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Katie Woolf spoke with Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis · 360 with Katie Woolf

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  Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie Wolf thanks to Joyce Main Darwin
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  Speaker 1: homes own Stuart Highway, Beroma.
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  Speaker 2: Joining me in the studio right now is the Lord
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  Speaker 2: Mayor of Darwin convat Scarlets.
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  Speaker 1: Good morning, Corn, Good morning Katie, and I noticed a
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  Speaker 1: change of the weather fine lastly, don't come believe it.
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  Speaker 1: Last night was absolute magic. I think we're heading to
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  Speaker 1: the dry season.
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  Speaker 2: We're all hoping so, Corn, although the Bureau of Meteorology
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  Speaker 2: did tell me yesterday that we're going to have a
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  Speaker 2: couple more you know, a bit more humidity in the
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  Speaker 2: air for the next couple of days, then hopefully on
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  Speaker 2: the weekend that dry season weather.
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  Speaker 3: Again, I'm not surprised it happens.
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  Speaker 1: So it was like that, but this year we should
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  Speaker 1: complain we had a beautiful, beautiful session because I drove
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  Speaker 1: the other day in the territory and it looked like
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  Speaker 1: a golf course. I've never seen the territory like that
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  Speaker 1: for a long long time. Obviously, we had a big
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  Speaker 1: rainfall and let's see what kind of drive we have
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  Speaker 1: and if it's really cold down south, most of them
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  Speaker 1: they will move norward.
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  Speaker 2: Well, that's what we're hoping. That's definitely what we're hoping now.
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  Speaker 2: It's also great timing this beautiful drive with a Forranzac
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  Speaker 2: Day because we know that it's fast approaching. What has
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  Speaker 2: the Darwin City Council got planned for this year.
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  Speaker 1: Well, it's anzactly is organized by their result, but we're
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  Speaker 1: always there to help. Certainly, I would be attending the
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  Speaker 1: dawn service as always and as the Lord Mayor, but
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  Speaker 1: also personally as an ex member of Defense Forces and
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  Speaker 1: as a person who actually come from a country with
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  Speaker 1: a long history of conflict and wars and sacrifices. I
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  Speaker 1: think it's the best thing to do, the most appropriate
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  Speaker 1: property to honor our fallen soldiers, men and women, whenever
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  Speaker 1: they fought and whatever they fought. This year, I understand
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  Speaker 1: I hadn't a great band that the Governor General might
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  Speaker 1: be coming up, but he's not going to be attending
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  Speaker 1: the Darwin and Anzac Day is going to actually do
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  Speaker 1: one of the original ones wonderful. So they asked me
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  Speaker 1: if I would like to stand instead of him in
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  Speaker 1: the dice to take it's a lot from the parade
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  Speaker 1: and I'd be very very happy to do that one
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  Speaker 1: again to show my support to the Defense forces.
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  Speaker 3: Here in Darwin.
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  Speaker 1: After all, We're a town with a long history of
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  Speaker 1: defense forces presence here and we're the only capital city
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  Speaker 1: that was born by the Japanese during.
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  Speaker 3: World War Two.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, our defense history is certainly rich, there is no
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  Speaker 2: doubt about that. Corn Is there any restrictions? Is year
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  Speaker 2: due to COVID.
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  Speaker 1: Well, where's COVID's it's in Humpty. Do not here, So
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  Speaker 1: business as.
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  Speaker 2: Usually here everywhere in Humpty, know what I mean?
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  Speaker 1: In the impects facility, quaranty facility and absolutely fantastic the
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  Speaker 1: job they've done there.
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  Speaker 3: It's really really good. But this is not in the community.
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  Speaker 1: And that said, thanks very much to all territorians, and
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  Speaker 1: thanks very much to our specialists and the doctors and
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  Speaker 1: the medical personnel that done tremendous job. We're lucky not
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  Speaker 1: to have any community transmission. So because we don't have
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  Speaker 1: community transmission, we don't have the restrictions. And I have
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  Speaker 1: to tell you when my son came from Melbourne in
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  Speaker 1: cause of the airport, he looked around and he took
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  Speaker 1: his mask, art says the place is chrange.
