Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Government working with Unions ahead of further workforce strikes

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Government working with Unions ahead of further workforce strikes · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: And in the Northern Territory.
• 0:01
  Speaker 2: That ceremonial reading of the Proclamation of the Accession of
• 0:06
  Speaker 2: His Majesty King Charles the Third was conducted by Her
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: Honor the Honorable Vicki o'haller and AO yesterday. It was
• 0:12
  Speaker 2: just after lunch in the Chamber of the Legislative Assembly
• 0:15
  Speaker 2: inside of Parliament House. It was then followed of course
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: by contribution from the Chief Minister and also from the
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: Opposition Leader. But what does the change mean for the
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: Northern Territory. Well, joining me in the studio right now
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: is the Chief Minister, Natasha Files.
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: Good morning to you, Good morning Katie, Good morning listeners.
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  Speaker 2: Now, Chief Minister, will there be any real changes here
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: in the Northern Territory following the passing of the Queen
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: and obviously the proclamation of King Charles the Third.
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: So we acknowledge and pay our condolences to the royal
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: family on the passing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. In a
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: legal sense, the King has now been proclaimed as our
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: head of state and he's the King. But in terms
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: of there's been questions around currency, the seal on your passport,
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: for example, none of that changes and immediately it's still
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: legally valid, but you'll see over time a gradual change
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: as and you know, going back, it's been seventy years,
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: so seven decades a very long time. But people would
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: talk about a coin would pop up with the previous
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: king before it changed over to the queen. That was
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: more in England. So that's what you'll see is a
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: gradual change on those type of documents. But there's no
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: legal standing.
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: There had been some people that were a bit concerned
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: about their passports. Were they still going to be able
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: to travel, especially following on from sort of a lot
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: of people just getting them updated after COVID. Yeah.
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: No, So all of those legal documents stay in place.
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: They're legally valid, and then you'll see a gradual change
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: into the future where the queen will be phased out
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: and you'll see the king appear on those documents.
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: And will there be sort of any other official proceedings
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: aside from what we saw yesterday.
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: I think it's important to acknowledge Queen Elizabeth and the
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: contribution she made to the Northern Territory. She visited five
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: times over the decades, and she granted us self government Katie,
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: which I think is a really important point. But in
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  Speaker 1: terms of the official ceremonial, the proclamation in the Parliament
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: yesterday was the formality, and then there will be recognition
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: of the Queen and her passing over the coming week.
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: People are asked to perhaps dress in darker colors, and
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: then of course there'll be the public holiday Thursday Week
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: on the twenty second of September.
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  Speaker 2: Yes, so that is indeed the case for the Northern
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  Speaker 2: Territory as it is for the rest of Australia.
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  Speaker 1: The twenty second of September. Yes, that'll be a national
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: day of observance, so that we can acknowledge it's a
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: one off public holiday. It's not intended to be in
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: place into the future, so that we can acknowledge the
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: Queen and her contribution to our country.
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: Do you think that we're going to have any sort
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: of concern from businesses as a result of that additional
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: public holiday.
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: Katie, that's a natural question to ask, and of course
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: it will have some impact, but you may see in
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: fact some benefit tourism and hospitality. People may choose to
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: mark the occasional or use the opportunity of having that
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: day to perhaps head out for a meal or go
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: and do something. So you've seen someone off public holidays
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: recently in England and that's what they have. No, but
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: there will be an impact, but it's important for people
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: to understand it's a one off public holiday. Now.
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: We will catch up with Alex Bruce from Hospitality in
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: a few minutes time as well to find out their
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: take on that public holiday whether it's going to have
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: much of an impact on our businesses. But no doubt
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: there is going to be some changes as a result
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: of the queen passing. Do you think that we're going
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: to see a greater push for some you know, from
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: some within Australia for Australia to become a republic.
