August 6, 2026 • 9 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
And we know that Territorians to rely on taxis and
wheelchair accessible transport are set to benefit from a series
of reforms announced by the Northern Territory government earlier this week.
The changes include optional fixed taxi fares, giving passengers more
certainty about trip costs, along with increased transport subsidy scheme
(00:20):
and funding and higher incentives for wheelchair accessible vehicles. Now.
The reforms follow consultation with the industry and disability advocates
who have been fighting really hard on this. And one
of those people who joins me on the line right
now is Robin Burridge. Oh, I am good morning to
your Robin.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Good morning, Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Robin. You and I have spoken about this before.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
You fought hard for this previous previous government. Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Yes, it's been that long. Sometimes the issues take a
while to get sorted. But it's good when these things happen,
isn't it.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Well, I on the grape vine through my context that
the Chief Minister is the one that has apparently issued
the directive to fix this.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Yeah, right, sir Roberts. Tell us about the changes and
what they're going to mean from your perspective.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Well, there's going to be some changes in the tariffs. Now,
the technical side of that I'll leave to the industry themselves.
But what it means to people with disabilities is that
there is more incentive for the drivers who drive wheelchair
taxis to actually give priority to people in wheelchairs, which
(01:37):
they're supposed to do anyway. There is a code of
conduct which says people in wheelchairs are supposed to be
given priority, but that hasn't happened in the past.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
So do you reckon this change is going to mean,
you know, if there is that financial incentive, do you
reckon it's going to mean that it will make a
big difference for those people in wheelchairs.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Well, Katie, if none of this is policed, it's probably
not going to work. But there's two big incentives now
where the taxi subsidy can't where people get half affairs
paid if they have a taxi subsidy can't. The driver
previously gets twenty dollars if they pick up people in wheelchairs.
(02:19):
That's now been increased to thirty dollars. I mean, I
quite frankly, I think that's far too much. But that's
been done to give more incentives to the drivers, and
there has also been increased in the taxi subsidy money
that is given to people with disabilities. And the other
major issue is that the taxi drivers hadn't been securing wheelchairs.
(02:42):
I've been involved personally in two accidents with my wheelchair
because the taxi driver has not secured the wheelchair and
it just rolls all over the place. And as soon
as they put the brakes on your chair, you know,
scall or back. Yeah, that's scary, Robin, It's more than
than scary.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
I'm thinking, goodness, that sounds bloody, worrying, Robert.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
But we should also here thank Bill Yan because he's
obviously done what the Chief Minister has said and he's
on his way to fixing this. And the other very
good minister in this case, of course, is Jins and Charles,
the Minister for Disabilities. So those two ministers and the
Chief Minister have to be given thanks for what they're
(03:27):
trying to do here. But it was not least it's
not going to work.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Yeah, So look, I agree, I think you've got to
give credit where it's due when changes are made, particularly
when you've been advocating so hard for such a long time.
And I know there's an advisory group as well, isn't there, Robin,
which you sit on and it certainly has industry representatives
as well, and they too welcome this.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Change absolutely, And as I said, the Minister for Disability,
jins and Charles, he listens to so much. I mean
he's going back. He's a trained nurse. So we've got Robin,
Carl and Jinsen. They've got medical qualifications. They know about
the needs of people with disabilities. Now I heard your
(04:11):
program this morning. Well what did you think all the
health issues? Yeah, add one to that. You sure that's
another story, you sure can the most important one. There
isn't a wheelchair ambulance that takes people takes people's wheelchairs.
If someone in a wheelchair or even with a walking
(04:32):
frame goes into hospital, the ambulance drivers can't take their
wheelchair or their walking frame and having no leak.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Yeah, that's wild. We spoke about this before, didn't we
with Mark Mark? Yeah, So what needs to happen in
this space? Do you think, Robin, particularly when you look
at how it feels like Saint John is so underfunded
at the moment.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Yeah, and they do such a fantastic job. Well, I'm
in our health minister. He has to step up. He
really has to step up. And he's got he's got
support now in Oli. Remember for Leanna, he's got a sidekick.
