June 10, 2026 • 12 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
But look, it's been almost a week since residents started
returning to their homes in the Naiu Daily River community
after months away due to devastating, record breaking flooding, and
while extensive cleanup and repair works have been undertaken, the
community still has a long road ahead to get back
on its feet, in particular key services and community organizations.
(00:23):
Now joining me on the line is Wayne Buckley, the
general manager of Green River Aboriginal Corporation. Good morning, Wayne,
let's try that again. Good morning Wayne.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Good morning case.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Sorry Rada, lovely to have you on the show. I
had you on the wrong phone line, but I've got
you now loud and clear. Hey, you tell me how
are things going out your way at the moment, and
how was that experience for many people finally getting back
out to community.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Well, it's it's I think there's obviously a sense of
relief it being in their own homes and finally and
they have a clinic, and they have a store, and
I think a Council of of opens next week and
so the basic services are there, which is terrific.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Now, I know, while many people were obviously keen to
get home, there's still a significant impact isn't there left
behind by the flights.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Katie, it might be helpful if we just talk about
the community of nau So Green River Aboriginal Corporation through
a land trust has the lease on that land and
so we manage most of the infrastructure they're apart from
the community housing. And then we have the art said
that Merripan. People will have heard of Meerpan that's internationally
(01:43):
famous for its fabrics. Mariam Morose Foundation who had a
lot of work with youth and who have I forgotten,
will be in dreadful trouble.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
You can always remember them after if you need to know,
I know.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
And so the government have been extremely good in terms
of cleaning up, may you, and so that work continues
just by virtue of the devastation and the amount of
work required. So people are coming back to yes, they're
coming back to their homes, but there's important services like
(02:16):
the aged care for example. We manage that asset and
unfortunately that's been totally destroyed. So people are asking us well,
how are we going to fit our old people? And
the rec hall, which again is a grack asset. People
are saying, well, what are our kids going to do
after school? Because there is a school operating and then
(02:36):
I don't know how long before the Catholic school fully operates.
So it's those perisheral services that are so important to
community life and community safety, community well being that unfortunately
we don't have. We don't have quite the solution that
we're hoping for at this point in time.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
So Waine, what do you think is needed right now
out in the community.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Well, Katie, just to give you a heads up, you know,
there's been two previous flugs before one in nineteen ninety six,
ninety eight and twenty sixteen, and both of those were
major flood events and the government of the day cover
basically fixed the whole community. And so come March, we
(03:25):
found ourselves requiring to have a very steep learning curve
and disaster management and we've been really blessed by the
people have come out to help us. And these are
people that have done flood recovery and Lismore Black Friday
in Victoria. So we've had the most incredible level of
support in terms of how we frame or how we
(03:45):
approach government, because we're going to need some government of support.
And what's really important is we're not asking for a handout.
We're asking for a feat at the table. So in
a disaster recovery, if you look at the website the
Emergency Management Agency REPTOR and the strategy, it talks really
strongly about community led recovery. And whilst the MTG has
(04:08):
done a sterling job and really led the rest of
the community in terms of particularly the Aboriginal orcs, haven't
been consulted with. Now I provided you with the information
that we provided government, so it's all very transparent. But
we started communicating with govern on the seventeenth of March.
That was to the Prime Minister, that's the Chief Minister.
(04:29):
The thirtieth of March, the Prime Minister, the thirty first
of March, Senator McCarthy, the second of April Minister McBain,
Minister Senator McCarthy, Marion Scrimger and Duran MLA. The nineteenth
of May we're back to Senator McCarthy and the twenty
sixth of May. You've got the submission that we submitted
(04:50):
that we finally give up to government and the disappointment, well,
we would have preferred to have a response from somebody
in government, either tier of government. That's a bit more proactives.
