Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
All eyes have indeed been on Alice Springs in recent weeks.
They've gone through a really rough time with the tragic
loss of Kumanjay little baby, and we've seen the town
in morning, but we've also unfortunately seen some bad behavior
both at the hospital and the service station across the road.
Now joining us live on the line is the Independent
member Fararara lu and Robin Lamley. Good morning to you, Robin.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Good morning, Kadi Wolf, how are you.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I'm very well, thank you now, Robin good good. How
are things going in Alice Springs. I know that you
know it's been a terrible few weeks, but we've seen
that really bad behavior in the servo. Has that reopened?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Look, Katie, it hasn't reopened. I spent two weeks in
Darwin for parliament. I got home on Friday afternoon, and
Saturday morning I drove into town and I was shocked
to see that the service station directly across the road
from the Alice Springs Hospital that was hit by those
people writing completely cleaned out and damaged, is still not reopened.
(01:06):
And I went there yesterday, had a chat with the
security guard sitting outside the place, and one of the
attendants and they're working on it. But Katie, this has
cost that business potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars. This
is one of the most popular service stations in town.
(01:26):
It does a roaring trade with hospital staff who go
over and have coffees and get food and stuff. And yeah, look,
I was just start. It's been twenty days since that ride,
since the little little Cooman Jay was found and the
riote exploded out the front of the hospital on that night,
(01:48):
on the thirtieth of April. So you know, to think
that we're still trying to recover from everything, including that ride,
is bad. Yeah, it's not a good sign.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
It's really not. I mean then to think you've just
said there that you you know, you saw the security
guard outside the servo, they're still not open like that
would be costing, you would think, an enormous amount of
money and would be having a big impact on that business.
So they is it a national business or a local business?
Do you know?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
I'm pretty sure it's a national business. But yes, it
is a very popular service station. I go there and
it's yeah, it would be costing an absolute arm and
a leg. Their turnover would be considerable and going into
this well we're at the end of the third week,
(02:44):
three weeks since the riot. I can only imagine that
they've lost, as I said, hundreds of thousands of dollars
in turnover and in paying for the cost of repairing
the damage that Katie, we're still recovering from what happened
psychologically in this town. And I was just thinking about it.
(03:07):
I was writing a piece for my newsletter about it yesterday,
and it's sort of like we're all in a bit
of a state of stun mullet. You know. It's really
it's had a positive effect. I think it's connected people
across the racial divide particularly, but it's also made us
(03:29):
feel so sort of vulnerable.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
You know.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
That riot, Katie, was I think the biggest we've ever
seen in the town. And I've spoken to other people
who think it is too. We had a big riot
a couple of years ago on show Day in Alice
springs off on the show Day weekend at the front
of the Todd Tavern, and that hit the national media
for all the wrong reasons. But that wasn't even a
(03:55):
fraction the side of what we saw three weeks ago.
You know. To go from the desperation and the tragedy
of finding this little girl three weeks ago and then
and then flipping it to a major display of violence
and anger and frustration in the form of a big
(04:20):
ride involving hundreds of people. Who's just extraordinary. So it
is we learn from one thing to the other down
here and for the most part we can cope and
for the most part, sadly we're used to it. But
this has been extraordinary on many, many different levels.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
And Robin as a result as well of what's unfolded,
there has been a lot of discussion. Well, there's been
quite a bit of reporting nationally in the Australian about
the state of town camps and the management of those
town camps. We spoke briefly about this on Friday throughout
the week that was, but some have questioned that management
of funding with a substantial amount spent on wages. I
(04:57):
note that Toanguanji Council have now issued you to statements
saying that you know that that they are you know
that they basically they say that they've been subjected to
scrutiny in the media regarding the quality of services provision
to town campers, funding and the costs and investment relating
to town camp housing, they say that their funding is
(05:19):
subjected to rigorous acquittals under government contract requirements, whether this
is Northern Territory or Commonwealth funding. And they say in
response to inaccurate recent media reporting regarding Tongue in Geers
programs and services, the CEO saying, I'm taking taking the opportunity,
you know, to issue this statement to set out facts
(05:41):
regarding the programs and the services that they provide. I
don't know if you've seen that, but it's still.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Been following it, yeah, like and it still.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Does demonstrate I mean, there's an enormous amount of money
that goes into those town camps and enormous amount of
money that goes into staffing.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Hattie, I've been involved with this conversation, I guess for
twenty years. I was on counsel in the early two thousands,
and the same criticisms were leveled at Tongue in You
a council back then, and the same efforts were made
by various people, the media, politicians to try and gain
(06:22):
some better insight and transparency around how that organization works.