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: I think it's important that we do mark the following
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  Speaker 1: days and weeks with respect to the Queen. I think
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: that she certainly did have a strong personal following within
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: Australia and the Northern Territory. She was a woman in
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: some senses before her time. Her leadership that she showed
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: and you know that we saw that leadership right till
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: the end, just working, you know, with a smile till
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: a couple of days before she passed. But I think
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  Speaker 1: that'll be a conversation into the future for Australia and
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  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory as a part of that, let's move along.
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: You have been out at Royal dal And Hospital, as
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  Speaker 2: I understand it, this morning talking about the territory government
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: signing an Moumorandum of Understanding with the Royal Australian College
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: of Surgeons. What is THISMOU all about and what's it
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  Speaker 2: aimed at doing.
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  Speaker 1: So we're really focused around creating greater accessibility to our
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: health services and developing more services in the territory. So
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  Speaker 1: this MU established a training program for surgeons in the territory.
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  Speaker 1: It also identifies and develops opportunity for the training of
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  Speaker 1: Indigenous surgeons and also around indigenous health comes, how can
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  Speaker 1: we improve those and so the College of Surgeons provides
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  Speaker 1: training pathways, they provide professional support to the surgeons in
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  Speaker 1: the territory. So it's really exciting to see their college
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  Speaker 1: has taken this big step forward and acknowledging the Northern
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  Speaker 1: Territory and the work that can be done.
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  Speaker 2: How soon do you reckon we might see some change
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  Speaker 2: in this space because I guess when you look at
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: the medical profession at the moment, whether it's surgeons on
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: Friday or Towards the end of last week, we also
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  Speaker 2: spoke to Robin Khl from the Palmerston GP Superclinic about
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  Speaker 2: the lack of GPS not only in the territory but
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: right around Australia. How soon do you think we might
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  Speaker 2: sort of see some change in this space.
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  Speaker 1: So I think that the different colleges provide professional support
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: and training pathway. So someone goes to university and studies
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: to become a doctor, Katie, and it's once they've got
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: their degree they then continue with their training and their credentialing.
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  Speaker 1: And so I know that the different colleges, for example,
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: the College of General Practice, are really focused around how
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: we can strengthen and have more GPS across Australia. So
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  Speaker 1: this particular MoU is around surgeons and their capabilities and
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: the needs in the territory.
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  Speaker 2: Is the GP shortage something that you're looking at the
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: moment as well as something that you've got concerns around.
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  Speaker 1: So with the College of GPS, we work with all
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: the colleges in the medical professional around how we can
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: see training and how we can enhance that in the
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  Speaker 1: Northern Territory and provide those opportunities. And we do have
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: some really good rural generalist pathways where people can be
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: not only in Darwin and Alla Springs, but places such
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: as Null and Boy and continue their training.
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  Speaker 2: Now, in terms of the surgeon sin and that MoU,
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  Speaker 2: how quickly are you going to sort of see some
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: of those changes implemented.
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: So it's around making sure that we strengthen our health
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  Speaker 1: workforce and that we make services more accessible and as
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: I said, said in terms of indigenous pathways, creating that
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: for doctors coming through. So we're really excited at this
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: opportunity and it's being enacted immediately.
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: Okay, so it is an immediate change now. Just in
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: terms of that announcement this morning as well, out at
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  Speaker 2: the hospital there was also a new project which is
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: aimed at optimizing as I understand its some of the
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: digital solutions and telehealth. What exactly is this change and
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: is the project already underway or is it something that's
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: going to be implemented over coming weeks.
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  Speaker 1: This is a really exciting project, Katie, around optimizing digital
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: solutions and telehealth, and so it's ensuring that we have access.
