The Week That Was - 4th July 2025

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's time for the week that was. And in the
studio with us this morning, we've got the Attorney General,
Marie Claire booth Be Good morning to.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
You, Good morning Katie, and to your listeners.

Speaker 1 (00:09):
Good to have you in the studio. We've also got
Matt Cunningham from Sky News, Good morning, mass morning, and
in Alice Springs this morning. Hopefully he's warmed up a
bit yesterday from your run Duran Young, good morning to you.

Speaker 3 (00:23):
Good morning Katy, and good morning for your listeners. And
that's what I finally thought out.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
As it warmed up. Slightly made or not really.

Speaker 3 (00:32):
Not really, I can't really make it the difference. Maybe
people down here it's cold.

Speaker 1 (00:36):
Yeah, I bet it is. Well. Look, there's plenty to
discuss this morning, and we see today that the Northern
Territory government have indeed announced that they've well the details,
have changes to the Youth Justice Act, announcing new measures
in Alice Springs actually this morning which they say going
to ensure serious young offenders face real consequences now men

(01:00):
to the Youth Justice Regulations two thousand and six Act
will expand the list of serious offenses that are well
ineligible for youth diversion. So under these new changes, offenses
including serious harm offending, hit and runs, driving stolen vehicles,
assaults on frontline workers, and break ins will now have

(01:24):
a default position of proceeding to charge. Got to tell
you a lot of people listening this morning are probably
surprised that they're not already a situation where you don't
get bailed if you are involved in a hit and
run or assault a frontline worker and various other offenses.
But Marie Claire, it seems as though it is going

(01:45):
to include a lot more offenses. Can you talk us
through exactly what the prescribed offenses are going to be?

Speaker 4 (01:52):
Yeah, that's right, Katie, and your listeners would very well
know that youth crime has been out of control for
a very long time, and so we came to government
saying we would look to reduce crime, and this is
yet another one of the things that we're doing to
make sure that youths are held to account.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
And what we.

Speaker 4 (02:09):
Realized through feedback from police was that through regulations there
was quite a few of those prescribed offenses which were
very serious, but weren't on the list for them to
be able to charge them, and so they had no
choice but to basically drop them back home again. And
we've heard the term drop home to a responsible adult.

(02:30):
I don't know if you're a responsible at all if
you've got your children out and about in the middle
of the night causing these awful things to people. But
so these new updated regulations will include a much broader
list of serious offenses, and you touched on a couple
of them, things like offenses relating to riots, violent acts
causing death, recklessly and dangering serious harm, negligently causing serious harm,

(02:54):
hit and run, dangerous driving during pursuit, and we know
there's been a lot.

Speaker 5 (03:00):
A violent act causing death was previously not on that list.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
On the regulations list. Can you believe that?

Speaker 5 (03:06):
So you could commit a violent act causing death and
be diverted.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
That's right, You could be dropped home to your your parents. Yeah,
that's right. We are finding all these things as we're
going through.

Speaker 5 (03:16):
It can't be right.

Speaker 4 (03:17):
The Youth Justice Regulations, with the feedback from police, all
of the little things that are happening out on our
streets which are horrific, we're now being able to look
at and rectify. And so this is why this is
such a big step that the Chief Minister has taken today.

Speaker 5 (03:32):
Surely that can't be right. Violent act causing death.

Speaker 4 (03:34):
Yeah, like it is Section one six one A Matt.
It's disgraceful that this could have been something where people
were an offender by doing and causing these horrific acts
and then when able to be dealt with and there
was no consequences, which is exactly why we're making these changes.

Speaker 5 (03:53):
When did this change to what you're changing now? When
did it change so that it was so that someone
was able to be diverted?

Speaker 4 (04:03):
I think the Youth Justice Act and the regulations have
been changed after the Royal Commission, so you know, there's
been a lot of watering down of laws since that time,
and you know, I don't think it meets community expectations
these days. We've seen the watering downe over that time
and with you know, less and less people were being
held to account and so these kids have grown up

(04:24):
in an environment where there's never been any accountability, never
been any consequences, and of course, you know, you become
an adult and what else do you know is just
a life of crime and that's just not acceptable in
our community.

