Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It is just on eighteen minutes after ten o'clock. Now.
Last Friday, on the show, we spoke to Sally who
told us about her elderly mum and Katherine being targeted
a number of times by thieves. Now, she said that
she believed that there'd been an increase in criminal behavior
and the impact was being felt around the beautiful town
of Catherine. Now the ABC this week reporting that police
(00:23):
say that there's been a spike in vehicle thefts that's
seen fourteen cars reported stolen in just a month, around
thirty five percent of the town's usual yearly total. Now,
the figures have prompted the Katherine Mayor, Joanna Holden to
call on the Chief Minister, Leah Fanocchiaro to urgently convene
a crime round table. The Mayor, Joanna Holden joins me
(00:45):
on the line. Good morning to you.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Morning, Katie. How are you doing fine Friday?
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Really good? How's Catherine looking this morning? Joanna?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Well, I've got to say I don't know. I mean
gun Bologna.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Oh, that's right. How's gun Bologna looking today?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
It is beautiful, what a beautiful part of the territory.
And the clouds are rolling in which is I don't know,
a good little bad thing.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Yeah, well, wait and see, hopefully we don't get too
much rain on this dry season day. Well it's meant
to be a dry season day. Now, Joanna, tell me
what's going on in Catherine at the moment when it
comes to the issues that you're seeing with crime.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Katie, what we are seeing is an escalation in both
the level of violence around the crimes that are occurring,
and I guess an escalation I say the value of
the crime. So where people are losing items of high value,
such as vehicles, they have intruders coming in with weapons,
edged weapons to take the vehicles off them, and the
(01:46):
actual crimes are violent. We have had people injured in Catherine.
Community members injured badly during the occurrence of these crimes,
so there seems to be more of it. It is
more dangerous and people are going to get hurt, badly hurt.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Johanna, can you give me without identifying people, are you
able to give me a couple of examples of some
of the situations you know that people have gone through
over recent weeks, Katie.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
I'll talk about my mother. She's in her nineties. She
had six break ins in five months, she had you
male use bashing down her bedroom door at two am
in the morning with what looks to be looked like
an edged weapon. My mother doesn't cry. She's one of
the most stoic people I know. She sat there holding
(02:39):
back the tears while she was telling me she feels
like she's being forced out of her home of almost
sixty years, the home that she built, the family that
she you know, she raised her family in that home.
My dad built that home with his own hands. And
she feels that she is being forced out of that
place that she loves, the place that she should be
(03:00):
in in her you know, you know, older years. That's
how my mother feels. I know that there are other
people that you know. You go to Walworth and the
person next to you has their bags snatched, their car
key stolen, They can't get home. The response is slow
to help them. They're devastated.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Joanna, to be honest with you, that sounds like that
sounds bloody, dreadful and I mean even to hear that
your poor mom in her nineties has been targeted in
that way. We spoke to Sally on air last week.
She's based up here in Darwin, but she was a
Catherine girl. Her mom lives there still and she's been
through a similar situation to your mom. Do you reckon
(03:43):
that you know people are targeting the elderly.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
I do think they are, and definitely the feedback around
what's happening at the Woolware shopping center it is elderly
people that they are targeting. There was a I think
about six months ago people were volunteer to go shopping
with the elderly and Catherine because of the risk of
them being robbed and potentially hurt while they were going
(04:08):
to do their weekly shopping. It's terrible, but Katie Blood
victims that lost everything, waking up in the middle of
the night to find people and they're properly stealing their car.
They've lost everything, They're tens of thousands of dollars out
of pocket and the only ASCID they've got is being
stolen and the people have weapons. I can't you know,
(04:32):
people are frightened. Sorry, I'm trying to frustrated. I mean
we feel let down. Catherine feels let down. You look
at the investment into Alice Springs, the investment into Tenant
Creek when they've had the same issues by both the
federal and the territory government. Where is the support for Catherine.
This didn't just happen yesterday. This has been escalating over
(04:53):
a period of time and governments, both levels of governments
have not listened to Catherine. It's time for government to
start listening to Catherine and stepping up and helping us out.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Johanna, I mean you've said you want to see a
round table. You've written to the Chief Minister. Where are
these you know, where are these things at?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
So the Chief Minister hasn't committed to around table, But
I want to talk about why we want around table, Katie.