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  Speaker 1: This is in the primary health care space, particularly noting
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: our remote community. So the Digital Health Cooperative Research Center
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  Speaker 1: and Anti Health Amensis are going to evaluate what we
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: have existing but also emerging technologies. So for example, you
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: have a patient they're in Royal Daleen Hospital, they have
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: some surgery. Rather than forcing them to stay in duh
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  Speaker 1: And for a week to ten days, they can safely
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  Speaker 1: return to community but have those digital telehealth appointments to
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: ensure that they're still well. So you'll see better compliance
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: because they will attend to that appointment rather than perhaps
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  Speaker 1: leaving Darwin and heading back to home and not attending
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: that follow up. But equally, in terms of telehealth, what
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  Speaker 1: can we do to support our clinicians is that digital
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  Speaker 1: technologies is it training? So this is a really exciting
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  Speaker 1: project because it looks at what we have, the opportunities,
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: but what we need to do to strengthen it.
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  Speaker 2: Look I'm sure that there's going to be people listening
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: this morning who are thinking how is this going to
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  Speaker 2: help the hospital and how is this going to help
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  Speaker 2: Territorians in terms of being.
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: Able to get a bed.
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  Speaker 2: We know that over recent weeks and months we've seen
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: code yellows. Even last week there was the Code Brown
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  Speaker 2: following on from the explosion in Austin Lane and It
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: left a lot of people questioning, well, how do we
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  Speaker 2: wind up in a code brown after one incident? And
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  Speaker 2: how understress is the hospital already? So how are these
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  Speaker 2: different measures going to help when it comes to the
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  Speaker 2: day to day care of Territorians.
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  Speaker 1: If I could answer that question in two parts. So
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  Speaker 1: the code Brown was called, it was only in place
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  Speaker 1: for a few hours. So what code brown is is
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  Speaker 1: that there's an emergency out side of the hospital that
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: may have significant impacts. So as soon as we heard
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  Speaker 1: there was an explosion, that was called and it makes
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  Speaker 1: practices within the hospital step up staff are called in
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: now in this situation, fortunately we had a very small
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: number of patients that were injured and my thoughts are
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  Speaker 1: with them. But if we'd seen twenty thirty forty people injured,
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  Speaker 1: then that is why the code Brown was called. So
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  Speaker 1: it was for us. It's more of a preemptive thing. Absolutely,
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  Speaker 1: it's a part of a structure. We see different codes
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: called within the hospital for different situations. In terms of
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: this telehealth, how it will help our hospitals. If you
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: have better compliance with post operative care, for example, you
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: will see people not potentially needing readmission because they've left
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  Speaker 1: the hospital haven't engaged with clinicians and then become quite
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: unwell and need to come back into hospital. So it's
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: about that comprehensive plan supporting acute with primary health care
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: all right. Now.
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  Speaker 2: We talk a lot obviously about making sure that we've
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: got enough staff for the hospital, not only in that
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: sector but also in other areas and bolstering the workforce.
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  Speaker 2: But we're still facing concerns from a number of industries
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  Speaker 2: when it came to the government's wage freeze. Further strike
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: action is planned this week now. I understand that Catherine's
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: going to be a focus for the unions, possibly teachers,
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: power water and Jacana staff chief minister firstly, from your understanding,
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: who is taking industrial action this week?
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: So Katie, the process is in terms of an EBAs
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: that you're bargaining. But within that Fair Work can approve
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: protected action, which means members of a union can strike.
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: So we'll certainly make sure that information shared. But we
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: are at the table working with the unions. I met
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: with unions on Friday, I'll meet with them again this week.
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: So there is a number of enterprise bargaining agreements that
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: are up for you at the present time. Okay, So
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: do we know who's going on strike this week. My
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: understanding is that we have got power and water, possibly
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: education and corrections. I'll provide exact details to offair if
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: that's okay. That's okay, now I know that.
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: Well, look, I guess we're in a bit of a
• 9:54
  Speaker 2: hard situation at the moment because the Northern Territory government
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: doesn't have a lot of money or any money really
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: to to those frontline public servants.
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: So what else can be offered at this point in time?