I wouldn't do what they're doing for quids. It is
by no means an easy job trying to maintain and
control and keep a sense of law and order and
civil society within those town camps. Some of them are
(06:44):
okay and some parts of them are okay, but by
and large, these town camps are not where you would
choose to live, where most of us would choose to live,
because of how unsafe they can be and the state
of amenities are generally not what most of us would accept. However,
Tongue injer Accouncil have a habit of locking down, bunkering down,
(07:09):
and denying everything all the allegations made against them. They
are shrouded in secrecy no matter how and spirit and
they think they are. No one really gets to the
bottom of how they operate and where the money goes,
and no one has ever been able to hold them accountable.
I think I mentioned on the week that was on
(07:30):
Friday that former Chief Minister Adam Giles took two of
their critical contracts away from them in I think it
was twenty fourteen or twenty fifteen, the repairs and maintenance
contract and the property management contract, and that sent them reeling.
You know, they went from being a huge organization to
(07:51):
being a shell of themselves because those contracts were given
to other organizations. As labor got back in, they gave
those contracts back to them, and life returned to the
way it had been for a long long time.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
To happen, Robin, like, does I mean another review or
another look into it? It sort of sounds like that's already happened.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Well, it has to happen regularly. It can't just happen
when a sill peak government lands in office and shakes
the tree. It has to happen routinely and regularly by
whoever's in government. And it has to be done in
keeping in mind conflicts of interest. You know, there's all
(08:36):
sorts of connections between Aboriginal people and Aboriginal politicians and
Aboriginal decision makers. And you know, I think a completely
independent review by people who who've probably never been to
Alice Springs before, it's probably in order to do. But look,
the more things change, the more they stay the same
(08:58):
when it comes to the town camps and hung in
Dura Council. But I will say, Katie in their defense,
that it is an incredibly difficult job, and I think
that those town can serve an important role in how
we function in Alice Springs, the people that live there,
the people that visit there, people that aren't used to
living in normal, you know, urban settings like you know
(09:23):
in the suburbs of Alice Springs or Darwin. So it
creates a safe place for them and a buffer between
them and you know, sort of the pressures of you
having to put your garbage out every week and living
a sort of Norman normal suburban lifestyle. So they do
perform an important function and role, and the residents who
(09:45):
live there are very loyal and proud of who they
are and what they stand for the town campus of
Alice Springs, So you know, keeping all that in mind,
they're still heavily government funded. It's public mark, it's our
money that they get every year to survive and maintain,
so there has to be that level of accountability no
(10:07):
matter what the government is of the day.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Well, Robin Lamley, it is always good to catch up
with you. I never feel like we've got enough time,
but I've got to chough off to our next interview,
and i know that you've got a busy morning ahead
as well.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Thanks so much, Katie, Thanks Robin,
All eyes have indeed been on Alice Springs in recent weeks.
They've gone through a really rough time with the tragic
loss of Kumanjay little baby, and we've seen the town
in morning, but we've also unfortunately seen some bad behavior
both at the hospital and the service station across the road.
Now joining us live on the line is the Independent
member Fararara lu and Robin Lamley. Good morning to you, Robin.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Good morning, Kadi Wolf, how are you.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I'm very well, thank you now, Robin good good. How
are things going in Alice Springs. I know that you
know it's been a terrible few weeks, but we've seen
that really bad behavior in the servo. Has that reopened?
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Look, Katie, it hasn't reopened. I spent two weeks in
Darwin for parliament. I got home on Friday afternoon, and
Saturday morning I drove into town and I was shocked
to see that the service station directly across the road
from the Alice Springs Hospital that was hit by those
people writing completely cleaned out and damaged, is still not reopened.
(01:06):
And I went there yesterday, had a chat with the
security guard sitting outside the place, and one of the
attendants and they're working on it. But Katie, this has
cost that business potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars. This
is one of the most popular service stations in town.
(01:26):
It does a roaring trade with hospital staff who go
over and have coffees and get food and stuff. And yeah, look,
I was just start. It's been twenty days since that ride,
since the little little Cooman Jay was found and the
riote exploded out the front of the hospital on that night,
(01:48):
on the thirtieth of April. So you know, to think
that we're still trying to recover from everything, including that ride,
is bad. Yeah, it's not a good sign.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
It's really not. I mean then to think you've just
said there that you you know, you saw the security
guard outside the servo, they're still not open like that
would be costing, you would think, an enormous amount of
money and would be having a big impact on that business.
So they is it a national business or a local business?
Do you know?
Speaker 2 (02:22):
I'm pretty sure it's a national business. But yes, it
is a very popular service station. I go there and
it's yeah, it would be costing an absolute arm and
a leg. Their turnover would be considerable and going into
this well we're at the end of the third week,
(02:44):
three weeks since the riot. I can only imagine that
they've lost, as I said, hundreds of thousands of dollars
in turnover and in paying for the cost of repairing
the damage that Katie, we're still recovering from what happened
psychologically in this town. And I was just thinking about it.