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  Speaker 3: No masks.
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  Speaker 1: Oh, look people outside talking to each other. We're not Melwourne.
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  Speaker 2: Michael, Yeah, that's exactly right. We are very lucky. But
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  Speaker 2: we've done such a good job in terms of managing
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  Speaker 2: things up here in the territory. Con I do want
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  Speaker 2: to take you to a few messages that we've received
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  Speaker 2: from our listeners. The majority of them are actually, excuse me,
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  Speaker 2: I'm about to sneeze, the majority of them are actually
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  Speaker 2: in relation to some of the anti social behavior and
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  Speaker 2: itinerancy will drinking that we've seen in public spaces. Now
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  Speaker 2: I've got one here, it says Fiikdi the City of
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  Speaker 2: Darwin rangers. They apparently, he says, they knock off at
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  Speaker 2: seven pm and don't start again until six point thirty.
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  Speaker 2: They're overwhelmed by itinerancy and have nightcliff foreshore campers. Also,
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  Speaker 2: there's about four rangers who are trying their best with
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  Speaker 2: this influx of campus. So perhaps you could ask the
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  Speaker 2: Lord Mayor to increase their hours and hire more ranges.
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  Speaker 2: Larichia are also overwhelmed, and the Northern Territory Police under
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  Speaker 2: resourced and have enough to do dealing with property damage
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  Speaker 2: and break ins. Con do we have enough ranges from
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  Speaker 2: your perspective, we do, Katie.
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  Speaker 3: The only problem we've got is our rangers do not
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  Speaker 3: have the past.
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  Speaker 1: The police have for example, our rangers they can't ask
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  Speaker 1: people to move, they can actually ask they can't ask
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  Speaker 1: them not to drink. They can't poor alcohol. But I
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  Speaker 1: have some really good news. I have to say that
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  Speaker 1: yes they met with a new police commander for the
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  Speaker 1: area of Darwin. Good news and bad news. The bad
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  Speaker 1: news is that actually a lot of people have come
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  Speaker 1: out of Darwin, even as far as from you. Demon
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  Speaker 1: and Alice Springs loaded groups of money from royalties and
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  Speaker 1: of course if they've got money, most of them spending alcohol. Unfortunately,
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  Speaker 1: and because they spend the money in alcohol, they camp
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  Speaker 1: in Middle Bitch, which have become a really hot spot.
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  Speaker 3: So the police is increasing patrol there. The commander told
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  Speaker 3: me that in one day they poured out ninety leaders
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  Speaker 3: of alcohol.
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  Speaker 1: Leaders of alcohol that Middle Bitch. We don't see the
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  Speaker 1: same in East Point. It's mainly in Middle Bach. So
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  Speaker 1: we discuss is what we can do with the police commander.
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  Speaker 1: I will now increase the number of outreach people going out.
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  Speaker 1: Even our own ranges are actually overwhelmed and they complain
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  Speaker 1: to me about the level of aggression they see against
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  Speaker 1: each other from these itinerants because fuel values, but also
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  Speaker 1: against the Larrakia ranges and my own anges.
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  Speaker 3: That's terrible, it is terrible.
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  Speaker 1: But again the police said to me that they were
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  Speaker 1: actually looking to a new campaign with the foot patrols
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  Speaker 1: and everything else and targeting secutary supply. This is the
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  Speaker 1: problem secondary supply. Somehow, some people they exploit this, the
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  Speaker 1: misery of these people. They live for alcohol and they
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  Speaker 1: supply them with alcohol. I understand recently done in Catherine,
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  Speaker 1: the police arrest somebody who was selling a carton of
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  Speaker 1: beer for three hundred dollars.
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  Speaker 2: I'm not surprised, to be honest with you. We've heard
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  Speaker 2: anecdotally plenty of stories of that nature. Even overnight. We've
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  Speaker 2: seen this horrific vision come out of the Wineli supermarket
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  Speaker 2: where we see the owner of that supermarket knocked to
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  Speaker 2: the ground as somebody runs out. Will two people run
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  Speaker 2: out with alcohol? It's unpaid for? I mean, it's there's
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  Speaker 2: a problem.