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: I know you said that the ABA negotiations are continuing,
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: but what else can actually be offered at this point
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: in time so that we don't lose public servants, frontline
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: public servants to other states.
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: What I would like to say, Katie, is that we've
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: heard loud and clear that with the rising cost of living, inflation,
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: interest rates, for example, that pay is important and we
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: do have that responsibility of managing our budget. So what
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: do we do in that space? And that's being worked through.
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: But there are other things that potentially don't even have
• 10:32
  Speaker 1: a cost, but can make someone's employment, you know, it
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: can improve that. So they're the aspects that we're looking
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: and they vary greatly within the different areas, for example, corrections, education.
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: So we're working with the individual unions around what they
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: would like to see.
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: Look, I think that for again, for a lot of
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: people listening this morning, if you are a parent who's
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: got children who are at school, you'll be thinking how
• 10:55
  Speaker 2: much longer and how many more strikes do we need
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: to go through? We support tea, We do think that
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: they need to be paid better and need better conditions,
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: but how do we continue to sort of ride out
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: this disruptiveness throughout school? But then if you've you know,
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: if you've got a husband or a partner that works
• 11:12
  Speaker 2: in corrections, you're thinking you want them to go to
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: work and have a safe working environment, all of these
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: frontline workers. So what exactly is the government going to
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: do to try and calm this down? Because how long
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: can we go on with these rolling strikes?
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: So, Katie, it's part of a process and it does
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: go through fair work and it is part of that
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: enterprise bargaining. We have the right to negotiate in good faith,
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: as do the unions have the right to take that
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: protected industrial action. But we within the different areas that
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: are presently under negotiation, we're acknowledging things that can be
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: changed that would help those workplaces. You just pointed to
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: safety as as one aspect. So we're working through and
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: they're quite individualized depending on the occupation, I mean to
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: put it really bluntly.
• 11:54
  Speaker 2: View seeing that vision on you know from the from
• 11:58
  Speaker 2: outside Parliament House, when all of those union members were
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: striking outside of Parliament House, they are absolutely disappointed, to
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: put it really mildly, in the Northern Territory government. They
• 12:09
  Speaker 2: had said that they thought there would be change with
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: a new Chief Minister.
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: Is there going to be change in this space? So Katie,
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: we're working through this and we're absolutely doing it from
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: a point of good faith, and of course we'd love
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: to give everybody a priorize, but we have to make
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: sure that we manage the Northern Territory budget that we're
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: not in a situation that into the future we can't
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: afford what we decide. So we're working through that. It's
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: incredibly complex and we're working with each of the unions
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: around the different scenarios for the professions.
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: Okay, to those union members or those teachers, anybody listening
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: this morning who are thinking, it doesn't really sound as
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: though anything much is going to change what's your message
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: for them?
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: No, absolutely, and there is a sense of urgency around this.
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: As I said, I met with union representatives last week.
• 12:51
  Speaker 1: I'll continue to do so. We acknowledge the hard work,
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: but we at the same time acknowledge the current cost
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: of living pressures. How long can we expect this to tell? Katie?
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: As I said just in my previous response, we're working
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: with a sense of urgency. We get that people would
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: rather be doing their jobs not taking this action, but
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: I do have the complexity of managing the budget. So
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: we'll continue to work in this space.
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: Now, Chief Minister. Just moving on to another topic, isolation.
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: Changes have come into place when it comes to COVID,
• 13:18
  Speaker 2: So no longer seven days of isolation, it's five days
• 13:22
  Speaker 2: of isolation. What's the situation though with the mask wearing.
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: Correct, Katie, So nationally last Friday we stepped from seven
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: days to five days isolation if you are feeling well. Now,
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: initially we had said could you please wear a mask
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: and the direction was for five days if you were
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: feeling well post your isolation. There's been some work over
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: the weekend with the Chief Health Officer and that's going
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: to change later today. Just to be days six and seven.