I guess in terms of where to from here, because
we were aware of what the issues are and we've
(05:11):
we've tried to communicate that to them and in the
in the terms of community and recovery, it's more than
just the houses that need to be looked at. So
we're not looking for a handout. We're simply looking at
the table to say we can contribute. How can we
contribute to make this happen? And that's that's the missing
piece of the jigsaw puzzle at this point in time.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
So Wayne, have you not heard back to that correspondence
from either tier of government at the Vinment?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
No, no official correspondence has been received. We have had
to reach out from Naya and we have had a
meeting with Minister Hersey last week. So you know, the
wheels are turning, but no, no acknowledgment of the series
is or the magnitude of the problem and the opportunity
to sit around the table of government and say, you
(06:00):
know what the issues are and we can contribute, we
can help. We don't want to, we don't want a
blank check. That's not what we're about at all.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Wane, Can you tell us briefly and tell our listeners
what exactly are the issues and what do you what
do you need from both both levels of government at
this point in time.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Well, the infrastructure that so if you if you if
we work back from we can't run an age care
serve or the council can't run an age care service
because the building that holds the kitchen is being flood damaged.
We can't deliver sport and rec services because the rec
call is damaged. We can't deliver the safe house has
been six thankfully so but if you step that back,
(06:43):
we also have the accommodation for the staff who would
run those services. That so there's nowhere for the staff
to there who are going to actually deliver those services.
So it just compounds.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Yeah, it'd be really tough, you know, Like i mean,
I'm thinking to myself about even you know, with the
age care and with the rec hall not being able
to you know, to accommodate seniors and the elderly in
the community. I mean that's really hard. Like where do
they go or are they still in Darwin?
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Well, they are still in Darwin and I'm not sure
that their houses will be fixed up, but I'm not
sure what services can be provided to them if they
come back. So help are looking after them in Darwin,
which is great, but that's not all the old people.
That's just the people who are vulnerable are vulnerable old people,
So there are other old people that access that service,
not just the medically vulnerable. So that's the community coming
(07:35):
to me and saying, oh, great to be home, but
what are we going to do with our old people?
And what do we do with the kids, and what
do we do with this? And so we try to
communicate that up the line, and it.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Doesn't sound like the message is getting through. No made
I feel for you, and I know it's like I
know it must be so tough at the moment, you know,
for everybody out there thinking hang on, we just want
somebody to talk to us. We just want you to
hear what we're worried about at this point, and we
want to be part of of reybuilding and getting things
back on track.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
If the community is to heal, all of the community
needs to to to you know, have some recovery. But yeah,
I just I just I just really want to stress
that it's not give us a blank check and we'll
go away and we want to sit around the table
and we actually want to share how we can contribute
it and what piss it. There's a lot of the
(08:32):
work that's currently done and I've got I've got my
steep learning curve is under what's called the Department Emergency
Management Agency runs a Disaster Recovery Fund and that's a
contributory thing between the common of the Northern Territory. So
you know, so I think I don't think it's the
money so much. It's about I don't know, but so
(08:54):
I know that that's sort of how I us down
the pathway to emergency recovery is funded, but I'm not
familiar with the nuts and bolts of how it actually works.
But MIGHTE more assume that we would be eligible, Yeah,
if to some support through that that particular Oh An.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
You'd absolutely think so, and you would absolutely think that,
you know that everybody would be trying to put in
that effort to make sure that you're able to be
helped to work out how to you know, to access
that stream of financial support to rebuild. Tell me, Wane,
I know there's been a lot of discussion, I guess
territory wide about whether you know the community is going
(09:36):
to move when when the rebuild does happen. Is that
discussion happening in the community as well, and what are
people saying?
Speaker 2 (09:43):
No? It look, it's obviously every time. Look in most
wet seasons the flood, the water comes up and we
might have a house or two n undated and then
it goes down. But this time was a whopper. Yeah.
I think we had seven major river systems slow into
the daily and then then the Fish River, So it
was a whopper and it was it's only the highest
(10:04):
level water level ever recorded, So it was pretty phenomenal.