We don't want to talk fest. We want to bring
the people that have got the authority to be able
to make change sit with key people in the community
that have got great ideas for change. Because I recognize
(05:33):
the government's bought in a whole range of measures, but
the only thing that's changed is the crime rate and
the level of violence. So that impact they're having is
probably not the intended impact they want it. So don't
they think it's time to step back and review what
they're doing and engage with the community and say, well,
what do you think will work here? Because what we're
(05:54):
doing obviously, isn't and so has.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
There been an increase in police resources? Is there anything
like that at this point in time, Joanna, I mean
somebody had said to me that maybe there needs to
be a curfew or maybe there needs to be some
alcohol restrictions.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
So, Katie, I think they're the sort of things that
should be put on the round table. So I think
there's lots of great ideas out there, which ones potentially
will work. That's where too, I think you need people
that understand how that might work or if that will
have the intended impact at the table as well to
guide and advise on that. I do think. Sorry, I
(06:36):
just yeah, yeah, I think there's there's a lot of
potential options. I guess the thing is we need the
government to hear what we think those options are, and
then they need to work through those wizards to decide
what we should do and put in place now to
start creating change and reducing the you know, the crimes.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
I mean, obviously, Johanna, you have got a local member
that's there in Joe Hersey, that is part of the government.
I mean, has she been part of these discussions or
you know, where to from here?
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Look I have to say Joe is she is a
great local member. She's a member of the community. She
talks to people regularly. She knows what's going on, she
knows the impact. But Joe is one member who solved
these issues. We need the whole of government behind it,
and it needs to be led by the Chief Minister.
(07:32):
She is ultimately the boss ye and she has carriede
across all the agencies. She has the authority to direct.
She needs to step up and be the chief.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Well, we're going to be catching up with her. I
believe we usually do interview her on a Monday morning,
so I'll certainly raise those concerns that you've got for
the people of Catherine with the Chief Minister. I mean,
to anybody in government that is this morning, Joanna, what
is your message to them?
Speaker 2 (08:04):
The me think is that everybody does a great job,
and I know everybody cares, and I know everybody wants
to change things, but we all need to step back
because what we are doing doesn't seem to be the solutions.
So we need to work together. Not a talk press,
not a regular catch up. We need to sit down
(08:25):
with the intent, the intent to produce solutions and then
implement them, not talk about it, just do it, get
it done. And look, we might get it wrong, but
at least we know that we have and we can
try something else.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Well, you've got to give it a go. I mean, like,
no person should feel unsafe in their home, but the
thought of elderly women who have built their homes, who've
lived there for a long long time, not feeling safe
inside their own homes because they're being targeted, that's actually
heartbreaking stuff. And you know, I think that we as
(09:04):
any community, whether you're talking about Darwin, Alice, Springs, Catherine,
no matter where you are, if we can't look after
our senior territory and who've helped to build this place,
it's a real issue.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
I agree Katy absolutely that you're absolutely correct. They are
the backbone of the territory and as you said, they've
worked hard. They're entitled to feel faith, they're entitled to
enjoy their quiet. Ear is now that they've finished building
the territory for us and raising their children and looking
after their grandchildren, they are entitled to enjoy these years
(09:42):
and not feel like that you know, yeah, they could
be get harmed in their own homes. It is just
absolutely appalling. I just don't know how to you know,
I feel and I don't know what to say for
the Chief Minister to understand just how devastating it is
(10:04):
for this to be happening to not just elderly but
everybody in our community. Everyone absolutely.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
I mean, even as you've said their flood victims, you
know that that's all they've got left at this point
in time, and their cars being stolen. Just really quickly, Joanna,
because we are going to have to wrap up. But
what about for like our local businesses in Catherine, how
are they faring.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
I haven't spoken to them in a little while, Katie,
but the last time I did, I can tell you
that they are. You know, we've had businesses that have
sold up and left because they they're so over it.
They are so frustrated at the crime, and it's regular.
This is the day you parents for them, having youth
(10:45):
come in and steal from their shop, their star feel threatened.
They've had to put in security systems with cameras and buzzes.
And that's not the cats. And we know a main
street sort of businesses that are boarded up and have
cameras and buzzes to get into the shop that people
don't set up small businesses. You have to live like
(11:08):
that and you know, but the worst part is they
go to work that happens in their business. They walk
out the back and their car's been smashed up, and
they go home and their homes being broken into. I've
spoke to people and that's been their day and they're devastated.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
How bloody heartbreaking I mean, particularly when you look at
what Catherine has gone through this year. Look, Joanna will
make sure that we do ours the Chief Minister about
this if we've got her on the show on Monday,
and we'll continue to talk about it. I don't want
the people of Catherine to be forgotten, and I know
that there are plenty of people in Catherine that listen
to the show. Feel free to get in contact with us,
(11:43):
let us know how you are tracking at the moment.
But Joanna Holden, the Mayor of Catherine, I always appreciate
your time and I appreciate your honesty.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
No, thank you, Katie, and Katine appreciates your support too.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Yeah, anytime, thank you. We'll talk to you again soon.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Thank you.