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: But if you're feeling unwell, you need to remain in
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: isolation and remembering masks a really gate tool to protect
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: our community.
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: Okay, So it will be changed from this afternoon after
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: you've done your five days of isolation, just two days with.
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: A mask, correct, Katie. And that is on the advice
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: of the Chief Health Officer. Yeah, and it's working through
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: the evidence that's presented and what the proportionate response is
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: and so that work will be published in a chow
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: direction later today.
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: Now, I do want to ask you, following on from
• 14:13
  Speaker 2: the Skills Summit that was held a couple of weeks ago,
• 14:16
  Speaker 2: there was some changes or there is going to be
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: some changes in this space around the skill migrant cap
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: as I understand it. What's it going to mean for
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: the Northern Territory when we talk about that shortage of
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: workers that we've currently got.
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: So there was an acknowledgement at the Jobs and Skills Summit,
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: Katie that the current visa system for people to migrate
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: is not working for our country and that we're losing
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: valuable employees who can bring skills to other countries overseas
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: because their system is much more robust and agile. So
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: the Commonwealth will enact some immediate changes and they'll continue
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: to make changes and so for us in the Northern Territory,
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: this can impact a range of occupations. But we're committed
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: to working with the Commonwealth to ensure that Territorians get
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: the best. Yeah, any idea how many we'll be able
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: to guess, We don't have that specific to provide that
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: to you. We certainly saw in terms of training, we've
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: got high levels of training numbers people doing apprenticeships and
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: trades presently, but we know that we've got an immediate
• 15:12
  Speaker 1: skilled workforce shortage here in the territory. All right, Chief Finister,
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: a couple of listener questions.
• 15:16
  Speaker 2: I've got one from Daryl that came in a little
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: bit earlier this morning, and Daryl says, it's been some
• 15:20
  Speaker 2: time and just wondering what's happening with these fuel prices,
• 15:23
  Speaker 2: as it seems the price of diesel hasn't fallen at all.
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: It's been roughly now.
• 15:28
  Speaker 2: Over three weeks and at the moment the price has
• 15:31
  Speaker 2: fallen at the gate, yet still nothing at the pump
• 15:34
  Speaker 2: whilst the ulp has decreased. Has an Northern Territory government
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: had any response back to the so called written information
• 15:41
  Speaker 2: asking retailers to show their profit margins.
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: Yes, Katie, I did have a conversation with the CEO
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: of Cole's at the job summit and he informed me
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: that they're the retail aspect of that operation, but in
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: terms of the fuel prices, it is the responsibility of
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: another company. So I received that information and we're chasing
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: up on that. So we certainly did right to both
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: the A Triple C as well as the retailers, and
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: we're following through on that.
• 16:05
  Speaker 2: Is it good enough from your perspective that we just
• 16:07
  Speaker 2: seem to be on this, you know, like it just
• 16:09
  Speaker 2: feels like we're on this ever going wheel of the
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: prices not going down and the fuel excise is about
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: to end.
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: I think, Katie, you've picked up on that point, and no,
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: it's not good enough. And with that excise ending, there
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: is a sense of urgency around this. We need to
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: be pushing every button we can to make sure that
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: the territorians are not forgotten about that. You know, the
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: East Coast, we don't see changes in prices. What can
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: we do here in the territory.
• 16:31
  Speaker 2: And is there anything that you're looking at that you
• 16:32
  Speaker 2: could potentially do differently here in the territory.
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: So, Katie, I've seeking some further advice now that I've
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: had that response around what we can do for territories
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: because the cost of living, you know, it's not just groceries,
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: but fuel is a big part of it, particularly when
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: the fuel cost does add to groceries.
• 16:48
  Speaker 2: Okay, So I think the CLPS do to bring in
• 16:50
  Speaker 2: the present their legislation.
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: Aren't that the next sittings? Is it something that the
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: government's going to support, Katie, We've been waiting for that legislation.