Speaker 1 (04:36):
I mean, Duran listening to that, do you know, whether
that was something that changed under the former government in
terms of, you know, an act causing death, I can't
think of the exact word. They're a dangerous act causing death.
How look, how on earth were we in a situation
where somebody could get bailed if that happened, not bailed, diverted, diverted, sorry, diverted.

Speaker 3 (04:59):
H Look, I'm not aware of when that changed or
if it did change at all. That that doesn't sound
right to me, that a violent act to cause death,
that would mean that a person is then put into
a diversion program and not put in kind of the
judiciary system. That just doesn't seem right to me at all.

Speaker 2 (05:21):
Under the Youth Justice Act calculation, that's what.

Speaker 3 (05:24):
It means, would be able to work through that. And like,
I don't ever remember any young person taken to a
diversion program after an act of death. It's called death.
So I just again the Salpa government come out and
try to use that as a reason to show that
it's ultimately an admission. This announcement by the Chief Minister

(05:47):
Leaf and off there, I think is an admission that
they are failing on their their one policy platform before
the election, coming in to be tough on crime.

Speaker 2 (06:00):
Assaults, on driving. During the writing and without.

Speaker 3 (06:04):
Consent sittings, you came in lowd the age of criminal responsibility.
You changed the Bowl Act and through your speeches you
said that this was going to fix crime and you
also said this is a way to get young people
back on track. Every single but it spoke in Parliament
said that now we're nine to ten months down the track,

(06:25):
you've realized that crime has increased. Because during that time
the experts and people in the field were saying the
tougher look on crime is not going to work, and
that people that are put in front of a judiciary
system are more likely to commit in crimes. And the
data reflects. We know that when young people are in

(06:49):
with the digitual system or are put into tens, seven
percent of people come out to commit more violent crimes
on the street.

Speaker 4 (06:58):
People who commit violent crime should not be out on
the street. This is the point they've had no accountability
or consequences over the last.

Speaker 3 (07:06):
Second a detention center, seventy percent of young people come
out and keep more violent crime. So what we need
to do is look at you diversion programs for young people.

Speaker 1 (07:16):
Well, I think Unfortunately, the situation that we're in in
the Northern Territory at the moment is you know, that
is what people heard really for eight years DURAN in
terms of diversion programs and kids partaking in those, and
what we have seen is some terrible incidents continue to
unfold in the Northern Territory. So look, I actually think

(07:38):
that based on the discussions that we've had even in
the last twenty four hours and the messages that we've
received on the tech sign in the last twenty four hours,
that people want to see these changes that the government
are making. And obviously i'll get that feedback today on air.
It may be different to what I'm anticipating, but I
know that people have really had enough of the violent

(07:58):
crime that we're seeing in the commune, and we continued
to see that crime in the community. It has not
been fixed, you know, there is no other way to
put it. And you're right in that aspect round it
hasn't gotten any better. Some might say that it has
in some pockets, but I think it probably depends where
you live and what issues you're dealing with. I mean,
we have got a situation that unfolded yesterday morning in Catherine,

(08:22):
where police are now on the hunt for three males
behind a frightening home invasion in Catherine. It's alleged the
trio armed with an axe, a shovel and a metal pole,
through a brick through a sliding door to get into
a home on Ronan Court at about three point thirty
yesterday morning. One of them allegedly broke through a bedroom

(08:43):
door with an axe. A man and a woman were
asleep at the time. The trio, wearing face covering, allegedly
stole several items before being confronted by the male resident
and then started swinging the weapons towards them. Now, I
have no idea whether they're young people or whether they're
adults that have committed this crime, but what I know

(09:04):
is the community has absolutely had a gutful and what
they had a gutful of is you know, the talk
of you know that we'd heard for the last day years.
What they want to see from the current Colp government
Maray Claire Boothby is action and it cannot come soon enough. Now,
I know it is going to take a bit of time,

(09:27):
but I guess you know, it's a fine line now
for the current government where it's a situation where people
are over it. They're well and truly over it, and
they want changes that are going to have an impact.

