June 2, 2026 • 9 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We were just speaking, of course, with the local member
in Catherine, Joe Hersey, about the situation that unfolded in
the early hours of yesterday morning. Joining us on the
line now is the Mayor of Catherine, Joanna Holden. Good
morning to you, Joanna.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Good morning, Katie. How are you this morning?
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Yeah, I'm pretty well, Joanna. I mean yesterday morning, really,
all the fears that you'd held for Catherine, I feel
as though, you know, they unfolded in the early hours
when this car that had allegedly been stolen by a
group of youths crashed and very sadly a sixteen year
(00:36):
old boy lost his life.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yeah, Katie, what I just lost the words that we
are at this point and what happened yesterday morning happened
just But before I go on, I want to express
my condolences to the family that have lost the young person.
I want to acknowledge that there are people victims of
time in this as well. There are allegedly three stolen
(01:02):
vehicles and that is a big impact for those people.
And I also want to acknowledge the impact on our
community as well yesterday in terms of having the highway
clothes potentially people that couldn't get to key medical appointments
in Darwin, or catch planes or a whole range of
impacts across our community. This isn't something that just has
(01:24):
a small It's not a little thing. It just permeates
everywhere in our community. And our community is frustrated. Our
community is angry. But I don't want us to use
that frustrate and anger in a negative way. I want
us to use it and harness it in a positive
way and say what can we do to stop this
(01:46):
from happening again?
Speaker 1 (01:48):
What do you think we can do at this point
in time, Joanna, to actually stop this from happening again.
Because we caught up with the Member for Catherine, Joe
Hersey a few moments ago. You know, she had said
some of what the government is currently doing, and you
know I had said that she meets with you regularly,
that there is work happening behind the scenes with the
Northern Territory Police as well. But what do you think needs.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
To happen, Katie? I think, and we've been receiving ideas
from a range of people in the community about what
they think might work, like the night Youth House or
the Safe Youth I'm trying to get it right. I can't.
For whatever reason. In halls Preaking Cannara, they have these
youth safe places at night. They seem to be having
(02:33):
an impact and reducing down the issues over there. There's
been a suggestion that perhaps the police need to bring
the COMMS back to Catherine where it was previously, and
there's been a range of initiatives or ideas put forward
from the community about how we might be able to
address this. The whole purpose of the round table was
(02:53):
to sit down and put those ideas forward with the
Antique government and say what can we do to make
this happen? To take this action for Catherine. I think
more now than ever that needs to happen, and the
Council will be doing that by setting up its Community
Safety Action Group and driving or advocating the initiatives that
(03:14):
come out of that group.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
I know that the police have informed us that there
is going to be a Catherine community Safety meeting happening
today involving the police other department agencies. They're hoping to
have an officer from Catherine attending well. They're hoping to
provide someone on the show, hopefully for us as well
at some point to give us a bit of an
update on their response, but as you've said there, it
(03:38):
is a whole community response and there's a lot of
different things that the council would like to see happening, Joanna.
One of the things that really stood out to me
when I caught up with Joe Hersey a few moments ago,
you know, like the government's doing their work, obviously the
counselor is pushing for more to be done, and some
of the different things that could be getting done. You know,
she'd said to us that it's a core group who
(04:00):
continuing to offend. I mean, I've seen videos posted on
social media that were posted just hours before this tragedy unfolded.
Then yesterday morning, it sort of feels like everyone knows
what's going on. The community is screaming out for help,
but you know, we're sort of, you know like it
kind of feels like we're being told just be a
bit patient that things will change.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
And Katie, I've got to agree with you, and I
was actually surprised that you could hear me when I
came on radio this morning. But it doesn't feel like
anybody else is listening to what the Katherum community is saying.
They've had en up what happened yesterday morning. We didn't
get there because of what happened the day before, the
day before. This has been a long time in the making.
These youths, I believe potentially have escalated, and we talked
(04:47):
about this, that the crime in Katherine has been escalating
and it would escalate to a point where we have
something like this happened, so that's it. So we I
just thought, yeah, so why wasn't there action taken well
before we reached this point? And if there's anything to
say about yesterday that is good is that there was
(05:09):
no innocent person or family injured in what happened, and
we didn't have any police injured or first responders injured,
because I mean, I think the community would be absolutely
devastated had that car hit another vehicle with a family traveling.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Yet that's exactly right, Johanna. Have you seen all the
vision that's been doing the rounds on TikTok on social media.
I don't know if it's the same group of young people,
so I want to be really, really really clear about that.