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  Speaker 3: Katie, when the money run out.
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  Speaker 1: We're going to see more of these issues unless the
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  Speaker 1: police actually get on top of it. I said to
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  Speaker 1: the police commander that my rangers are happy to provide
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  Speaker 1: the diligence because they are around the nowhere where people congregate,
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  Speaker 1: and we even will consider if the police ask us
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  Speaker 1: to restrict the time of drinking in the Middle Beach area.
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  Speaker 3: I mean, we don't want to restrict drinking. This is
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  Speaker 3: not a purpose.
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  Speaker 1: But if we're going to compat we can actually put
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  Speaker 1: something in place for a period of time, not Thursdays Sundays,
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  Speaker 1: when we've got the markets a lot of people are there,
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  Speaker 1: the pill times when people are not there, and these
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  Speaker 1: people think that they can do anything they like. And
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  Speaker 1: I really get really angry because I've got peoples. These
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  Speaker 1: people talk to us about country, and here they are
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  Speaker 1: messing somebody else's country.
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  Speaker 3: This is a a Kia country.
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  Speaker 1: If you come here from somewhere else, you have to
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  Speaker 1: respect it the same way you demand a Kia people
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  Speaker 1: to respect your country when they go to Tiwi or
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  Speaker 1: they're going to down to Ward Prey Country or anywhere else.
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  Speaker 1: If this is the country somebody else's country, bloody respecting.
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  Speaker 2: Corn Can I ask you you said that you're going
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  Speaker 2: to be increasing the number of outreach staff how many?
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  Speaker 1: Well, at this stage, we're looking what's happening and we're
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  Speaker 1: working together with the police to find out where we
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  Speaker 1: need it. But certainly I want to double the number
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  Speaker 1: of stuff I've got at the moment they outreach people
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  Speaker 1: doing a tremendous jobs. I've seen them in action myself
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  Speaker 1: early in the morning when I'm going to work. I
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  Speaker 1: stopped many times and talk to them because I know
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  Speaker 1: them both personally.
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  Speaker 3: One of them actually used.
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  Speaker 1: To work with me a long time ago in an
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  Speaker 1: indigenous medical service and Jesus, the way they deal with
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  Speaker 1: people and the way they respect people and the way
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  Speaker 1: they direct them to the right place is amazing. But again,
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  Speaker 1: when we talk to the local people, there's no problem.
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  Speaker 1: It's when we talk people come from somewhere else, feel
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  Speaker 1: of alcohol early in the morning, all health break laws.
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  Speaker 2: So Corn, how many stuff do you have currently have
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  Speaker 2: doing that outreach job?
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  Speaker 1: Well, we've got actually specific for outreach at the moment,
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  Speaker 1: a team of two that goes from six am to
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  Speaker 1: six pm. At the same time, got other rangers that
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  Speaker 1: nothing stops this. Rangers actually become outreach and talk to people.
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  Speaker 3: It's not only for parking. Rangers can do other works
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  Speaker 3: as well.
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  Speaker 1: And we will actually now provide appropriate training to the
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  Speaker 1: new team so when they go out they know how
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  Speaker 1: to deal with it. But also the year before it's
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  Speaker 1: when they come to Mars and they said to me
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  Speaker 1: eight o'clock in the morning, trying to talk to people
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  Speaker 1: and the people already inebriated. And the worst thing is
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  Speaker 1: they've got young children in that group. Young children alcohol
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  Speaker 1: do not go together an ext me of child protection.
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  Speaker 3: I was very strong about it.
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  Speaker 1: I asked the rangers now to every time there is
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  Speaker 1: a child in the area, to refer it directly.
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  Speaker 3: To child protection.
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  Speaker 2: But look, it's a very sad situation when we have
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  Speaker 2: got young kids around those that are in abriy add
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  Speaker 2: in public places. Colu'm just trying to get to the
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  Speaker 2: bottom of though, doubling the number of those outreach stuff,
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  Speaker 2: so go from two to four and potentially even expand
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  Speaker 2: that first.
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  Speaker 3: For specific for outreach.