(03:07):
I was writing a piece for my newsletter about it yesterday,
and it's sort of like we're all in a bit
of a state of stun mullet. You know. It's really
it's had a positive effect. I think it's connected people
across the racial divide particularly, but it's also made us
(03:29):
feel so sort of vulnerable.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
You know.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
That riot, Katie, was I think the biggest we've ever
seen in the town. And I've spoken to other people
who think it is too. We had a big riot
a couple of years ago on show Day in Alice
springs off on the show Day weekend at the front
of the Todd Tavern, and that hit the national media
for all the wrong reasons. But that wasn't even a
(03:55):
fraction the side of what we saw three weeks ago.
You know. To go from the desperation and the tragedy
of finding this little girl three weeks ago and then
and then flipping it to a major display of violence
and anger and frustration in the form of a big
(04:20):
ride involving hundreds of people. Who's just extraordinary. So it
is we learn from one thing to the other down
here and for the most part we can cope and
for the most part, sadly we're used to it. But
this has been extraordinary on many, many different levels.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
And Robin as a result as well of what's unfolded,
there has been a lot of discussion. Well, there's been
quite a bit of reporting nationally in the Australian about
the state of town camps and the management of those
town camps. We spoke briefly about this on Friday throughout
the week that was, but some have questioned that management
of funding with a substantial amount spent on wages. I
(04:57):
note that Toanguanji Council have now issued you to statements
saying that you know that that they are you know
that they basically they say that they've been subjected to
scrutiny in the media regarding the quality of services provision
to town campers, funding and the costs and investment relating
to town camp housing, they say that their funding is
(05:19):
subjected to rigorous acquittals under government contract requirements, whether this
is Northern Territory or Commonwealth funding. And they say in
response to inaccurate recent media reporting regarding Tongue in Geers
programs and services, the CEO saying, I'm taking taking the opportunity,
you know, to issue this statement to set out facts
(05:41):
regarding the programs and the services that they provide. I
don't know if you've seen that, but it's still.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Been following it, yeah, like and it still.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Does demonstrate I mean, there's an enormous amount of money
that goes into those town camps and enormous amount of
money that goes into staffing.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Hattie, I've been involved with this conversation, I guess for
twenty years. I was on counsel in the early two thousands,
and the same criticisms were leveled at Tongue in You
a council back then, and the same efforts were made
by various people, the media, politicians to try and gain
(06:22):
some better insight and transparency around how that organization works.
I wouldn't do what they're doing for quids. It is
by no means an easy job trying to maintain and
control and keep a sense of law and order and
civil society within those town camps. Some of them are
(06:44):
okay and some parts of them are okay, but by
and large, these town camps are not where you would
choose to live, where most of us would choose to live,
because of how unsafe they can be and the state
of amenities are generally not what most of us would accept. However,
Tongue injer Accouncil have a habit of locking down, bunkering down,
(07:09):
and denying everything all the allegations made against them. They
are shrouded in secrecy no matter how and spirit and
they think they are. No one really gets to the
bottom of how they operate and where the money goes,
and no one has ever been able to hold them accountable.
I think I mentioned on the week that was on
(07:30):
Friday that former Chief Minister Adam Giles took two of
their critical contracts away from them in I think it
was twenty fourteen or twenty fifteen, the repairs and maintenance
contract and the property management contract, and that sent them reeling.
You know, they went from being a huge organization to
(07:51):
being a shell of themselves because those contracts were given
to other organizations. As labor got back in, they gave
those contracts back to them, and life returned to the
way it had been for a long long time.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
To happen, Robin, like, does I mean another review or
another look into it? It sort of sounds like that's already happened.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Well, it has to happen regularly. It can't just happen
when a sill peak government lands in office and shakes
the tree. It has to happen routinely and regularly by
whoever's in government. And it has to be done in
keeping in mind conflicts of interest. You know, there's all
(08:36):
sorts of connections between Aboriginal people and Aboriginal politicians and
Aboriginal decision makers. And you know, I think a completely
independent review by people who who've probably never been to
Alice Springs before, it's probably in order to do. But look,
the more things change, the more they stay the same
(08:58):
when it comes to the town camps and hung in
Dura Council. But I will say, Katie in their defense,
that it is an incredibly difficult job, and I think
that those town can serve an important role in how
we function in Alice Springs, the people that live there,
the people that visit there, people that aren't used to
living in normal, you know, urban settings like you know
(09:23):
in the suburbs of Alice Springs or Darwin. So it
creates a safe place for them and a buffer between
them and you know, sort of the pressures of you
having to put your garbage out every week and living
a sort of Norman normal suburban lifestyle. So they do
perform an important function and role, and the residents who
(09:45):
live there are very loyal and proud of who they
are and what they stand for the town campus of
Alice Springs, So you know, keeping all that in mind,
they're still heavily government funded. It's public mark, it's our
money that they get every year to survive and maintain,
so there has to be that level of accountability no
(10:07):
matter what the government is of the day.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Well, Robin Lamley, it is always good to catch up
with you. I never feel like we've got enough time,
but I've got to chough off to our next interview,
and i know that you've got a busy morning ahead
as well.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Thanks so much, Katie, Thanks Robin,
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