Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie Woolf spoke with Federal Minister for Environment Sussan Ley

Transcript

Katie Woolf spoke with Federal Minister for Environment Sussan Ley · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Mix one oh four point nine's three sixty eight nine
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: four one one oh four nine if you would like
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: to call through this morning. And as we've heard, an
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: exciting new chapter for Kakadu National Park, one which has
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: been backed by traditional owners and supported by key tourism organizations.
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Well it has. It has opened, you'd have to say,
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: with the release of the Kakadoo Tourism master Plan. Now
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: joining me on the line is the Minister for Environment,
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: the Federal Minister, Susan Lee Lay. Good morning to you, Minister.
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie. Lovely to be on your program talking
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: about Kackadoo.
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: Yeah, wonderful to have you on the show. Tell us
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: who's been involved in putting this plan together.
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: Everyone who has their heart and soul in the future
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: of this duel in the north. And I know I
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: always say that, but having been there several times, I
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: see Kakadoo that way. But we've had the traditional owners
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: at the center of this consultation and that's why I'm
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: convinced that the master plan that we've now release east
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: is the right one, the best one, and will facilitate investment,
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: much of it being provided by the Commonwealth in upgrades
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: that will make the visitor experience better, attract more international
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: visitors when they can finally come back to Australia, and
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: when you're there, make your experience in the park the
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: best possible one.
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: Yeah, how important is it to get some of that
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: work done really before we do open back up to
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: our international tourists.
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: It's really important. And I've always said I want to
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: see territory jobs front and center. I want to see
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: contracts going to local people. I want who, of course
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: see traditional owners involved both with the building of the
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: new infrastructure, but also their ongoing engagement and their cultural
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: history being front and center of what we showcase in Kackado.
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: We're spending twenty two million over the next twelve months,
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: and our total commitment in the last budget to Kakadoo
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: in our parks package was about sixty million dollars. Add
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: that to two hundred sixteen million dollars before the last
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: selection as we transition Jabaru from a mining town to
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: a tourism town. So I'm hoping that your listeners get
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: the sense of the commitment of a Commonwealth government and
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: our collaboration and consultation right there on the ground. I
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: spent a week in Kakadu towards the end of last year, listening,
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: listening to what people wanted, and that included local tourism
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: operators and indeed many people in the top end.
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and I mean there has been some real criticism
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: in recent time about the management not working with traditional
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: owners as well as stakeholders in Kagadoo. How are those
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: relationships now going.
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: I listened to those criticisms and I believe we responded
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: and we've got more local management, so less from Canberra
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: and more from Darwin and indeed Jabaru itself, and more
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: consultation and that comes through in the master plan and
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: it comes through in the consultation we're going to have
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: about the road and infrastructure upbuilding program. And I believe
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: we've well, I know that we've turned a quarner, but
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: I believe that we will soon be able to demonstrate
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: with the sorts of project that this master plan is
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: backing in that as I said, they are the right
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: ones and they will make a difference. And look, kakitt
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: is an extraordinary place to visit. But one of the
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: frustrations I heard was where we need to see the sites,
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: we need to get access to them as much as possible.
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: We need to know that when we've booked, we can
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: actually get there. So if you think about the work
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: that we're doing, we're upgrading Kales Crossing, Jim Jim Falls,
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: the Origin Visitor Center, and also planning new eco lodges,
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: new tourist attractions, visitor centers across the park, so it's
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: not all just in Jabaru and so on and back
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: to again by that ever important road access so you
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: can actually get where you need to.
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: And that twenty million dollars twenty two million dollars which
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: is set to be invested over the next twelve months,
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: what sort of urgent work is going to get under
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: wigh immediately with that investment.
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: Well, we're over you're seeing the Kales Crossing viewing platform
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: start to go up or plans to make it go up.
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: I actually don't know where exactly it's up to, but
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: I know it's happening. The Jim Jim Creek Crossing upgrade,
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: that's lifting the road, that's vital, that's underway. The Origin
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: Cultural Center upgrades are underway, and importantly telecommunications upgrades because
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: it is so vital that tourists, particularly if they're not
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: particularly familiar with the area have good access to phone
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: coverage while they're in the park. So look, I mean
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: we're balancing the spend with, as I say, my determination
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: to see the Northern Territory community benefit from the contracts
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: and the jobs. I don't want to see contractors flying
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: in from all over Australia and something built in a
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: hurry that isn't exactly what people want but isn't actually
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: using our local wisdom and our local expertise.