Speaker 4 (09:40):
That's right, Katie, and that's exactly what we're working towards.
I mean, we came to government, We immediately within a
few weeks, came to parliament passed that sweeping a lot
of reducing crime laws, which were laws that have been
watered down over time. And every single parliament we come
and we put more laws forward to tighten, to send

(10:01):
that message to criminals that their behavior is not accepted.
If you are doing the crime, we will find you
a bed, you will not get bail. That has now
been fixed. Youths now are not able to be out
and about time and time again, like police go and
arrest a youth and then a few hours later they're

(10:22):
just back out on the street again committing more crimes.
I mean, what is happening down there in Catherine. I
mean that is horrendous, that poor family that has to
go through this. I mean, these criminals that are doing
these awful, awful crimes. I don't think they woke up
yesterday and decided to do their crimes. This has been
a long time coming and when you have this kind
of behavior continued and they got away with it for

(10:44):
so long, you know they need to be very clearly
explained that they're not going to get away with this
any How long do you.

Speaker 1 (10:51):
Think, I mean, because we're blurring the lines here a
little bit in terms of you know, in terms of
youth offending and then obviously adults that are offending. But
how long do you think it's going to take before
we start to see some impact with some of the
legislative changes that the government that you're part of are implementing.

Speaker 4 (11:10):
Well, I think, Katie, those that want to be out
there committing crimes, they will get caught by a police
have very hard working police. They will be dealt with
with the courts and a lot of them will end
up behind bars. Now, if you're behind bars, you're not
out committing more crimes, So of course crime will reduce,
and of course people will start to feel safer. Now
we have never said that crime has completely eradicated. We

(11:33):
know that things like alcohol related assaults and domestic violence
are still rising, which is not acceptable.

Speaker 2 (11:39):
We don't accept that in a community.

Speaker 4 (11:40):
And we have to keep changing the laws to tighten
them so that that can be dealt with, and of
course we do have to address the root causes as well.
But addressing the root causes doesn't solve crime overnight either,
and if it did, then labor would have probably made
a bit more inroads, and they certainly didn't. So we're
looking at something where every single Parliament we come to
the with new laws that we tighten to send that

(12:02):
message to criminals that they are going to be held
to account and there'll be consequences, and in some of
these crimes, they will absolutely.

Speaker 1 (12:08):
Be backed up quickly. In terms of the amendments to
the Youth Justice Regulations Act, how quickly are these list
of serious offenses going to now be on the table
and no longer eligible for youth diversion if a youth
commits one of these offenses.

Speaker 4 (12:27):
Because it's regulations, we don't have to go to Parliament
to change these regulations. We can literally go straight to
the Administrator, which the works now underway. The Administrator signs
off on that and then those regulations are gazetted pretty
much immediately, which means police will very soon have those
tools to be able to ensure that those kids to
start dropped home.

Speaker 1 (12:46):
Duran does labor support this change.

Speaker 3 (12:50):
Look, I haven't seen the whole details to it at all.
It's something that will have to sit down as a
labor caucus. But I do find it concerning that Maria
Claireboothy thinks that, you know, I've just laid out the
data that's seventy percent of young people who go unto attention,
we'll commit more violent crimes, which shows that it doesn't
make our streets safer. I do know that in the press,

(13:13):
comfort are the release that Leaf and the ro put
out that they are tackling the root cause. So I
would like to know from Marie Claibirthy, what are you
doing around tackling the root cause?

Speaker 2 (13:24):
Katie.

Speaker 4 (13:25):
We have spoken at length about the different root causes
that we're tackling. One of those things is a lot
of the circuit Breaker program, which means that before people
enter the young people into the youth justice system.

Speaker 3 (13:37):
What are you doing before there is the justice system
is committed?

Speaker 2 (13:42):
You know, I guess the same question if you finished.

Speaker 3 (13:45):
People touch the judicial system, what are you doing about it?

Speaker 4 (13:48):
So, like I was explaining, the circuit Breaker program is
for those youths and their families before they enter the
youth justice system. So if they are starting to not
go to school, you know, they starting to have behaviors
which are looking like there's going to lead them down
a path that is not good for them as a family.
Then children are family's staff get involved with that family

(14:12):
and they work together to ensure that they are going
to school every day, that they're getting their three meals
a day, and that parents are getting the support they
need to be able to get that child's life on
the right track.