It is just on eighteen minutes after ten o'clock. Now.
Last Friday, on the show, we spoke to Sally who
told us about her elderly mum and Katherine being targeted
a number of times by thieves. Now, she said that
she believed that there'd been an increase in criminal behavior
and the impact was being felt around the beautiful town
of Catherine. Now the ABC this week reporting that police
(00:23):
say that there's been a spike in vehicle thefts that's
seen fourteen cars reported stolen in just a month, around
thirty five percent of the town's usual yearly total. Now,
the figures have prompted the Katherine Mayor, Joanna Holden to
call on the Chief Minister, Leah Fanocchiaro to urgently convene
a crime round table. The Mayor, Joanna Holden joins me
(00:45):
on the line. Good morning to you.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Morning, Katie. How are you doing fine Friday?
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Really good? How's Catherine looking this morning? Joanna?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
Well, I've got to say I don't know. I mean
gun Bologna.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Oh, that's right. How's gun Bologna looking today?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
It is beautiful, what a beautiful part of the territory.
And the clouds are rolling in which is I don't know,
a good little bad thing.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Yeah, well, wait and see, hopefully we don't get too
much rain on this dry season day. Well it's meant
to be a dry season day. Now, Joanna, tell me
what's going on in Catherine at the moment when it
comes to the issues that you're seeing with crime.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Katie, what we are seeing is an escalation in both
the level of violence around the crimes that are occurring,
and I guess an escalation I say the value of
the crime. So where people are losing items of high value,
such as vehicles, they have intruders coming in with weapons,
edged weapons to take the vehicles off them, and the
(01:46):
actual crimes are violent. We have had people injured in Catherine.
Community members injured badly during the occurrence of these crimes,
so there seems to be more of it. It is
more dangerous and people are going to get hurt, badly hurt.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
Johanna, can you give me without identifying people, are you
able to give me a couple of examples of some
of the situations you know that people have gone through
over recent weeks, Katie.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
I'll talk about my mother. She's in her nineties. She
had six break ins in five months, she had you
male use bashing down her bedroom door at two am
in the morning with what looks to be looked like
an edged weapon. My mother doesn't cry. She's one of
the most stoic people I know. She sat there holding
(02:39):
back the tears while she was telling me she feels
like she's being forced out of her home of almost
sixty years, the home that she built, the family that
she you know, she raised her family in that home.
My dad built that home with his own hands. And
she feels that she is being forced out of that
place that she loves, the place that she should be
(03:00):
in in her you know, you know, older years. That's
how my mother feels. I know that there are other
people that you know. You go to Walworth and the
person next to you has their bags snatched, their car
key stolen, They can't get home. The response is slow
to help them. They're devastated.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
Joanna, to be honest with you, that sounds like that
sounds bloody, dreadful and I mean even to hear that
your poor mom in her nineties has been targeted in
that way. We spoke to Sally on air last week.
She's based up here in Darwin, but she was a
Catherine girl. Her mom lives there still and she's been
through a similar situation to your mom. Do you reckon
(03:43):
that you know people are targeting the elderly.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
I do think they are, and definitely the feedback around
what's happening at the Woolware shopping center it is elderly
people that they are targeting. There was a I think
about six months ago people were volunteer to go shopping
with the elderly and Catherine because of the risk of
them being robbed and potentially hurt while they were going
(04:08):
to do their weekly shopping. It's terrible, but Katie Blood
victims that lost everything, waking up in the middle of
the night to find people and they're properly stealing their car.
They've lost everything, They're tens of thousands of dollars out
of pocket and the only ASCID they've got is being
stolen and the people have weapons. I can't you know,
(04:32):
people are frightened. Sorry, I'm trying to frustrated. I mean
we feel let down. Catherine feels let down. You look
at the investment into Alice Springs, the investment into Tenant
Creek when they've had the same issues by both the
federal and the territory government. Where is the support for Catherine.
This didn't just happen yesterday. This has been escalating over
(04:53):
a period of time and governments, both levels of governments
have not listened to Catherine. It's time for government to
start listening to Catherine and stepping up and helping us out.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Johanna, I mean you've said you want to see a
round table. You've written to the Chief Minister. Where are
these you know, where are these things at?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
So the Chief Minister hasn't committed to around table, But
I want to talk about why we want around table, Katie.