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  Speaker 1: But as I said to you before, nothing stops my
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  Speaker 1: other rangers to do the same job if they need
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  Speaker 1: the rights, and I'm prepared to do that one. But again,
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  Speaker 1: you don't put my readers out in harm's way because
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  Speaker 1: don't want them to be assaulted. Their role is actually
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  Speaker 1: to look what happened, direct people to the right services.
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  Speaker 1: If there are people that are in libriated, call Latakia
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  Speaker 1: Nation the Loka Patrol and if things go out of hand,
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  Speaker 1: get the police as they did.
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  Speaker 3: The other day.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, and Coln. Look, we've had a few messages come
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  Speaker 2: through on the text line both yesterday and today about
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  Speaker 2: the situation at Mindle Beach, so I'm glad that you've
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  Speaker 2: spoken to us about that. I did gul a message
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  Speaker 2: as well from somebody asking there's apparently a big light
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  Speaker 2: on a daily and minstrel that hasn't been operating for
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  Speaker 2: quite some time.
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  Speaker 3: I know that's what yesterday referred to my CEO and
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  Speaker 3: were actually look into it. I don't know why.
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  Speaker 1: I knew very well that we had promises resourcing some
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  Speaker 1: of the lighting from overseas under circumstances, but certainly this
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  Speaker 1: has to be fixed. That's actually in the intersection of
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  Speaker 1: mcminnan Daily Street and I'm very well aware of that.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, excellent, all right, Well let us know when that
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  Speaker 2: one does get fixed up, corn, I know, just chatting
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  Speaker 2: to you when we're all fair before you did mention
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  Speaker 2: the again. The Local Government Association of the Northern Territory
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  Speaker 2: celebrating thirty years this year.
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  Speaker 1: Thirty years is the peak body of local garment association
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  Speaker 1: and believe it or not, local gand associations everybody says
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  Speaker 1: it's right.
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  Speaker 3: It's roads and rates. Actually it's not.
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  Speaker 1: It's employing three thousand people in the territory, a significant
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  Speaker 1: number of indigenous people. Actually we employ more Indigenous people
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  Speaker 1: than actually the government does. We is put in the
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  Speaker 1: table about half a billion dollars every year. And as
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  Speaker 1: part of our activities we deal with everything including law
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  Speaker 1: and order, which is not in our responsibility, but we
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  Speaker 1: have to do that one. And we've got people now
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  Speaker 1: from all over the territory, from the very north to
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: the very south, from east to west. Today we've got
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  Speaker 1: a reception, the first ever recept health in the Administrator's
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  Speaker 1: house for thirty years. Thank you very much, your honor.
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  Speaker 1: We really appreciate that. And from tomorrow we'll meet all
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: major's presidents, members of the local governments together to our
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  Speaker 1: conference and we're going to put a lot on the table.
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  Speaker 1: We have a new strategic plan which is totally different
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  Speaker 1: than once before. We have incorporated climatic change now and
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  Speaker 1: also indigenous issues.
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  Speaker 3: A lot of the are digital.
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  Speaker 1: Members have brought up to our attention and we made
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  Speaker 1: sure that this time we've got to get involved seriously
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  Speaker 1: with the digness issues working with the government, and I'm
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  Speaker 1: very very happy to say that the Minister Selena Yubo
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  Speaker 1: is very very keen to work with us, even in
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  Speaker 1: a digital's housing.
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  Speaker 3: We're on the ground, we know what the people want.
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  Speaker 1: Why you want to do a survey to find out
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  Speaker 1: whether the digital people want, let's say, in you do
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  Speaker 1: more or in money Grida. Just as the local government,
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  Speaker 1: they know the issues, they talk to them all the time.
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  Speaker 1: We're working very well with the federal we work very
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  Speaker 1: well with the territory government, will continue.
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  Speaker 3: To do so.
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  Speaker 1: We've got the expertise, the know how, the local knowledge
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  Speaker 1: to provide all this.
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  Speaker 2: Information well conbat scholars, Lord Mayor of Darwin, we are
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  Speaker 2: going to have to leave it. They're always great to
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  Speaker 2: catch up with you. Thanks for your time.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you, Katie,