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: Oh absolutely yeah. I think it's so incredibly important to
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: make sure that locals are engaged in any work that
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: takes place. I'm really keen to find out a bit
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: more about the new accommodation, including these eco lodgers and
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: wellness retreats, family holiday park and safari cams. Minister, how
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: soon could we see some of those wonderful facilities get
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: up and running.
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: They're in the plan and that means that they're supported
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: and the concepts of supported. And I think that's been
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: a good, strong discussion to get to this point. The
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: next step is inviting private investment, having the conversations with
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: funders and seeing where that takes us. But I saw
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: some sites and facts and facilities that probably had passed
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: their prime but could still be rebirthed if you like,
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: to be great tourist accommodation. So the background is there.
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: The facilities will need to be built, but I know
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: that there's a great deal of interest. Yes, portantly, by
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: having this plan, we know that we all agree with
• 5:53
  Speaker 2: what we want to see, and that's vital and as
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: I said, to having that traditional learner consultation front and center,
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: but in accommodation, can I say that the ranger stations
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: are also going to be upgraded. So for the really
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: important people who who work in the park every day
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: and are the interpreters if you like, of it's a
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: cultural history and its significance to visitors, we want to
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: see them in the best possible accommodation too.
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: Minister. I know that's very often we sort of hear
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: around the territory and certainly on the phone lines here
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: on this show that you know that our natural wonders
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: are amazing and they're absolutely stunning for any tourists that
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: come to the territory to see them. But as we
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: pointed out, you know, some of the infrastructure which supports
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: those natural wonders really isn't up to scratch and then
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: you know, in some circumstances when you're talking about accommodation,
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: particularly with international you know, tourists, if they travel all
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: the way to Australia to see something like Kakkad, we've
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: really got to make sure that you know, then when
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: they've got somewhere to stay, that it's up to the
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: standard that that expect it to be.
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, and one of the things we did in the
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: last budget, and I mentioned the sixty million dollars of
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: our two hundred and thirty eight million dollar package is
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: going directly to Kakado. It's about sprucing up, if I
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: can describe it that way, our many natural assets for
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: tourists from overseas and increasingly domestic tourists as well, So
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: it's building better opportunities of a vivitation. But I did
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: hear that when I was in the territory Katie, that
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: tourist operators were saying, if we've had people that have
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: booked to the trip of a lifetime, we want to
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: make sure that when they arrive they get to have
• 7:31
  Speaker 2: that experience. So that is absolutely a front and center
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: when it comes to the planning that we're doing in
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: Kakado going forward. We recognize that, and of course there's
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: just so much agreement around that. If you speak to
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: traditional owners and rangers, they really love the opportunity to
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: showcase their history and their culture to overseas visitors, and
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: they appreciate that the visitors take away a completely different
• 7:58
  Speaker 2: picture of this country when they do that. So we
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: are getting that right, and I'm confident that we as
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: the commons of providing the dollars to make it happen.
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: Minister, I've got a message here from one of our listeners.
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: I'm not sure if it should be director to you
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: or whether it needs to be at our territory Minister,
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: but it says, can you please ask the Minister if
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: it's true that you have to pre book camping sites
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: online before going, and if so, who's going to sort
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: out the fights when tourists arrive and find others in
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: their booked sites. Again, I will say, I'm not sure
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: whether that's one that you can answer for us, or
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: whether it's something that we need to put to the
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: territory Minister.
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: I think it might be a question for your territory
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: Tourism Minister, and I think that might be Minister Ubo.
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: But I'm not sure, Minister Files. Now I think potentially
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: it could be Minister Rubo. Actually there's a Copley.
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: I'm very happy to pass that on, but I'm sure
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: your networks and your listening audience will do that. It
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: may well be a COVID reason. I know in our
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: New South Wales National parks you do have to book online.
• 9:00
  Speaker 2: It actually has worked quite well because it's made every
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: camping trip much more fun than it is when you're
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: battling over a space. But I also understand that there
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: are pressures at the local level too, So yeah, that's
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: a good question for your local minister.
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: We'll certainly follow that one up well, Minister for Environment.
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: Federal Minister for Environment, Susan Lay, We really appreciate your
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: time this morning. Thanks so much for coming on the
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: show and telling us a bit more about this Kagadoo
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: master plan.
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: Always a pleasure, Katie, Thanks, thank you,