It helps him because it is an extremely busy portfolio.
(05:18):
We recognize that. And I mean he's still got to
fix the hydro toool, but that's that's almost fixed. Yes,
Oh you.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Work away behind the scenes.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
I love what you do, Katie. I've been around for
a while and I've been a minister's advisor and i
know most of the ministers and I've got half the
ministry on side now. As as the hydro tool good,
of course, we have a new we have a new
acting in Health, Susan Bowden, and she's a person that
gets things done and she also has a deputy. Now
(05:54):
if you own a Renshaw, fairly new to the therapy,
but also a person that gets things done. And I've
got really a lot of confidence in those two people
that we're going to see something good happen with the
pool very soon.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Good So, Robin. As it currently stands, you know, people
are not able to go into that hydrotherapy pool out
there at the Palmerston Regional Hospital unless they are unless
they're out there as a patient or or you know,
somehow being dealt with through the through the staff out
there is that correct stuff.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
There is. There is a referral process now, but I've
had I've had a referral then since last November, and
I haven't heard anything about it. But one of the
reasons is that they know that I won't go in
the pool unless I have my own physio, which I
think is my right. And according to the new ce
well she agrees that I do have a right and
(06:48):
everybody else has a right. I think that that grandmother
that rang U Kat said that her grandson, he has
cerebral palsy like me, he was doing fine, He's getting
wonderful physio throughout breach physio and he was going in
the hydro bill and he can no longer do that.
Now that's that's a crime.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
It is.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
That is a crime.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
I agree with you. I just think it's you know,
it sort of feels like bureaucracy gone mad. And I
get it right, like I get that there needs to
be rules in place so things aren't being willingly, but
you know, you're talking about somebody who actually needs it.
In fact, everybody that wants to utilize that hydrotherapy pool.
I would imagine pretty desperate to be able to get
in there.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Katie. The pool has only been used as a maximum
of five hours a week and that has to be
he maintained and left running and fully operational sort of
every day. That's just crazy, just wasting money. Yeah, that's public.
It is a public bill. There's a few people that
have said, oh, I know it's a private fill. Well
(07:49):
it's not a private pill cash. Yeah, I will public pool.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Yeah, we'll have to find out. Hey, Robin, I always
appreciate your time and I like, I love what you
do behind the scenes as well advocating for people with
a disability and for all Territorians. I think it's really
important stuff. And you know, kudos to you for staying
on to these issues that are really important to a
lot of people.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Okatie, I won't let this one go because they have
been lives told by seeing your staff members in health
and they're now being caught out. And so we're going
to get a good result there. And you know, there's
a lot of good people in the Terrify. This is
an amazing place and very soon we're going to have
some really good news to tell you about more accessible
(08:34):
tourism for people with disabilities, and this will make the
terrifory thousands and thousands of dollars.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Good stuff, Robin, you're a legend, a territory legend.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
It's not all bad.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
No, no, it's not. And you know what, even this morning,
you've spoken about a few topics there, you've had some wins.
You've got some other things that you're working on, and
that's really important. So please let us know, please keep
us in the loop.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Well, I really thank your state and what you do
and what Catherine does, and even Crystal, she was doing
an amazing job for you. We couldn't get the status
of how many people actually use the homero pool. We
haven't been able to get those stats from anybody.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
All right, we'll listen.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Gord and tried to do that.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Ye, Crystal, you gave it a red hot. Go we try, Robin,
we're quite annoying, I think for a lot of people
in media units.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Well, you don't give up either. You're a tyrant as well.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
I'm happy to be a pain. Are you worries about that?
Speaker 2 (09:33):
No, we love listening to you. Things are going to
get done, Robin.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
I love talking with you. And I love your advocacy.
