Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Chief Minister Natasha Fyles talks about crackers, crime and efforts to address workforce shortages

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Chief Minister Natasha Fyles talks about crackers, crime and efforts to address workforce shortages · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Joining me in the studio right now is the Chief
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Minister of the Northern Territory, Natasha Files. Good morning to you.
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: Good morning, Katie, Good morning listeners.
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: Now, before we get into it, we have certainly been
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: talking about territory day throughout the morning, some of those
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: fires that our firefighters had to attend to, some of
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: the injuries, some of the different incidents that we've seen.
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: Are we keeping with those personal firecrackers or are they
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: going to get banned?
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: Oh, Katie, I think I can categorically rule out banning firecrackers.
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: We know that territories love to celebrate in that unique
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: way what is special about us, and large majority of
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: the community did the right thing and certainly everyone looks
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: forward to the first of July each year.
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I found that it was nowhere near as crazy
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: is what it has been in previous years in terms
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: of people still letting fireworks off in my area. But
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: I think it sometimes comes down to who your neighbors
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: are and how much they spend on their fireworks.
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Katie, I certainly had that feedback. You know, a
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: couple of people have raised with me that they were impacted.
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: So it's just making sure people do the right thing,
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: and please only let them off during that period we're
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: outside of that, you need to dispose of them. And yeah,
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: if everyone does the right thing and is considerate of neighbors,
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: then you know it certainly will make it easier in
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: the years to come.
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: Yeah. Hey, now we know that this morning the Northern
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: Territory Government has been out making an announcement local businesses
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: and industry with unique ideas to improve, well to overcome
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: I guess you'd say, workforce shortages in the Northern Territory
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: being encouraged to apply for support under the Flexible Workforce
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: Solution Fund. So essentially three million dollars. This three million
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: dollar fund is going to be overseen by the Territory
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: Workforce Advisory Group as I understand, and it is basically
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: going to encourage collaboration on projects and activities that help
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: attract and retain the skilled workforce. What exactly are businesses
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: going to be able to do here?
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: So, Katie, we know that there's a number of Territory
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: businesses from hospitality, construction that are struggling to attract and
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: retain workforce and particularly a skilled workforce. To help them
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: with these projects, we've got a significant number of projects,
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: which means there's people in the territory, so not only
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: construction but retail hospitality. So we have put in place
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: a scheme up to three million dollars. Businesses or industry
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: can apply if up to two hundred thousand dollars on
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: a contribution of twenty five percent from them and seventy
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: five percent from government. But what it's about is being
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: innovative looking at ideas to attract workers to the territory. So, Katie,
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: it could be an incentive based scheme, or it could
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: be for example, working with industry to partner and have
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: some industry based overseas and helping get those workers out
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: of that country here on the ground into the territory.
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: Yeah right, so could like could it be you know
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: when you say it could be different schemes, like what
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: are we talking a bit of a bonus if they
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: move to the Northern Territory Financially.
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: It's more around incentives, so perhaps to help them relocate.
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: But eligible projects and activities could include seasonal workforce strategies,
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: levering new technology or innovation, or as I was just saying,
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: delivering direct in country human services and ICT to get
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: people across here. To the territory to fill those jobs
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: and equally within a Australia. So for example, you know, people
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: that might have been in the territory previously might think
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: that we're still in that post Impacts construction phase which
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: was you know, there wasn't many jobs around. Letting people
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: know Australia and worldwide there's lots of jobs here in
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: the territory and getting them here to help our industry
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: and businesses.
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: Do you reckon that it's going to be able to
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: compete with what some of those other states are doing
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: because I know that, you know, in the likes of
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: South Australia, I believe that they are offering first class
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: flights to some people, you know, to come over from
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: the UK and then some incentives when they do move here.
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: Do you think that we're going to be able to
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: compete with those other states?