Speaker 1 (14:22):
Can I just go back to I do just want
to ask you, Duran in terms of these changes, So
under these new changes with the offenses, I mean, do
you support a change that would see somebody not able
to undertake a diversion program if they are involved in
a violent act which causes death.

Speaker 3 (14:45):
Yeah, well, obviously, when it comes to causing death, that's
a pretty serious offense and there does need to be
consequences around that. But there still needs to be an
element of rehabilitation if someone needs to go into the
judicial system or going to detention, because at some stage

(15:06):
that that defender or that that person will be released
back into the community.

Speaker 1 (15:12):
Do you get why do you get why people are
at the point in the community where they're like, you know,
even listening to you this morning, where they're you know,
like people are probably thinking to themselves. You know, I
get what you're saying that you need early intervention, but
if somebody commits a violent act that causes death, do
you not think that there needs to be a circuit

(15:32):
breaker where they're taken out of the community and where
they're actually taken out of a position where they can
call cause harm to somebody else, you know. Like, So
that's I think where people are so frustrated with the
Labor Party right now is that, you know, that's how
they've felt for the last eight years, but you guys
are still banging the same drum where you're still talking
about the same things that you spoke about for eight years,

(15:54):
and people voted differently to that.

Speaker 3 (15:57):
Yeah, I understand that that we, like I said, we'd
never come out and promised that we would actually fix crime.
And that's the difference between us and what's the people.

Speaker 1 (16:10):
Do you hear the irony of that that you like
that you're actually admitting that the former government never said
that they would fix crime, Like, do you hear the
irony of that that, despite it being the biggest issue
in the community that you guys said you wouldn't fix it.

Speaker 3 (16:25):
Like they said, We've been one hundred days. We understand
the complexity and the root causes that come with it.
You know, this comes from people living in poverty, a
lack of education.

Speaker 1 (16:35):
Can't continue to make excuses for really bad behavior. If
somebody commits an act that causes you can't continue to
make excuses for it.

Speaker 3 (16:46):
I'm not making excuses. I'm saying we need to tackle
the root causes of crime, and that looks at better
education systems, better housing, better health services in communities, employment
and opportunities for people in communities. That's what I'm talking
about in terms of fixing the root cause of crime

(17:08):
to ensure that people don't get to the state of
where we may see a violent act that may cause
death that you've just spoken about. Of course, if someone
commits a violent act that causes death, there needs to
be consequences and.

Speaker 2 (17:21):
Will support these changes.

Speaker 3 (17:22):
Attention, But other was asked on the one element of that.

Speaker 2 (17:28):
So the list again does pretty serious charges.

Speaker 3 (17:32):
Is there still needs Yeah, I know, and I've just
said there needs to be consequences for it. But when
people do go into tens. There still needs to be
some form of rehabilitation because at the end of the day,
we all know that people will get released and if
there's no form of rehabilitation and then commit potentially commit
another serious act of crime or even more serious.

Speaker 5 (17:54):
Well, I do think it's like Durand's right about the rehabilitation.
There does need to be rehabilitating. I think I think
where we all got lost in following the Royal Commission
was it was it was like it was all about
the things that Duran's been talking about root causes and
you know, early intervention and these sort of things, and
I think the early intervention just has been non existent

(18:16):
a lot of the time, and that's really where it
all starts and where we end up with problems. But
when it comes to the diversion issue, there was obviously
a frustration. I remember speaking to a very senior police
officer about six years ago after the changes had been
made following the Royal Commission, and it was just like,
our hands have been tired. We can't do anything. You know,
we're picking the same and it's the same core group

(18:36):
of kids. There's you know, eighty to one hundred kids.
I could almost give you a list of all of
their names that we're constantly picking up and then having
to release because you know, the rules have changed, we're
not able to charge them anymore. That the rehabilitation almost
needs to come after the charge is laid. So someone

(18:57):
is charged with a youth is charged with a criminal
effect and goes into the youth justice system. So the
next step is we need to make sure that that
youth justice system is then able to attempt to rehabilitate
that child. Now, there's a strong argument that by the
time that child's fifteen or sixteen, it might be too late.
You know the old saying, show me your child at seven,
and I'll show you the man. So I guess what

(19:18):
we need to do really is look at the nought
to seven and what's happening there and make sure we
intervene in those situations where children aren't being properly looked after.
That's that's step one. And then when you get to
step two, which is when there's a thirteen, fourteen, fifteen
year old who is committing serious offenses like these, that
one they are charged and put into the justice system,

(19:38):
but then that the justice system is able to do
what it needs to do to attempt tobiditate that child.