I don't know, and I'm sure the police are doing
their work in this space, But have you seen some
of that vision, because to me, I just thought, oh
(05:49):
my goodness, like, this is exactly what you've been telling
me is going on. It's exactly what other Catherine residents
have been telling me is going on. It's really sad, it.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Is sad, and it's frightening. It's all those things, and
it does. It's incredible that, like you're saying that the
residents its people have been saying, this is what's happening,
but it's got to be seen on TikTok or got
to be seen on Facebook. And also that people are
so confident that they can just post this on Facebook
or TikTok without any ramifications whatsoever. That they are so
(06:24):
confident that they well are throwing They were baiting the
police I believe, allegedly baiting the police other night. So
that tells you that there's something has really failed when
these young people I think that they can do that
post what they're doing, they can wait the police potentially,
and there's no.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Yeah, I agree, no consequence, you know, yeah, they obviously
feel like there's not. Johanna, what would you what do
you want to happen right now? If you you know,
if one thing could change today or one. You know,
one person could hear what you've got to say today.
What is it? What do you want to see happen immediately?
Speaker 2 (07:08):
I think one of the first things we need is
some sort of youth engagement diversionry facility, set up a
drop in center. I don't mind what you call it.
I think there has to be somewhere straight away and
some activity to put these youth or have these youth
involved in so they're not out there doing what they're doing.
(07:29):
I think that if we can get as they had
in Palmerston, although you know, if we get a blitz happening,
you know, increase patrols because obviously the kids feel that
they can go out and there's nobody that's going to
stop them. I know when we have the dogs and
the Mounted police here and Catherine, that has an impact.
But that's just a short term I guess circuit breaker solution,
(07:54):
and while we're doing that, we need to actually get
together and say, well, what can we You know, we've
got a two or three week window in which we're
going to increase patrol, do some circuit breaker activities. What
can we put in place that's going to do more
long term sustainable.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Well, Johanna Holden, I appreciate your time this morning, as
I always do. And look, we're always here, always ready
to hear what you've got to say. And I know
that you've been you know, you've been calling out for
change for quite some time and calling really for some
extra attention when it comes to the issues of crime
in Catherine.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Yep, Katie, thank you for that. And just before we
finish up, I do believe that it's got to be
the three levels of government with the community working together
to solve this problem. We can't do it in isolation.
And I want to encourage the community of Catherine. I
know we're all angry. I know we're all frustrated, but
now is the time to focus that on getting some
(08:52):
good outcomes rather than saying or doing things that aren't
going to help that we'll just inflame the situation.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Very very good point, Joanna. Just really quickly before I
let you go, we've spoken about what the Northern Territory
government could be doing to support Catherine. Is help needed
from the federal government.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
I believe so, Katie. I think it's got to be
all three levels of government working together. We've all got
to be in on this and we've all got to
work together to find the solutions and get them in place.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Yeah, Joanna Holden, thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
As always, no thank you, Katie.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
I appreciate you giving me the our mayorplate anytime, anytime,
We were just speaking, of course, with the local member
in Catherine, Joe Hersey, about the situation that unfolded in
the early hours of yesterday morning. Joining us on the
line now is the Mayor of Catherine, Joanna Holden. Good
morning to you, Joanna.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Good morning, Katie. How are you this morning?
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Yeah, I'm pretty well, Joanna. I mean yesterday morning, really,
all the fears that you'd held for Catherine, I feel
as though, you know, they unfolded in the early hours
when this car that had allegedly been stolen by a
group of youths crashed and very sadly a sixteen year
(00:36):
old boy lost his life.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Yeah, Katie, what I just lost the words that we
are at this point and what happened yesterday morning happened
just But before I go on, I want to express
my condolences to the family that have lost the young person.
I want to acknowledge that there are people victims of
time in this as well. There are allegedly three stolen
(01:02):
vehicles and that is a big impact for those people.
And I also want to acknowledge the impact on our
community as well yesterday in terms of having the highway
clothes potentially people that couldn't get to key medical appointments
in Darwin, or catch planes or a whole range of
impacts across our community. This isn't something that just has
(01:24):
a small It's not a little thing. It just permeates
everywhere in our community. And our community is frustrated. Our
community is angry. But I don't want us to use
that frustrate and anger in a negative way. I want
us to use it and harness it in a positive
way and say what can we do to stop this
(01:46):
from happening again?
Speaker 1 (01:48):
What do you think we can do at this point
in time, Joanna, to actually stop this from happening again.
Because we caught up with the Member for Catherine, Joe
Hersey a few moments ago. You know, she had said
some of what the government is currently doing, and you
know I had said that she meets with you regularly,
that there is work happening behind the scenes with the
Northern Territory Police as well. But what do you think needs.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
To happen, Katie? I think, and we've been receiving ideas
from a range of people in the community about what
they think might work, like the night Youth House or
the Safe Youth I'm trying to get it right. I can't.
For whatever reason. In halls Preaking Cannara, they have these
youth safe places at night. They seem to be having
(02:33):
an impact and reducing down the issues over there. There's
been a suggestion that perhaps the police need to bring
the COMMS back to Catherine where it was previously, and
there's been a range of initiatives or ideas put forward
from the community about how we might be able to
address this. The whole purpose of the round table was
(02:53):
to sit down and put those ideas forward with the
Antique government and say what can we do to make
this happen? To take this action for Catherine. I think
more now than ever that needs to happen, and the
Council will be doing that by setting up its Community
Safety Action Group and driving or advocating the initiatives that
(03:14):
come out of that group.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
I know that the police have informed us that there
is going to be a Catherine community Safety meeting happening
today involving the police other department agencies. They're hoping to
have an officer from Catherine attending well. They're hoping to
provide someone on the show, hopefully for us as well
at some point to give us a bit of an
update on their response, but as you've said there, it
(03:38):
is a whole community response and there's a lot of
different things that the council would like to see happening, Joanna.