And so the community are very resilient. They know that
in the past they cleaned the hazard themselves, that this
year this sluod that was decided they wouldn't be and
I think that's exacerbated some of the anxiety people have had,
but they are pleased to be home.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Yeah, and so then I guess the location or what
happens next is well, it sounds like it's all that
a standstill way.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
No, it's not. There's a lot of work being done,
which is fantastic, and so there's the money being put
aside from the is it one hundred million to do
a town plan? And they say that work started on that.
So they've looked at all the sites and worked out
you know, it's such a big flood plane that you know,
the land out of the flood zone, you've got to
be really careful where you put it. So and so
(10:53):
by May next year we will have a town plan
which is which is fantastic. And part of that process
were lots of consultation with community yeap. So there is
there is significant positive, really good things have all that.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
I'm pleased to hear that. But and I guess I
say when we're at a standstill, I mean more so
with the discussions with the two tiers of government unfortunately
the sound of things, Mate, if you could get one message.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
You just might be the catalyst.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Well, hopefully we are. I was going to say, Wayne,
if we can get one message to the Northern Territory
and the federal government today, what is it.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
Let's talk. Yeah, you've seen the information that we put up.
I think it's pretty comprehensive. Yep. I think that you
know that don't go by the dollars because that's a
desktop exercise. At the end of the day, it needs
to sit down and work out who can do what
for who, and how do we get there? How do
we move this along?
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Yeah, well, Wayne, it's been really good to talk to
you this morning. Can we keep in contact, Please let
us know how things go. I hope you know that
this discussion is a bit of a catalyst for you guys.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
I hope so too.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Yeah, and look, where'd you to catch up? Hopefully we've
got the Chief Minister on the show on Monday, so
we'll try to ask her about it, but we'll certainly
if we have any of our federal representatives on, we'll
do the same.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Terrific.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Thank you so much anytime, and please to thank you
for listeners. Yeah, thank you so much. Wayne, really good
to talk to you this morning. Keep in contact and
let us know if you do get any updates from
the governments either of them.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Yeah, wonderful.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
Thank you so much for your time this morning. I
really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Thanks Kat, it's a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Thank you.
But look, it's been almost a week since residents started
returning to their homes in the Naiu Daily River community
after months away due to devastating, record breaking flooding, and
while extensive cleanup and repair works have been undertaken, the
community still has a long road ahead to get back
on its feet, in particular key services and community organizations.
(00:23):
Now joining me on the line is Wayne Buckley, the
general manager of Green River Aboriginal Corporation. Good morning, Wayne,
let's try that again. Good morning Wayne.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Good morning case.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Sorry Rada, lovely to have you on the show. I
had you on the wrong phone line, but I've got
you now loud and clear. Hey, you tell me how
are things going out your way at the moment, and
how was that experience for many people finally getting back
out to community.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Well, it's it's I think there's obviously a sense of
relief it being in their own homes and finally and
they have a clinic, and they have a store, and
I think a Council of of opens next week and
so the basic services are there, which is terrific.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
Now, I know, while many people were obviously keen to
get home, there's still a significant impact isn't there left
behind by the flights.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Katie, it might be helpful if we just talk about
the community of nau So Green River Aboriginal Corporation through
a land trust has the lease on that land and
so we manage most of the infrastructure they're apart from
the community housing. And then we have the art said
that Merripan. People will have heard of Meerpan that's internationally
(01:43):
famous for its fabrics. Mariam Morose Foundation who had a
lot of work with youth and who have I forgotten,
will be in dreadful trouble.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
You can always remember them after if you need to know,
I know.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
And so the government have been extremely good in terms
of cleaning up, may you, and so that work continues
just by virtue of the devastation and the amount of
work required. So people are coming back to yes, they're
coming back to their homes, but there's important services like
(02:16):
the aged care for example. We manage that asset and
unfortunately that's been totally destroyed. So people are asking us well,
how are we going to fit our old people? And
the rec hall, which again is a grack asset. People
are saying, well, what are our kids going to do
after school? Because there is a school operating and then
(02:36):
I don't know how long before the Catholic school fully operates.