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: Yeah, So we've got the Territory Workforce Advisory Group, so
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: that's business and industry leading this. So these are actually
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: the ideas from business and industry and we're putting them
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: into practice. So it's a really exciting scheme and we're
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: focused on the territory and what we can do, working
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: closely with the Commonwealth of course, and we need to
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: be focused into the future on growing our own skilling,
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: our own workforce. But we've got a significant number of
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: jobs right here, right now. We need to feel all.
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: Right, Chief Minister, we have spoken a law in not
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: only recent weeks. I think you'd have to say months
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: and years when it comes to crime. Now, last week
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: you announced a number of initiatives aimed at preventing crime
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: and anti social behavior across Darwin and Palmerston. So these
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: initiatives included cross agency collaboration, the Public Order Response Unit
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: and changes to be secure Now. For most the response
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: has been labeled as a step in the right direction,
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: but that more needs to be done. The Northern Territory
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: Police Association joined us on the show last week though,
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: and said that more detail needs to be provided about
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: this Public Order Response unit to target anti social behavior.
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: Who's going to make up this unit?
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: So, Katie, we have been out there listening to community
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: and I absolutely commit to territories. This is not the
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: end of it. It's not tick this box and move on.
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: This is steps and we will continue to listen to
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: the community and have tailored solutions. That's why you see
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: a difference in the announcements for the top end versus
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: Essential Australia. But the Public Order Response Unit they'll work
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: collaboratively not only with police, but the public housing Steafety officers,
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: Larakia Nation and our council ranges, something that we've spoken about, Katie.
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: So it's certainly not a replacement for police, but what
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: it's aimed to do is to identify that risky behavior
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: and provide alternative pathways before we have crime in our community.
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: Who are they going to be though? Is it security guards,
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: is it police auxiliaries? Who's it going to be that
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: makes this unit up?
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Katie, So it's working collaboratively and it's a combination
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: of that. So police, the public housing safety officers, private
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: security has played a role in the past and we'll
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: continue to play a role. So it's not aimed at
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: replacing our police force by any means. What it is
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: aiming to do is to stop the behaviors when they
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: start to get risky before they ended up being a
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: criminal activity.
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: I guess the problem is so like we're not talking
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: about additional staff here are we We're literally just talking
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: about moving some of these staff into a different area.
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: No O Katie, So there is additional resources. So for example,
• 5:51
  Speaker 2: with the private security, we know that in certain situations,
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: targeted private security can be benefit. So it's allowing police
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: to do their job, but to stop the behaviors, to
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: stop the activity before it gets to that point of
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: a crime occurring.
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: Paul mccu said on the show last week, have we
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: really got to the stage we're cutting costs by introducing
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: second tier policing, by having security guards patrolling the streets
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: regarding anti social behavior. So, Katie, it's not about that
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: we've seen a thirty six percent increase in the police
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: budget since Labor came to goverment in twenty sixteen. Police
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: have a role to do and we will always make
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: sure that they have their resources. But this is about
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: identifying the other mechanisms within our system that can help
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: keep our communities safe. So it's identifying, you know, the
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: role that public housing is, those transit safety officers, but
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: then bringing other tiers of government into it. Our council ranges,
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: for example, a lot of people are going to be
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: listening thinking why aren't they already doing all of this?
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  Speaker 2: So Katie, it's about coordinating those resources and making sure
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: that we are seeing the actions stopping the behavior before
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: it gets to that point of crime taking place.
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: Should we just actually employ more police?
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: So Katie, we have got that increase in police budget.
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: Police are absolutely vital and we need to make sure
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: that we have the police numbers and they have the
• 7:04
  Speaker 2: resources to do their job. But this is about these
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: are not easy, single solutions to solve. It's about complex
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  Speaker 2: solutions for complex problems.
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: The thing is, though, I know that obviously you are
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: just new in as the Chief Minister, but Labor has
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: been in now for I think it's six years, so
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: you know a lot of people are going to be
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: listening this morning thinking again, you know, why are we
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: still at the point where it's you know, where nothing's changing.
