Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Member for Katherine Jo Hersey says business owners are locking their doors due to crime and antisocial behaviour during the day, with a lot of people leaving town

Transcript

Member for Katherine Jo Hersey says business owners are locking their doors due to crime and antisocial behaviour during the day, with a lot of people leaving town · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: As we know, concerns raised about crime and alcohol issues
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: spreading to other parts of the Northern Territory and even
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: across the border as alcohol restrictions tightened up in Ala Springs. Well,
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: there's a lot of those concerns being raised, and that
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: alcohol legislation passed the Parliament on Tuesday night. But what
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: impact is it going to have across the Northern Territory
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  Speaker 1: or what impact is it already having. Well, joining me
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  Speaker 1: on the line is a Member for Catherine, Joe Hersey.
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: Good morning to you, Joe, Good.
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  Speaker 2: Morning Katie, and good morning listeners.
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  Speaker 1: Joe. How have things been in Catherine from your perspective?
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  Speaker 2: Well, Katie, obviously I'm in Darwin this week in Parliament,
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  Speaker 2: but I know that I'm in constant contact with the
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  Speaker 2: community and it has been the crime and anti social
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  Speaker 2: behavior has been as bad as it's ever been. Obviously,
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  Speaker 2: we know crime has been bad for a long time,
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  Speaker 2: but this last few weeks since the restrictions in Alice Springs,
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  Speaker 2: have been just kicking the can down the road. And
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: I literally had Beck from Willow Blue this morning say
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  Speaker 2: make sure you let them know what is going on
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  Speaker 2: in Catherine. I mean there's three businesses, Katie at the moment,
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  Speaker 2: four businesses. Sorry, they have their doors locked and then
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  Speaker 2: they'll let people come in. This is absolutely ridiculous in
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  Speaker 2: this day and age. So Willow, Blue Seas Variety, the
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  Speaker 2: Rods from the Red Cross Shop, Antennette in the Arcade
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  Speaker 2: Cafe all have their doors locked during the day because
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  Speaker 2: of the antisocial behavior and what's going on in the street.
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  Speaker 1: And Joe, what exactly have they sort of had to
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  Speaker 1: deal with to get to the point where they're locking
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  Speaker 1: their doors during the day. What's happened?
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  Speaker 2: So Beck literally just said to me this morning they
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  Speaker 2: have had groups of young girls walking the streets there.
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  Speaker 2: They're loud, they're abusive, they come in, they're just antisocial.
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  Speaker 2: In the shop, she's got a brand new baby that
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  Speaker 2: she takes to.
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  Speaker 1: Work with her.
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  Speaker 2: It's an unsaved situation for her and her staff. And
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  Speaker 2: you know, I know ros at the Red Cross Shop,
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  Speaker 2: they've had the same thing happening there. At the Arcade Cafe,
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  Speaker 2: She's had people come in and feel things. She works
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  Speaker 2: alone by herself. You know, this is not the kind
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  Speaker 2: of community that Territorians should be, you know, not the
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  Speaker 2: kind of situation that Territori and should be dealing with
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  Speaker 2: when they just want to go to work and earn
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  Speaker 2: a dollar to get on and live their life.
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  Speaker 1: Well. And you know, Catherine's such a great place, like
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  Speaker 1: it is, such a great little place. So it's so
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  Speaker 1: disappointing that that kind of thing like that, it's getting
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  Speaker 1: to that point where people aren't feeling safe at work. Joe,
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  Speaker 1: I mean, he says, sort of it is.
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  Speaker 2: It is, Katie, you know. I mean, and I constantly say,
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  Speaker 2: I've lived in this community for thirty three years. I
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  Speaker 2: love this community. My husband's born there, my three children
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  Speaker 2: are born there. You know, we will be there for
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  Speaker 2: a long time. You know what I'm talking to when
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  Speaker 2: I'm out talking to people or when I'm walking the streets,
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  Speaker 2: you know, I see the crime, the anti social behavior.
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  Speaker 2: When I'm talking to John from Jarwin, you know, just
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  Speaker 2: last week before I came up, the first thing that
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  Speaker 2: he wants to talk to me about is how are
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  Speaker 2: we going to work together to make this better?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: You know, it's great to have people like John and
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  Speaker 2: Sammy Bush and the council and the commander of police
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  Speaker 2: all wanting to work together for a better community. And
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  Speaker 2: that's what we need to focus on.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely. You know, that's what everybody wants at this point.
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  Speaker 1: Everybody wants the Northern Territory to live up to what
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  Speaker 1: it's always been or what it used to be. You know,
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  Speaker 1: we're pretty sick of these issues that we've got with
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  Speaker 1: crime and anti social behavior. To put it mildly, Joe,
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  Speaker 1: is there sort of any evidence to support that things
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  Speaker 1: are getting worse due to the alcohol restrictions or could
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  Speaker 1: it just be whether events or you know, additional people
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  Speaker 1: being drawn to town for other reasons.