So it's those perisheral services that are so important to
community life and community safety, community well being that unfortunately
we don't have. We don't have quite the solution that
we're hoping for at this point in time.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
So Waine, what do you think is needed right now
out in the community.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Well, Katie, just to give you a heads up, you know,
there's been two previous flugs before one in nineteen ninety six,
ninety eight and twenty sixteen, and both of those were
major flood events and the government of the day cover
basically fixed the whole community. And so come March, we
(03:25):
found ourselves requiring to have a very steep learning curve
and disaster management and we've been really blessed by the
people have come out to help us. And these are
people that have done flood recovery and Lismore Black Friday
in Victoria. So we've had the most incredible level of
support in terms of how we frame or how we
(03:45):
approach government, because we're going to need some government of support.
And what's really important is we're not asking for a handout.
We're asking for a feat at the table. So in
a disaster recovery, if you look at the website the
Emergency Management Agency REPTOR and the strategy, it talks really
strongly about community led recovery. And whilst the MTG has
(04:08):
done a sterling job and really led the rest of
the community in terms of particularly the Aboriginal orcs, haven't
been consulted with. Now I provided you with the information
that we provided government, so it's all very transparent. But
we started communicating with govern on the seventeenth of March.
That was to the Prime Minister, that's the Chief Minister.
(04:29):
The thirtieth of March, the Prime Minister, the thirty first
of March, Senator McCarthy, the second of April Minister McBain,
Minister Senator McCarthy, Marion Scrimger and Duran MLA. The nineteenth
of May we're back to Senator McCarthy and the twenty
sixth of May. You've got the submission that we submitted
(04:50):
that we finally give up to government and the disappointment, well,
we would have preferred to have a response from somebody
in government, either tier of government. That's a bit more proactives.
I guess in terms of where to from here, because
we were aware of what the issues are and we've
(05:11):
we've tried to communicate that to them and in the
in the terms of community and recovery, it's more than
just the houses that need to be looked at. So
we're not looking for a handout. We're simply looking at
the table to say we can contribute. How can we
contribute to make this happen? And that's that's the missing
piece of the jigsaw puzzle at this point in time.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
So Wayne, have you not heard back to that correspondence
from either tier of government at the Vinment?
Speaker 2 (05:38):
No, no official correspondence has been received. We have had
to reach out from Naya and we have had a
meeting with Minister Hersey last week. So you know, the
wheels are turning, but no, no acknowledgment of the series
is or the magnitude of the problem and the opportunity
to sit around the table of government and say, you
(06:00):
know what the issues are and we can contribute, we
can help. We don't want to, we don't want a
blank check. That's not what we're about at all.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Wane, Can you tell us briefly and tell our listeners
what exactly are the issues and what do you what
do you need from both both levels of government at
this point in time.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Well, the infrastructure that so if you if you if
we work back from we can't run an age care
serve or the council can't run an age care service
because the building that holds the kitchen is being flood damaged.
We can't deliver sport and rec services because the rec
call is damaged. We can't deliver the safe house has
been six thankfully so but if you step that back,
(06:43):
we also have the accommodation for the staff who would
run those services. That so there's nowhere for the staff
to there who are going to actually deliver those services.
So it just compounds.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Yeah, it'd be really tough, you know, Like i mean,
I'm thinking to myself about even you know, with the
age care and with the rec hall not being able
to you know, to accommodate seniors and the elderly in
the community. I mean that's really hard. Like where do
they go or are they still in Darwin?
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Well, they are still in Darwin and I'm not sure
that their houses will be fixed up, but I'm not
sure what services can be provided to them if they
come back. So help are looking after them in Darwin,
which is great, but that's not all the old people.
That's just the people who are vulnerable are vulnerable old people,
So there are other old people that access that service,
not just the medically vulnerable. So that's the community coming
(07:35):
to me and saying, oh, great to be home, but
what are we going to do with our old people?