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: So Katie, it's identifying the problems. It's identifying the solution
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: for that community. And when I talk about communities, we've
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: got dahin CBD, then you have the Northern Suburbs, Palmerston
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: and when you head down to Central Australia, all of
• 7:40
  Speaker 2: them need different solutions. So it's identifying who is a
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: part of that puzzle for the solution and supporting them
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: to have that role.
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: Let's talk about Alice Springs because you were indeed there
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: last week and announced initiatives which do include lighting a
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: drone and placing agency staff in some in the same
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: location so there can be that better communication between the
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: different departments. The Independent member Ferrara lu and Robin Lambley
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: has labeled the moves as ignorant. She's pointed to the
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: fact that there was close to one hundred cars vandalized
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: last week, the town council trashed as well. You were
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: there last week, you did a ride around with the
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  Speaker 1: Northern Territory Police. Is this announcement going to see any change, so.
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: Katie, in terms of Central Australia, we saw some reckless,
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: absolutely appalling behavior for no reason. We saw windows on
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: cars broken, but also on the town council. It's just unacceptable.
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  Speaker 2: But what this is about is this is about ensuring
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: the police have do have the resources. So when I
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: was out with them, I saw firsthand that drone and
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: the role it played. So a second drone to support
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: police doing their role. But one of the really big
• 8:42
  Speaker 2: parts of this announcement was the Sunset School. So yepur
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: in your college will be extended for twelve months and
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: this is providing a program and a pathway outside the
• 8:51
  Speaker 2: normal schooling and education system. So it's engaging those people
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: that aren't engaging with eight to two thirty school but
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: it's also providing somewhere for the youth services and also
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: police to direct young people to after hours and re
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: engaging them so that they can provide meaningful contributions, not
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: behaving in a reckless sense.
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: I mean even last week though the Northern Territory Police
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: had confirmed that a couple of the people involved in
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: some of that really reckless and dangerous behavior were eight
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: years old, if I cor if I remember correctly, So
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: you know you're talking about incredibly young children. You know
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: what's happened with those kids from last week that you
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: know that have been involved in behavior which is dangerous
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: to themselves and dangerous to the community. Yeah, Katie, do
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: I need to be careful.
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: I don't want to make comment that would see the
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: prospect of you know, those young people and the court
• 9:40
  Speaker 2: system interfered with. But eight, ten, twelve, fourteen year olds.
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: We can't turn our back. Their behavior is not acceptable.
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: The community's had enough. But what we need to do
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: is we need to engage with them meaningfully. They need
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: to understand the consequences of their behavior, and we are
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: seeing that with the youth diversion programs that have been
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: put in place. There's been a significant body of work,
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: but there's more to do there. But it's about making
• 10:02
  Speaker 2: sure that we have meaningful opportunities and engagement so that
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: we can get these kids out of risky behavior and onto,
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: you know, participating in our community.
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: I mean, the thing is though, and you know, I
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: don't want we don't need to use last week's example
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: because I know that you know, I'd spoken to the
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: Territory police, So the Alice Springs based police a while back,
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: and there've been a situation where I think they're actually
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: nine year old kids who are involved in this crime.
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: How then, or what then happens with those kids to
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: make sure that they're taken off the street? You know,
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: where are their parents or if their parents aren't around,
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: are they in the care of territory families? Where are
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: the safeguards to keep them off the streets? Yeah?
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: So what happens Katie? If a young person has engaged
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: in behavior, they may be held on remand so they
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: would go to a vacility, a youth detention facility. Alice
• 10:51
  Speaker 2: Springs or Darwin, or if the court does believe that
• 10:55
  Speaker 2: there is adequate supports they can be on bail. And
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: firsthand I saw Stace Vipa going around making sure that
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: those young people were where they were meant to be,
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: which was in the care of a responsible adult or guardian,
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: and that they understood their bail conditions so that they
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: would then go through the process of being provided with support.