Thank you so much for your time. We'll talk to
you again soon.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Thank you very much for allowing me on your program anytime.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Thanks Robin
And we know that Territorians to rely on taxis and
wheelchair accessible transport are set to benefit from a series
of reforms announced by the Northern Territory government earlier this week.
The changes include optional fixed taxi fares, giving passengers more
certainty about trip costs, along with increased transport subsidy scheme
(00:20):
and funding and higher incentives for wheelchair accessible vehicles. Now.
The reforms follow consultation with the industry and disability advocates
who have been fighting really hard on this. And one
of those people who joins me on the line right
now is Robin Burridge. Oh, I am good morning to
your Robin.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Good morning, Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Robin. You and I have spoken about this before.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
You fought hard for this previous previous government. Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Yes, it's been that long. Sometimes the issues take a
while to get sorted. But it's good when these things happen,
isn't it.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Well, I on the grape vine through my context that
the Chief Minister is the one that has apparently issued
the directive to fix this.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Yeah, right, sir Roberts. Tell us about the changes and
what they're going to mean from your perspective.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Well, there's going to be some changes in the tariffs. Now,
the technical side of that I'll leave to the industry themselves.
But what it means to people with disabilities is that
there is more incentive for the drivers who drive wheelchair
taxis to actually give priority to people in wheelchairs, which
(01:37):
they're supposed to do anyway. There is a code of
conduct which says people in wheelchairs are supposed to be
given priority, but that hasn't happened in the past.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
So do you reckon this change is going to mean,
you know, if there is that financial incentive, do you
reckon it's going to mean that it will make a
big difference for those people in wheelchairs.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Well, Katie, if none of this is policed, it's probably
not going to work. But there's two big incentives now
where the taxi subsidy can't where people get half affairs
paid if they have a taxi subsidy can't. The driver
previously gets twenty dollars if they pick up people in wheelchairs.
(02:19):
That's now been increased to thirty dollars. I mean, I
quite frankly, I think that's far too much. But that's
been done to give more incentives to the drivers, and
there has also been increased in the taxi subsidy money
that is given to people with disabilities. And the other
major issue is that the taxi drivers hadn't been securing wheelchairs.
(02:42):
I've been involved personally in two accidents with my wheelchair
because the taxi driver has not secured the wheelchair and
it just rolls all over the place. And as soon
as they put the brakes on your chair, you know,
scall or back. Yeah, that's scary, Robin, It's more than
than scary.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
I'm thinking, goodness, that sounds bloody, worrying, Robert.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
But we should also here thank Bill Yan because he's
obviously done what the Chief Minister has said and he's
on his way to fixing this. And the other very
good minister in this case, of course, is Jins and Charles,
the Minister for Disabilities. So those two ministers and the
Chief Minister have to be given thanks for what they're
(03:27):
trying to do here. But it was not least it's
not going to work.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
Yeah, So look, I agree, I think you've got to
give credit where it's due when changes are made, particularly
when you've been advocating so hard for such a long time.
And I know there's an advisory group as well, isn't there, Robin,
which you sit on and it certainly has industry representatives
as well, and they too welcome this.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Change absolutely, And as I said, the Minister for Disability,
jins and Charles, he listens to so much. I mean
he's going back. He's a trained nurse. So we've got Robin,
Carl and Jinsen. They've got medical qualifications. They know about
the needs of people with disabilities. Now I heard your
(04:11):
program this morning. Well what did you think all the
health issues? Yeah, add one to that. You sure that's
another story, you sure can the most important one. There
isn't a wheelchair ambulance that takes people takes people's wheelchairs.
If someone in a wheelchair or even with a walking
(04:32):
frame goes into hospital, the ambulance drivers can't take their
wheelchair or their walking frame and having no leak.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Yeah, that's wild. We spoke about this before, didn't we
with Mark Mark? Yeah, So what needs to happen in
this space? Do you think, Robin, particularly when you look
at how it feels like Saint John is so underfunded
at the moment.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Yeah, and they do such a fantastic job. Well, I'm
in our health minister. He has to step up. He
really has to step up. And he's got he's got
support now in Oli. Remember for Leanna, he's got a sidekick.