One of the things that really stood out to me
when I caught up with Joe Hersey a few moments ago,
you know, like the government's doing their work, obviously the
counselor is pushing for more to be done, and some
of the different things that could be getting done. You know,
she'd said to us that it's a core group who
(04:00):
continuing to offend. I mean, I've seen videos posted on
social media that were posted just hours before this tragedy unfolded.
Then yesterday morning, it sort of feels like everyone knows
what's going on. The community is screaming out for help,
but you know, we're sort of, you know like it
kind of feels like we're being told just be a
bit patient that things will change.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
And Katie, I've got to agree with you, and I
was actually surprised that you could hear me when I
came on radio this morning. But it doesn't feel like
anybody else is listening to what the Katherum community is saying.
They've had en up what happened yesterday morning. We didn't
get there because of what happened the day before, the
day before. This has been a long time in the making.
These youths, I believe potentially have escalated, and we talked
(04:47):
about this, that the crime in Katherine has been escalating
and it would escalate to a point where we have
something like this happened, so that's it. So we I
just thought, yeah, so why wasn't there action taken well
before we reached this point? And if there's anything to
say about yesterday that is good is that there was
(05:09):
no innocent person or family injured in what happened, and
we didn't have any police injured or first responders injured,
because I mean, I think the community would be absolutely
devastated had that car hit another vehicle with a family traveling.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Yet that's exactly right, Johanna. Have you seen all the
vision that's been doing the rounds on TikTok on social media.
I don't know if it's the same group of young people,
so I want to be really, really really clear about that.
I don't know, and I'm sure the police are doing
their work in this space, But have you seen some
of that vision, because to me, I just thought, oh
(05:49):
my goodness, like, this is exactly what you've been telling
me is going on. It's exactly what other Catherine residents
have been telling me is going on. It's really sad, it.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Is sad, and it's frightening. It's all those things, and
it does. It's incredible that, like you're saying that the
residents its people have been saying, this is what's happening,
but it's got to be seen on TikTok or got
to be seen on Facebook. And also that people are
so confident that they can just post this on Facebook
or TikTok without any ramifications whatsoever. That they are so
(06:24):
confident that they well are throwing They were baiting the
police I believe, allegedly baiting the police other night. So
that tells you that there's something has really failed when
these young people I think that they can do that
post what they're doing, they can wait the police potentially,
and there's no.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Yeah, I agree, no consequence, you know, yeah, they obviously
feel like there's not. Johanna, what would you what do
you want to happen right now? If you you know,
if one thing could change today or one. You know,
one person could hear what you've got to say today.
What is it? What do you want to see happen immediately?
Speaker 2 (07:08):
I think one of the first things we need is
some sort of youth engagement diversionry facility, set up a
drop in center. I don't mind what you call it.
I think there has to be somewhere straight away and
some activity to put these youth or have these youth
involved in so they're not out there doing what they're doing.
(07:29):
I think that if we can get as they had
in Palmerston, although you know, if we get a blitz happening,
you know, increase patrols because obviously the kids feel that
they can go out and there's nobody that's going to
stop them. I know when we have the dogs and
the Mounted police here and Catherine, that has an impact.
But that's just a short term I guess circuit breaker solution,
(07:54):
and while we're doing that, we need to actually get
together and say, well, what can we You know, we've
got a two or three week window in which we're
going to increase patrol, do some circuit breaker activities. What
can we put in place that's going to do more
long term sustainable.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Well, Johanna Holden, I appreciate your time this morning, as
I always do. And look, we're always here, always ready
to hear what you've got to say. And I know
that you've been you know, you've been calling out for
change for quite some time and calling really for some
extra attention when it comes to the issues of crime
in Catherine.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Yep, Katie, thank you for that. And just before we
finish up, I do believe that it's got to be
the three levels of government with the community working together
to solve this problem. We can't do it in isolation.
And I want to encourage the community of Catherine. I
know we're all angry. I know we're all frustrated, but
now is the time to focus that on getting some
(08:52):
good outcomes rather than saying or doing things that aren't
going to help that we'll just inflame the situation.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Very very good point, Joanna. Just really quickly before I
let you go, we've spoken about what the Northern Territory
government could be doing to support Catherine. Is help needed
from the federal government.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
I believe so, Katie. I think it's got to be
all three levels of government working together. We've all got
to be in on this and we've all got to
work together to find the solutions and get them in place.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Yeah, Joanna Holden, thank you so much for your time.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
As always, no thank you, Katie.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
I appreciate you giving me the our mayorplate anytime, anytime,
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