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: Then sort of overall, we know that we have community
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: based supervision and we have the back on Track program,
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: so there's a number of mechanisms in the system to
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: support families, but to make sure these young people understand
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: the consequence.
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: So you've been traveling around now. Obviously you've done the
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: right around with the Northern Territory Police in Alice Springs.
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: I know that you've been certainly meeting with police up
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: here in the Top End and other parts of the territory.
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: Where do you think that we're failing right now when
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: it comes to crime like we're After all the meetings
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: that you've had and the traveling around that you've done,
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: where do you feel as though we can actually make
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: some changes and possibly improve in this space?
• 11:51
  Speaker 2: So, Katie, the announcements that we've made, so the increase
• 11:54
  Speaker 2: in funding to be Secure, the increase that each business
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: can apply for up to fifteen thousand dollars. Noting that
• 12:02
  Speaker 2: we had concern from community about the need for fire
• 12:05
  Speaker 2: exit and that was impeding them securing their facility. So
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: just for businesses to be where there's been changes made
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: to that, so I encourage them if they've runningto that
• 12:13
  Speaker 2: problem in the past. So we need to through environmental
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: design secure businesses. We then need to make sure police
• 12:18
  Speaker 2: absolutely have the resources to do their jobs. But then
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: we need to make sure that this risky type behavior,
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: so walking around the streets, you know, at eight o'clock
• 12:26
  Speaker 2: then extends into being out at midnight one am, which
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: is just not acceptable for these young people. So where
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: are the programs, where are the support pathways to stop
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: that behavior becoming criminal behavior?
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: Now with that be Secure, will you commit to changing
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: the way that things are at the moment when it
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: comes to those roller doors, So the likes of the
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: Fanny bay IgA who aren't able to put a roller
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: door in place because of fire exits, will you commit
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: as a Chief Minister to try to make some change
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: in this space so that they can actually secure their premises.
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: Yes, So, Katie, my understanding is that the announcement we've
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: made would allow for an electronic type emergency exit from
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: the inside, So it means they can secure their premise
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: from the outside with the increased funds that are available.
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: If someone was trapped inside that they could then push
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: a button and that roller door would come up to
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: allow them to exit. So my understanding is that these
• 13:13
  Speaker 2: changes will provide the funding. But if there's more work
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: that needs to be done in this space, absolutely, I've
• 13:18
  Speaker 2: heard firsthand from business owners their frustration. They want to
• 13:21
  Speaker 2: do the right thing and secure their premises.
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: All right, let's move along. We know that Friday indeed
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: mark the beginning of the new financial year. What's the
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: new funding arrangement for the darh and Turf Club.
• 13:32
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so Minister Pake, the incoming Minister for Racing, has
• 13:34
  Speaker 2: been working with the Dow and Turf Club around their contracts.
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: So their contracts cease on Gene thirtieth, and he's wanting
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: to make sure that the obligations we've asked for have
• 13:42
  Speaker 2: been met and he'll make an announcement in the coming days.
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: So are they going to have to pay back that
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: twelve million.
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: So Katie, we certainly at the time identified that we
• 13:50
  Speaker 2: were frustrated that we had asked questions and that we
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: were misled, but we appreciate the work that the Darwin
• 13:54
  Speaker 2: Turf Club has done that the change in board. So
• 13:57
  Speaker 2: Minister Pake will make an announcement in the coming days.
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: So really, I mean, are we in a situation here
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: where they're going to have to pay back that full
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: amount of twelve million dollars Katie.
• 14:08
  Speaker 2: So what he's been doing is understanding their contract going forward.
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: So this is a contract for racing in the territory
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: and includes the dull And Turf Club. He's making he's
• 14:16
  Speaker 2: getting himself across that and he'll make an announcement that
• 14:19
  Speaker 2: will involve them paying it back or not. You'll have
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: to ask to speak to him.
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: Sorry, Well, you are the chief minister though at the
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: end of the day, you're the one that you know
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: that is leading that team, So I think it's fair
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: enough for us to ask you, of course.