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  Speaker 2: Look, Katie, as I just said, when I'm out in
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  Speaker 2: the community on my walks in the morning, I mean
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  Speaker 2: I've spoken to people that are sleeping rough that are
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  Speaker 2: from Springs. I know that there have been admissions at
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  Speaker 2: the accident emergency at the hospital of people from Alice Springs.
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  Speaker 2: And whilst crime has been on the rise for some time,
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  Speaker 2: it has seemed to have you know, got a whole
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  Speaker 2: lot worse in the last few weeks.
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  Speaker 1: So I mean people sort of like, what are people saying?
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  Speaker 1: Are they pretty fed up? As they getting to the
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  Speaker 1: point where they're planning on leaving town? And when we
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  Speaker 1: spoke to Joe from Joeanne from Golden Glow nursing on
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  Speaker 1: Friday last week, and you know they're looking at packing
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  Speaker 1: up and shutting down their service.
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  Speaker 2: In Catherine, I heard you talking to her and I
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  Speaker 2: was devastated. I haven't actually been able to reach out
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  Speaker 2: and get in contact work because I had become to Darwin.
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  Speaker 2: But I you know, I just felt so sad and
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  Speaker 2: sorry for that business. You know, my mother in law
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  Speaker 2: when she was alive, she used services like the Golden
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  Speaker 2: Glow or the Arcs that go and help seniors in
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  Speaker 2: the community. We cannot afford for these people to be
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  Speaker 2: moving out because of the crime and anti social behavior
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  Speaker 2: that is happening constantly, day in and day out. Nikki
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  Speaker 2: from the coffee club sends me a message last night
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  Speaker 2: and she's had a business that business for maybe eighteen months.
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  Speaker 2: Three of her staff have left and have walked out
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  Speaker 2: because the crime and anti social behavior is so bad.
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  Speaker 2: Break ins in their residences. She's got windows that are
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  Speaker 2: boarded up. She can't afford to replace them. It's totally unacceptable, Katie.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, it is. It's totally unacceptable. I mean Joe yesterday
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  Speaker 1: in Parliament or the day before actually yesterday on the show,
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  Speaker 1: though we did play some of the audio from question
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  Speaker 1: time and you know, the Northern Territory government. The Chief
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  Speaker 1: Minister stood up and she said that you guys need
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  Speaker 1: to you know, when constituents come to you and they're
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  Speaker 1: raising these concerns that you need to start pointing out
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  Speaker 1: what the Northern Territory government's doing and stop talking the
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  Speaker 1: Northern Territory down. I mean, what's your response to that, Chief.
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: Minutes to talk to big game, Katie. But I'm telling you,
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  Speaker 2: first and foremost, as I said, of someone who's lived
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  Speaker 2: in the territory a very long time, and I am
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  Speaker 2: invested here in my community of Catherine. I'm telling you
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  Speaker 2: we live in a great community. We have so many
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  Speaker 2: good business that are really doing the best they can
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  Speaker 2: for our community. And for the Chief Minutes to say
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  Speaker 2: we are constantly talking down that is absolutely rubbish. And
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  Speaker 2: she wants to just get out listen and I mean
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  Speaker 2: really listen to the people of the territory, because I
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  Speaker 2: can tell you if people are coming and talking to
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  Speaker 2: me about crime, they sure as hell would be talking
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  Speaker 2: to the Chief Minutes about crime. You've only got to
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  Speaker 2: get on her Facebook page and look at the comments
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  Speaker 2: of what people say. So unless she's blind or unless
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  Speaker 2: she's deaf, I'd say open your ears, clean them out
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  Speaker 2: and listen to territories and do something. You are the
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  Speaker 2: government of the day, do something and make changes so
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  Speaker 2: that we can live safe at night knowing we're going
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  Speaker 2: to go to bed, not wake up in the morning
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  Speaker 2: with either your house broken into, your car stolen. It
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  Speaker 2: is not good enough and territories have had enough, Joe,
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  Speaker 2: I can say, Darwin is it is moving up the
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  Speaker 2: track and it is coming to a northern suburb near.
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  Speaker 1: You and that's I mean, that's the worry that people
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  Speaker 1: have got at this point, Joe. Just a couple of
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  Speaker 1: other things I want to ask you about briefly. We
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: have been speaking to the Member for goid a bit
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  Speaker 1: earlier this morning about this motion which is set to
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  Speaker 1: be debated as I understand it in Parliament today for
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  Speaker 1: the NT Parliament to support the Voice. It seems as
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: though the COLP are still working out whether they do
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  Speaker 1: or don't support the voice to Parliament at this point.
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  Speaker 1: What do you make of this, of this motion that
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  Speaker 1: was that was you know, that was put on notice
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  Speaker 1: I guess yesterday and and what's what's going to be
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  Speaker 1: the response from the CLP today? In Parliament.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, well, as you said, it did come on yesterday, Katie.