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: It hasn't been presented. It's been introduced, but it hasn't
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: come on for debate. But I think that in terms
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: of this space, I'm not sure it's a legislative response.
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: It's working with the retailers and putting that pressure on
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: them that it's not good enough for us to see
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: prices vary interstate regularly and no movement here in the territory.
• 17:13
  Speaker 2: We have another fuel summit like we did with Adam Giles.
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: I think territories are a bit over talk fest, Katie.
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: I think they want to see action and that's what
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: I'm focused on.
• 17:20
  Speaker 2: But when there's no action, that's when they want to
• 17:22
  Speaker 2: actually see people come to the table and try and
• 17:24
  Speaker 2: sort it out.
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: So, Katie, there certainly is action from my part in
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: terms of working with this industry so that we can
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: see changes for territories. All right. Jeff has also been
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: in contact.
• 17:34
  Speaker 2: He wants to know why is the government looking at
• 17:36
  Speaker 2: halting the development at Lee Point when this land's been
• 17:40
  Speaker 2: earmarked for a long time.
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: Are we seriously going.
• 17:43
  Speaker 2: To see a situation where the federal government could overturn
• 17:45
  Speaker 2: a decision made by the Northern Territory government.
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: So this is in relation to Lee Point and the
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: planned expansion to suburbs out there, and your listeners absolutely
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: correct in terms of whether there's a Holtz there has
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: not been that decision. There is one specific area where
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: we're seeing the Gordian finches, and so the Commonwealth looking
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: at that. We're certainly keen to get a practical outcome,
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: but we do need to see the ability for homes
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: to be built. My electric of Nightcliff, where I live
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: was once bushland and a day's trip from Darwin, CBD.
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: So we do have strong processes and this development has
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: been through those. I mean, yeah, and is.
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: This just another situation where it's a group of people
• 18:23
  Speaker 2: who do not want this in their backyard.
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: No, Okatie. I think this is a little unique in
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: the sense that the birds, there's a water source there
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: and the birds have moved in in large numbers, and
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: so just working through the balance of you know, the
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: Gordian finches, which are a very rare species of birds,
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: and versus the plan development that's been through the processes.
• 18:43
  Speaker 2: I'm just reading between the lines there, and it does
• 18:45
  Speaker 2: sound as though there could be some change in this
• 18:48
  Speaker 2: space and it's not going to move forward.
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: No, Katie, that's certainly not what I'm trying to come across.
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: And present. There's quite a large area out there. You've
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: already got some coastal reserve, you've got Buffalo Creek, you've
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: got some tourism and recreation space with the Lee Point
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: Caravan Park, as well as the area that's planned for houses.
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: So exactly where the birds are. Is there any way
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: that we can manage this with, you know, in terms
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: of allowing the development of the houses but at the
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: same time protect an area that may be where the
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: birds are nesting.
• 19:18
  Speaker 2: And so would that mean stopping future development on that area?
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: No, Katie, My understanding is that the planned development areas
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: are clearly outlined. As I just said, there is some
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: reserve area there as well as the tourism and recreation space.
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: So could that development area be reduced, Katie, This is
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: you know in terms of the Commonwealth Minister has said
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: that they'll look at it. We'll certainly work with them
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: to make sure that we do see the development of homes.
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: It's important. It's been long identified since the nineties and
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: early two thousands that used to be defense land for
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: radar towers out there. But at the same time we've
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: got a unique situation where a large number of these
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: birds that are quite rare have moved in.
• 19:57
  Speaker 2: All right, Chief Minister Natasha Files, we better leave it there.
• 20:00
  Speaker 2: Thank you very much for your time this morning.
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: Thank you.
• 20:02
  Speaker 2: It is just after nine point thirty coming your way.
• 20:05
  Speaker 2: Next we're going to be speaking to the CEO of
• 20:07
  Speaker 2: Hospitality NT Alex Bruce.