• 14:32
  Speaker 2: But Katie, so in terms of that, we know that
• 14:34
  Speaker 2: the dun Cup Carnival the benefit of racing in the territory,
• 14:37
  Speaker 2: but we were very frustrated, as were many listeners at
• 14:40
  Speaker 2: the time. Around what happened, But I think we need
• 14:42
  Speaker 2: to acknowledge the good work that has been done and
• 14:44
  Speaker 2: he'll make an announcement around their contract going forward.
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: All right. Renal dialysis. Now, last week we spoke to
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: a territori and who told us about the fact that
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: he'd been knocked back from his normal treatment for dialysis.
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: He wasn't alone. Some were actually taken from a specialist clinic,
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: as I understand it, to the emergency department at Royal
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: dal And Hospital to receive their treatment. Is this acceptable
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: in your eyes?
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: No, Katie and Anti Health have apologized to those patients
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: for the distress and disruption that was caused to them
• 15:12
  Speaker 2: and their families. Renal dialysis is complex. We have a
• 15:16
  Speaker 2: renal strategy. We deliver renal care across the territory. We've
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: got the new Nightcliff renal unit. We also deliver renal
• 15:21
  Speaker 2: treatment out of both RDIH and Palmeston Hospitals amongst Also
• 15:25
  Speaker 2: we've delivered renal treatment clinics in remote communities. But this
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: is something that is life saving and people have it
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: multiple times a week, you know, as part of their
• 15:34
  Speaker 2: clinical regime. So it wasn't good enough that they were
• 15:37
  Speaker 2: because of short staffing, which is a challenge, but they
• 15:39
  Speaker 2: were told to go to ED. That's not the proper process.
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: So what's going to happen now? Are we going to
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: wind up in a situation where further people are knocked
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: back or has there been some changes?
• 15:48
  Speaker 2: Yes? So Health have been doing a body of work
• 15:51
  Speaker 2: to make sure that all appointments have been rescheduled and
• 15:53
  Speaker 2: patients have been offered their treatments or additional treatments. And
• 15:57
  Speaker 2: going forward, when we do have days where we're short,
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: start to be proactive and work. We know who the
• 16:02
  Speaker 2: renal patients are they come in for treatment, Katie. The
• 16:05
  Speaker 2: renal center at Nightcliff, for example, operates six to six
• 16:07
  Speaker 2: days a week. It provides multiple treatments a day. So
• 16:10
  Speaker 2: juggling the need for treatment and the staffing that we're
• 16:14
  Speaker 2: experiencing without having to send people up to ED all.
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: Right on the seventeenth of July. We know that these
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: changes when it comes to alcohol legislation in remote communities
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: come into play. How many communities have opted out at
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: this stage?
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Katie, So I think it's really important for people
• 16:30
  Speaker 2: to understand the numbers, and I don't have them in
• 16:32
  Speaker 2: front of me, so I'm speaking from a memory, but
• 16:34
  Speaker 2: we have around thirty five communities that have more than
• 16:38
  Speaker 2: fifty people that will be impacted by these changes. So
• 16:41
  Speaker 2: the vast majority of communities will go back to being
• 16:44
  Speaker 2: a general restricted area, which is what was in place
• 16:47
  Speaker 2: before the intervention. But there are some communities which I
• 16:50
  Speaker 2: was just pointing to, that will be able to have
• 16:52
  Speaker 2: alcohol in that community once these changes come into play.
• 16:56
  Speaker 2: It doesn't mean they necessarily have a licensed club. They
• 16:58
  Speaker 2: go through a licensing process if they wish to have
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: a club, but.
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: They can have takeaway alcohol there, can't they correct.
• 17:05
  Speaker 2: And my understanding is that Katie, we've got about six
• 17:07
  Speaker 2: communities have said that they'll opt in and remain dry,
• 17:10
  Speaker 2: and we've had about six that have said that they
• 17:12
  Speaker 2: will not be opting in, that they will allow residents
• 17:15
  Speaker 2: of those communities to have take away alcohol.