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  Speaker 2: But you know, I don't think this is an issue
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  Speaker 2: that should be decided by politicians, whether they're here in
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  Speaker 2: the Northern Territory or in Canberra. There's going to be
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  Speaker 2: a referendum where everyone in Australia can have their say.
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  Speaker 2: And as I've said to you previously, the first thing
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  Speaker 2: that people talk to me about, as I said John
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  Speaker 2: from Jarwin, or whether it's Sammy Bush or Northern Land Council,
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  Speaker 2: the first thing Sammy said to me a couple of
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  Speaker 2: days ago at the opening of Parliament, it wasn't anything
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  Speaker 2: about the voice. It was how are we going to
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  Speaker 2: work together to make this a better territory and a
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  Speaker 2: better community of Catherine, I mean.
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  Speaker 1: Does doing that involve the voice?
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  Speaker 2: Well, I think it just gets back to let's wait
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  Speaker 2: and see what happens in the referendum and everyone's voice
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  Speaker 2: is important, but everyone is going to have a say
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  Speaker 2: in due time to be able to put their pen
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  Speaker 2: to paper and make a decision.
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  Speaker 1: And so Joe, hows is CLP going to respond today?
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  Speaker 1: As said, I know that that Sky News was reporting
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  Speaker 1: that the COLP rank and file have urged the party
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  Speaker 1: to officially oppose the voice. That's a report by Matt Cunningham.
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  Speaker 1: So what will the response be today in Parliament.
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  Speaker 2: Well, it'll be interesting to see how that goes. But
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  Speaker 2: you know, as I've said, it's whether with our voice
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  Speaker 2: and from the territory or in Canberra. Let's just wait
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  Speaker 2: and see what happens with the referendum. You know, it
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  Speaker 2: is it is definitely not first and foremost of things
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  Speaker 2: that people are talking to me about. People you know,
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  Speaker 2: are always wanting to talk about crime, anti social behavior
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  Speaker 2: and how we're going to get this territory back on track.
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  Speaker 2: And it's those voices that I'm listening to.
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  Speaker 1: Joe. One other thing that I'm keen to find out
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  Speaker 1: about in Catherine, we're hearing that the Westpac bank in
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  Speaker 1: Catherine is set to close down. What do you know
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  Speaker 1: about this?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah? Okay, so last year we I spoke to somebody
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  Speaker 2: from west Pac and they did say to me that
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: on February twenty fourth, which I think is next Friday,
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  Speaker 2: Westpac will be closed closing down. And you know that
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  Speaker 2: that is a shame and we've seen right across Australia
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  Speaker 2: banks closing down in small communities and you know, it's
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  Speaker 2: just it's not okay that people don't have a place
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  Speaker 2: to go, you know, and do their banking, or they
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  Speaker 2: have to now go and do it at the post office.
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  Speaker 2: So I just think it's a shame that. Yet it's
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: something else that in regional centers, you know, whether they're
• 10:33
  Speaker 2: closing all these downs for you know, shareholder profits. It's
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: unacceptable and the people of Catherine should be able to
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: be afforded to have a Westpac voice, a Westpac bank.
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: We also saw in Tenant Creek their Westpacs closed down
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  Speaker 2: as well. The Member for Barkley's spoken about that and
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  Speaker 2: it's absolutely unacceptable. You know that in this day and age.
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  Speaker 2: I know that it's all internet banking, but there is
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  Speaker 2: a considerable amount of people that go to that Westpac
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: bank every day.
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: Well, this is the thing I would imagine that it
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  Speaker 1: would have a massive impact on a lot of locals.
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  Speaker 1: You know, some businesses you still need to bank your
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  Speaker 1: you know, your takings each day or each week.
• 11:12
  Speaker 2: Yeah, correct, Katie. So there was businesses at the time
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  Speaker 2: when west Pac said, oh, you know everyone everyone will
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  Speaker 2: know in the next week, there were businesses coming and
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  Speaker 2: telling me that they still hadn't heard a month down
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  Speaker 2: the track and that's unacceptable. You know, you can at
• 11:28
  Speaker 2: least bring them or send an email, but you know,
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  Speaker 2: both business are now going to have to what will
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  Speaker 2: they change banks if they need to bank or are
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  Speaker 2: they going to go and line up at the post
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  Speaker 2: office which generally when you go there as a massive
• 11:40
  Speaker 2: queue to the door anyway, so businesses don't have time
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: to be standing in a queue to do the basics
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  Speaker 2: of running their business and doing their banking on a
• 11:50
  Speaker 2: day to day basis.
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: Well, Joe Hersey, the CLP member for Catherine, I always
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: appreciate your time. Thanks so much for having a chat
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: with us this morning.
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: Thanks Katie. Until we getting soon, Thank you,