We don't want to talk fest. We want to bring
the people that have got the authority to be able
to make change sit with key people in the community
that have got great ideas for change. Because I recognize
(05:33):
the government's bought in a whole range of measures, but
the only thing that's changed is the crime rate and
the level of violence. So that impact they're having is
probably not the intended impact they want it. So don't
they think it's time to step back and review what
they're doing and engage with the community and say, well,
what do you think will work here? Because what we're
(05:54):
doing obviously, isn't and so has.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
There been an increase in police resources? Is there anything
like that at this point in time, Joanna, I mean
somebody had said to me that maybe there needs to
be a curfew or maybe there needs to be some
alcohol restrictions.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
So, Katie, I think they're the sort of things that
should be put on the round table. So I think
there's lots of great ideas out there, which ones potentially
will work. That's where too, I think you need people
that understand how that might work or if that will
have the intended impact at the table as well to
guide and advise on that. I do think. Sorry, I
(06:36):
just yeah, yeah, I think there's there's a lot of
potential options. I guess the thing is we need the
government to hear what we think those options are, and
then they need to work through those wizards to decide
what we should do and put in place now to
start creating change and reducing the you know, the crimes.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
I mean, obviously, Johanna, you have got a local member
that's there in Joe Hersey, that is part of the government.
I mean, has she been part of these discussions or
you know, where to from here?
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Look I have to say Joe is she is a
great local member. She's a member of the community. She
talks to people regularly. She knows what's going on, she
knows the impact. But Joe is one member who solved
these issues. We need the whole of government behind it,
and it needs to be led by the Chief Minister.
(07:32):
She is ultimately the boss ye and she has carriede
across all the agencies. She has the authority to direct.
She needs to step up and be the chief.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Well, we're going to be catching up with her. I
believe we usually do interview her on a Monday morning,
so I'll certainly raise those concerns that you've got for
the people of Catherine with the Chief Minister. I mean,
to anybody in government that is this morning, Joanna, what
is your message to them?
Speaker 2 (08:04):
The me think is that everybody does a great job,
and I know everybody cares, and I know everybody wants
to change things, but we all need to step back
because what we are doing doesn't seem to be the solutions.
So we need to work together. Not a talk press,
not a regular catch up. We need to sit down
(08:25):
with the intent, the intent to produce solutions and then
implement them, not talk about it, just do it, get
it done. And look, we might get it wrong, but
at least we know that we have and we can
try something else.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Well, you've got to give it a go. I mean, like,
no person should feel unsafe in their home, but the
thought of elderly women who have built their homes, who've
lived there for a long long time, not feeling safe
inside their own homes because they're being targeted, that's actually
heartbreaking stuff. And you know, I think that we as
(09:04):
any community, whether you're talking about Darwin, Alice, Springs, Catherine,
no matter where you are, if we can't look after
our senior territory and who've helped to build this place,
it's a real issue.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
I agree Katy absolutely that you're absolutely correct. They are
the backbone of the territory and as you said, they've
worked hard. They're entitled to feel faith, they're entitled to
enjoy their quiet. Ear is now that they've finished building
the territory for us and raising their children and looking
after their grandchildren, they are entitled to enjoy these years
(09:42):
and not feel like that you know, yeah, they could
be get harmed in their own homes. It is just
absolutely appalling. I just don't know how to you know,
I feel and I don't know what to say for
the Chief Minister to understand just how devastating it is
(10:04):
for this to be happening to not just elderly but
everybody in our community. Everyone absolutely.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
I mean, even as you've said their flood victims, you
know that that's all they've got left at this point
in time, and their cars being stolen. Just really quickly, Joanna,
because we are going to have to wrap up. But
what about for like our local businesses in Catherine, how
are they faring.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
I haven't spoken to them in a little while, Katie,
but the last time I did, I can tell you
that they are. You know, we've had businesses that have
sold up and left because they they're so over it.
They are so frustrated at the crime, and it's regular.
This is the day you parents for them, having youth
(10:45):
come in and steal from their shop, their star feel threatened.
They've had to put in security systems with cameras and buzzes.
And that's not the cats. And we know a main
street sort of businesses that are boarded up and have
cameras and buzzes to get into the shop that people
don't set up small businesses. You have to live like
(11:08):
that and you know, but the worst part is they
go to work that happens in their business. They walk
out the back and their car's been smashed up, and
they go home and their homes being broken into. I've
spoke to people and that's been their day and they're devastated.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
How bloody heartbreaking I mean, particularly when you look at
what Catherine has gone through this year. Look, Joanna will
make sure that we do ours the Chief Minister about
this if we've got her on the show on Monday,
and we'll continue to talk about it. I don't want
the people of Catherine to be forgotten, and I know
that there are plenty of people in Catherine that listen
to the show. Feel free to get in contact with us,
(11:43):
let us know how you are tracking at the moment.
But Joanna Holden, the Mayor of Catherine, I always appreciate
your time and I appreciate your honesty.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
No, thank you, Katie, and Katine appreciates your support too.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Yeah, anytime, thank you. We'll talk to you again soon.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Thank you.
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