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: All right, So at this point in time, of those
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: thirty five, you think the numbers are, I know that
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: that could be give will take a few. Six have
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: opted in to remain dry, and six of them have
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: said that they do want to allow alcohol within those communities.
• 17:33
  Speaker 2: Yeah, So what we're focused on now is working with
• 17:35
  Speaker 2: communities and they can if they haven't opted in. They
• 17:38
  Speaker 2: can opt in even after July seventeen, They don't have
• 17:41
  Speaker 2: to do it by that date. It's around alcohol management plans.
• 17:45
  Speaker 2: So how do these communities want to have alcohol in
• 17:47
  Speaker 2: their community? Do they want to go like a number
• 17:49
  Speaker 2: of communities such as Barunga that has a licensed club,
• 17:52
  Speaker 2: or do they want to remain completely dry. They can
• 17:55
  Speaker 2: have premises within those communities, Katie that are a dry house,
• 17:58
  Speaker 2: or they can allow take alcohol. So it's a difficult issue,
• 18:01
  Speaker 2: but we need to remember it is a legal product.
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: Is there going to be a list of communities which
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: are remaining dry and those which are not. I know
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: that's something that had been raised with me by a
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: taxi driver who was saying, well, we actually want to
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: make sure with the ones that are around Catherine that
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: we're not doing the wrong thing.
• 18:16
  Speaker 2: Yeah, the information and I'm happy to get some more
• 18:18
  Speaker 2: facts and figures through to you, Katie, because there is,
• 18:21
  Speaker 2: for example, in the numbers of communities, some are homelands
• 18:24
  Speaker 2: and outstations that aren't occupied year round, and others are
• 18:28
  Speaker 2: quite big communities where you know, they're more like a town.
• 18:31
  Speaker 2: Some of them are our town camp. So happy to
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: share that information so that the community understands it.
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: All right, Are you worried though about the impact that
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: some of these changes are going to have and will
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: there be additional support mechanisms put in place for some
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: of those communities.
• 18:45
  Speaker 2: Katie, The impact of alcohol across our community worries me
• 18:48
  Speaker 2: each and every day. And yes, we are ensuring that
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: with these changes that the resources we've got will be
• 18:55
  Speaker 2: focused around ensuring that we stop the supply that cause
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: to those people that cause harm.
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: Now, just finally, I have had a message come through
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: towards the end of last week actually wondering about the
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: seniors concession cards. You might not have this info on you,
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: but they're wondering have they all been sent out yet?
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: And it is obviously somebody who is eligible. Have they
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: all been sent out yet?
• 19:17
  Speaker 2: So, Katie, from the first of July each year, we
• 19:19
  Speaker 2: have two different seniors programs that provide supports to older
• 19:24
  Speaker 2: territories in our community. They get a number of rebates
• 19:27
  Speaker 2: and the ability to access some entitlements. So my understanding
• 19:32
  Speaker 2: is people need to be registered by the first of
• 19:33
  Speaker 2: July and then the cards and is sent out to them.
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: But I'm happy to get that detail to you.
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: Yeah, we might even see if we can catch up
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: with Sushira from Kocha or somebody like that to give
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: us a bit further detail. Another message that's come through, Hey, Katie,
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: can you ask the Chief Minister what contract the Darwin
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: Turf Club has in place with the government. There's not
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: one currently in place. We did obviously just ask about that.
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: When can we expect Minister Pake to make an announcement
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: on that one?
• 19:57
  Speaker 2: Katie. I'll certainly let him know that you are are
• 19:59
  Speaker 2: in urn to have that detail, but my understanding as
• 20:02
  Speaker 2: it's in the coming days.
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: All right, Chief Minison Natasha Files, we better leave it there.
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: Thanks for your time this morning. We appreciate it.
• 20:08
  Speaker 2: Thank you.