Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Member for Katherine Jo Hersey wasn't aware mask requirements had changed due to no direct communication from the Government, leaving residents unsure also

Transcript

Member for Katherine Jo Hersey wasn't aware mask requirements had changed due to no direct communication from the Government, leaving residents unsure also · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: You're listening to Mix one O four point nine. Now
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: the indoor mask mandate in place across the Big Rivers Region.
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: It's going to be lifting at twelve oh one tomorrow morning.
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: And good news for those obviously living in the area.
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: Joining me on the line though, is the local member
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: for Catherine, Joe Hersey. Good morning to you, Joe, Good.
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: Morning Katie, and good morning listeners.
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: Now, Joe, I think this probably came as a bit
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: of a surprise. There was no fanfare with this announcement
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: that the masks are coming off for the Big Rivers
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: Region tomorrow.
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: No, that's right, Katie. So just you know, scrolling through
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  Speaker 2: Facebook and check nt health and that was how I
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: learned that the mask mandate was going to be removed.
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: I have been chatting about it a lot with people
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: since the Chief Minister said the rest of the territory
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: was going to have the mask mandate removed, and I've
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: been asking questions on why Big Rivers Region, which is
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: the only region that was continuing with the marks mandate,
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: and I have heard from a government at all. Normally,
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: you know, I would get an EMA or a phone call, nothing,
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: and so to read it on Facebook while I'm extremely pleased.
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: I think it's very disappointing of the lack of communications
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: over this issue when we're the only ones left with
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: the marked mandate. Do you reckon be removed on Friday?
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: I can't be removed today.
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: Do you reckon the people of Catherine and the Big
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: Rivers region even realize that this is the case for Friday?
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: No, And I've had people message me about that. Most
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: people did not even realize. Most people didn't realize that
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: we were staying in a masked mandate. There's confusion all
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: over town over it. I mean, I'm right next to
• 1:48
  Speaker 2: a bank and next door We've seen people go in
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: without a mask. We've seen people go in with a mask.
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: You know. I was in the shopping center the other
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: day there was people without marks. So the message has
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: not got out. It has been confusing, as it has
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: been right from the get go.
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and Jo, is there much clarity at this point
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: in time around those vaccination stats? Because I know it
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: probably wouldn't matter so much, but it does seem as
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: though the government in many ways is basing decisions on
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: the vaccination status. So has there been much clarity in
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: that space?
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: There hasn't been any clarity on this space, Katie. And
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: this is the thing. You know, we've asked, well, what's
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: the health evidence and what's the science behind the fact
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: that Big Rivers is still in the mask mandate? But
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: the stats still on the vaccination are rubbery at best.
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: You'll go under Commonwealth data or NT data and there's
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: still conflicting percentages of what the vaccination rate is.
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: And like I say, it wouldn't be such a big deal,
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: but then when you know when these decisions are being
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: based on stuff like those vaccination numbers, it does then
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: make you wonder what numbers they're using. We know that
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: they've said the Northern Territory government ones rather than the
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: federal health ones. But yeah, I think people will just
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: be pleased to get those masks off on Friday. And hopefully,
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: based on this conversation you and I are having, Joe,
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: they may be more aware of it once we get
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: off the line together. But all in all, I know's
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: it's probably something that businesses and locals will embrace, even
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: if they're only finding out this morning.
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: Correct, And you know, if we are, as the government says,
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: learning to live with COVID, I welcome let's remove the
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: masks move on and get on with getting you know,
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: getting business done.
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: Hey, Joe, before I let you go this morning, I
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: know that petrol prices right around the nation well and
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: truly on the rise. Around Darwin today we're looking at
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: sort of two dollars five unlettered diesel, up to two
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: dollars nine in some locations. How is it looking around
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: the Catherine region. I understand you've also been to Tenant
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: Creek recently A well.
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: Yes, Katie, I had meetings down in Tennant Creek on Monday.
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: So I have traveled up and down the track from
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: Darwin to Tenant in the last couple of days. And
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: the fuel prices are definitely escalating. I know when I
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: put premium in my car the other day, it was
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: a dollar ninety or something like that just in Katherine,
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: but it was over two dollars between here and between
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: Catherine and Tenant Creek. And I did see that the
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: fuel prices are escalating all over. So you know this
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: now that where everything's opening up and people can move around,
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: this is going to have an impact on freight, on flights.
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: Just when we can start getting that up and moving around,
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: that's going to impact people greatly.
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: I think, yeah, it most certainly is, and we are
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: going to talk a little bit more about it this morning.
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: We'll catch up with Luise Blato and talk about it
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: from that real transport and freight perspective. But gee, it
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: does hit you at the hip hop but there's no
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: doubt about it.
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: No worries. Thanks, thank you, thanks listening.
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: Thank you. You're listening to Mix one oh four nine
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: and I'd love to hear from you this morning. If
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: you've got something on your mind, feel free to send
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: us a text, or you can send us an email
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: three sixty at Mix one O four nine dot com
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: dot au.