It helps him because it is an extremely busy portfolio.
(05:18):
We recognize that. And I mean he's still got to
fix the hydro toool, but that's that's almost fixed. Yes,
Oh you.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Work away behind the scenes.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
I love what you do, Katie. I've been around for
a while and I've been a minister's advisor and i
know most of the ministers and I've got half the
ministry on side now. As as the hydro tool good,
of course, we have a new we have a new
acting in Health, Susan Bowden, and she's a person that
gets things done and she also has a deputy. Now
(05:54):
if you own a Renshaw, fairly new to the therapy,
but also a person that gets things done. And I've
got really a lot of confidence in those two people
that we're going to see something good happen with the
pool very soon.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Good So, Robin. As it currently stands, you know, people
are not able to go into that hydrotherapy pool out
there at the Palmerston Regional Hospital unless they are unless
they're out there as a patient or or you know,
somehow being dealt with through the through the staff out
there is that correct stuff.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
There is. There is a referral process now, but I've
had I've had a referral then since last November, and
I haven't heard anything about it. But one of the
reasons is that they know that I won't go in
the pool unless I have my own physio, which I
think is my right. And according to the new ce
well she agrees that I do have a right and
(06:48):
everybody else has a right. I think that that grandmother
that rang U Kat said that her grandson, he has
cerebral palsy like me, he was doing fine, He's getting
wonderful physio throughout breach physio and he was going in
the hydro bill and he can no longer do that.
Now that's that's a crime.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
It is.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
That is a crime.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
I agree with you. I just think it's you know,
it sort of feels like bureaucracy gone mad. And I
get it right, like I get that there needs to
be rules in place so things aren't being willingly, but
you know, you're talking about somebody who actually needs it.
In fact, everybody that wants to utilize that hydrotherapy pool.
I would imagine pretty desperate to be able to get
in there.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Katie. The pool has only been used as a maximum
of five hours a week and that has to be
he maintained and left running and fully operational sort of
every day. That's just crazy, just wasting money. Yeah, that's public.
It is a public bill. There's a few people that
have said, oh, I know it's a private fill. Well
(07:49):
it's not a private pill cash. Yeah, I will public pool.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Yeah, we'll have to find out. Hey, Robin, I always
appreciate your time and I like, I love what you
do behind the scenes as well advocating for people with
a disability and for all Territorians. I think it's really
important stuff. And you know, kudos to you for staying
on to these issues that are really important to a
lot of people.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Okatie, I won't let this one go because they have
been lives told by seeing your staff members in health
and they're now being caught out. And so we're going
to get a good result there. And you know, there's
a lot of good people in the Terrify. This is
an amazing place and very soon we're going to have
some really good news to tell you about more accessible
(08:34):
tourism for people with disabilities, and this will make the
terrifory thousands and thousands of dollars.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
Good stuff, Robin, you're a legend, a territory legend.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
It's not all bad.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
No, no, it's not. And you know what, even this morning,
you've spoken about a few topics there, you've had some wins.
You've got some other things that you're working on, and
that's really important. So please let us know, please keep
us in the loop.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Well, I really thank your state and what you do
and what Catherine does, and even Crystal, she was doing
an amazing job for you. We couldn't get the status
of how many people actually use the homero pool. We
haven't been able to get those stats from anybody.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
All right, we'll listen.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Gord and tried to do that.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Ye, Crystal, you gave it a red hot. Go we try, Robin,
we're quite annoying, I think for a lot of people
in media units.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Well, you don't give up either. You're a tyrant as well.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
I'm happy to be a pain. Are you worries about that?
Speaker 2 (09:33):
No, we love listening to you. Things are going to
get done, Robin.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
I love talking with you. And I love your advocacy.
Thank you so much for your time. We'll talk to
you again soon.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Thank you very much for allowing me on your program anytime.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Thanks Robin
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