. They were based on keeping our
21:04
Speaker 4: staff and our students safe. But those times have moved on,
21:07
Speaker 4: so I expect to see changes in this space from
21:09
Speaker 4: term three.
21:10
Speaker 3: Because kids it is a huge part.
21:12
Speaker 4: If you ask, I can tell you, Katie, I can
21:14
Speaker 4: remember those school sport excursions that I did. I can
21:17
Speaker 4: remember excursions. I remember going to Yarrawanga to visit the
21:20
Speaker 4: zoo as about a five year old. I was talking
21:22
Speaker 4: about it yesterday when I went out to Keysia's garden fair.
21:25
Speaker 4: But you know that's what's important, and so yeah, just
21:28
Speaker 4: but for everyone listening, the public health emergency has ended.
21:31
Speaker 4: There is you know, four directions still in place in
21:34
Speaker 4: the territory around COVID, but people really need to be
21:37
Speaker 4: agile and move on.
21:39
Speaker 1: I mean what we're actually talking about here though, as
21:41
Speaker 1: I understand it is one of you know, the Northern
21:44
Speaker 1: Territory government's signed departments and Department of Education.
21:47
Speaker 2: So are you putting them on notice?
21:48
Speaker 3: Yes, Katie.
21:50
Speaker 4: And you can imagine probably the frustration for me as
21:53
Speaker 4: the health minister throughout this pandemic when I'm told, oh,
21:55
Speaker 4: that's because of COVID, and I know quite well it's not. Now.
21:58
Speaker 3: There were measures in place.
22:00
Speaker 4: They were to keep children, student staff safe, and they
22:03
Speaker 4: had restrictions around the kilomitage that could be traveled. I
22:06
Speaker 4: know the department has been looking into those, but yes,
22:09
Speaker 4: and the advice I've got is education will make changes
22:12
Speaker 4: from ten three, but just broadly speaking, the check in signs.
22:16
Speaker 4: You know, of course hand hygiene, physical distancing. It's great
22:18
Speaker 4: if we can still implement that, but we really do
22:21
Speaker 4: need to move forward from the pandemic health emergency.
22:24
Speaker 1: I mean to those parents listening this morning whose kids
22:26
Speaker 1: will maybe chosen to go away for the national titles
22:30
Speaker 1: for a different sport, whatever sport it is. What you're
22:33
Speaker 1: saying is that they you know that you want this
22:36
Speaker 1: to change and you want them to still be able
22:37
Speaker 1: to go away.
22:38
Speaker 4: Absolutely, So clubs are going away, Katie. And we've had
22:40
Speaker 4: some really vulnerable people athletes head away recently and they
22:44
Speaker 4: have been impacted by COVID. But you can put in
22:46
Speaker 4: place measures. We understand COVID, we understand how it impacts.
22:50
Speaker 4: These are important events. And Katie, it's two years later,
22:53
Speaker 4: it's over two years later for the kids are missing out.
22:56
Speaker 4: Children that were in grade three are now in grade five.
22:59
Speaker 4: You know, that's a substantial part of their primary schooling
23:01
Speaker 4: and from school assemblies through to excursions, through to sport events.
23:05
Speaker 3: Traveling. We need to update this.
23:07
Speaker 2: Yes, absolutely.
23:08
Speaker 1: I mean whether you're talking about sport, whether you're talking
23:10
Speaker 1: about the arts, whether you're talking about music. In my opinion,
23:13
Speaker 1: you're talking about kids who are engaging in really good,
23:15
Speaker 1: positive activities that we want all children to be involved in.
23:19
Speaker 2: So if we are able to get them.
23:21
Speaker 1: Back into those different activities, it can only be a
23:23
Speaker 1: good thing for the community. Absolutely well, we better leave
23:26
Speaker 1: it their chief Minister Natasha Files, thank you very much
23:28
Speaker 1: for your time this morning.
23:29
Speaker 3: Take care,