And what do we do with the kids, and what
do we do with this? And so we try to
communicate that up the line, and it.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Doesn't sound like the message is getting through. No made
I feel for you, and I know it's like I
know it must be so tough at the moment, you know,
for everybody out there thinking hang on, we just want
somebody to talk to us. We just want you to
hear what we're worried about at this point, and we
want to be part of of reybuilding and getting things
back on track.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
If the community is to heal, all of the community
needs to to to you know, have some recovery. But yeah,
I just I just I just really want to stress
that it's not give us a blank check and we'll
go away and we want to sit around the table
and we actually want to share how we can contribute
it and what piss it. There's a lot of the
(08:32):
work that's currently done and I've got I've got my
steep learning curve is under what's called the Department Emergency
Management Agency runs a Disaster Recovery Fund and that's a
contributory thing between the common of the Northern Territory. So
you know, so I think I don't think it's the
money so much. It's about I don't know, but so
(08:54):
I know that that's sort of how I us down
the pathway to emergency recovery is funded, but I'm not
familiar with the nuts and bolts of how it actually works.
But MIGHTE more assume that we would be eligible, Yeah,
if to some support through that that particular Oh An.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
You'd absolutely think so, and you would absolutely think that,
you know that everybody would be trying to put in
that effort to make sure that you're able to be
helped to work out how to you know, to access
that stream of financial support to rebuild. Tell me, Wane,
I know there's been a lot of discussion, I guess
territory wide about whether you know the community is going
(09:36):
to move when when the rebuild does happen. Is that
discussion happening in the community as well, and what are
people saying?
Speaker 2 (09:43):
No? It look, it's obviously every time. Look in most
wet seasons the flood, the water comes up and we
might have a house or two n undated and then
it goes down. But this time was a whopper. Yeah.
I think we had seven major river systems slow into
the daily and then then the Fish River, So it
was a whopper and it was it's only the highest
(10:04):
level water level ever recorded, So it was pretty phenomenal.
And so the community are very resilient. They know that
in the past they cleaned the hazard themselves, that this
year this sluod that was decided they wouldn't be and
I think that's exacerbated some of the anxiety people have had,
but they are pleased to be home.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Yeah, and so then I guess the location or what
happens next is well, it sounds like it's all that
a standstill way.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
No, it's not. There's a lot of work being done,
which is fantastic, and so there's the money being put
aside from the is it one hundred million to do
a town plan? And they say that work started on that.
So they've looked at all the sites and worked out
you know, it's such a big flood plane that you know,
the land out of the flood zone, you've got to
be really careful where you put it. So and so
(10:53):
by May next year we will have a town plan
which is which is fantastic. And part of that process
were lots of consultation with community yeap. So there is
there is significant positive, really good things have all that.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
I'm pleased to hear that. But and I guess I
say when we're at a standstill, I mean more so
with the discussions with the two tiers of government unfortunately
the sound of things, Mate, if you could get one message.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
You just might be the catalyst.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Well, hopefully we are. I was going to say, Wayne,
if we can get one message to the Northern Territory
and the federal government today, what is it.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
Let's talk. Yeah, you've seen the information that we put up.
I think it's pretty comprehensive. Yep. I think that you
know that don't go by the dollars because that's a
desktop exercise. At the end of the day, it needs
to sit down and work out who can do what
for who, and how do we get there? How do
we move this along?
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Yeah, well, Wayne, it's been really good to talk to
you this morning. Can we keep in contact, Please let
us know how things go. I hope you know that
this discussion is a bit of a catalyst for you guys.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
I hope so too.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Yeah, and look, where'd you to catch up? Hopefully we've
got the Chief Minister on the show on Monday, so
we'll try to ask her about it, but we'll certainly
if we have any of our federal representatives on, we'll
do the same.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Terrific.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Thank you so much anytime, and please to thank you
for listeners. Yeah, thank you so much. Wayne, really good
to talk to you this morning. Keep in contact and
let us know if you do get any updates from
the governments either of them.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Yeah, wonderful.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
Thank you so much for your time this morning. I
really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Thanks Kat, it's a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Thank you.
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