Speaker 1 (19:44):
But it cannot be at the risk of the community.
Is the big point that I want to make you know,
you cannot. You cannot just for the sake of saying,
all right, well, we're you know, we are no longer
going to be putting young people behind bars, put the
wider community at risk and see people to continue to offend,
and that I think has been the real issue over

(20:06):
recent years. But look, I do want to touch on
something that you'd raised with me yesterday, Duran, and that
was the fact that the Chief Minister, you had said,
has not been in Alice Springs since February this year.
You said that some locals had raised this with you
as an issue. I know that she, and I think
the whole cabinet, except for you, Mariray Clai Booth, because
you're here for the week that was are in Alice Springs, Duran.

(20:28):
What were people saying yesterday to you and Alice. Are
they pleased she's coming to Alice Springs today or are
they still a bit pissed off she hasn't been there
for a while.

Speaker 3 (20:38):
A Look, they actually didn't know she was down here yesterday.
So I mean No one raised it with me yesterday
about her being down here, but you know, I still
think it's pretty concerning that she hadn't been here. I
think it was early feb so that's over four months
that she hasn't come down to Alice Springs and it
only seems that when the Chief Minister Leaf and Nokira

(21:02):
does come down to Alice Springs, she's here to put
out a press release or make these big announcements that
we've seen this morning. I mean, she should also be
coming down, not just to make those big announcements and
meet with Centralians as well. And I think that was
the point that Centralians were making to me, that they
actually haven't seen her for so long, and I don't

(21:22):
think I think they were quite shocked because the usually
Chief ministers will come down every couple of months, you know,
because it is I think the second largest hub in
the Northern Territory. And that's why people were raising it
with me.

Speaker 1 (21:39):
Mary Claire. I mean, it is quite a long period
of time for her to not be in the Red Center. Why.

Speaker 4 (21:44):
I think Katie, some of the es Central Australians would
remember that for the first few months she was down
there quite regularly and we were looking at all the
different things we had to do in Alice Springs which
had been neglected over the last eight years, and so
there was a lot of emphasis put on the region
and that was all very well received. And since that time,

(22:05):
ministers have been regularly going down to Alice Springs. I
myself have been down a number of times since the election.
We do have two ministers who live in Alice Springs.
That's their local community and they are always advocating here
in Parliament House for what the region needs. And so
I think we're you know, we're a whole team. There's
nine ministers. We have our backbenches down there today as

(22:25):
well for the show. To get that experience and be
out on the ground in our springs.

Speaker 2 (22:29):
Listening to the community.

Speaker 4 (22:31):
You know, that's something that we're actually really proud of
and we've done for a very long time. And like
territories will know, we we do what we say we're
going to do and then we listen and if it
needs to change, we'll change it.

Speaker 1 (22:44):
Well, look, we might take a very quick break. You
are listening to Mix one O four nine's three sixty.
I am keen to discuss the purchase of the Silkwood
School of Silkwood in just a few moments time, so
stick around. Plenty more coming your way. You are listening
two three sixty the text I'm blowing up this morning.
I'll get to those messages a little bit later, but
if you've just joined us, Duran Young on the line

(23:06):
in Alice Springs, we've got Matt Cunningham from Sky News
and the Attorney General Murray Claire Boothby now. On Monday,
the Northern Territory Government announced the historic purchase of the
Silkwood property. It's a thirty thousand hectare parcel of land
equivalent they say, to around fifteen thousand TiO stadiums. The
landmark seven point five million dollar deal is going to

(23:28):
see Litchfield National Park expanded by twenty percent and is
the largest addition to the National Park estate in twenty
five years. The Chief Minister reckons it's a game changing
purchase which is going to open up a spectacular new
southern section of the park featuring untouched waterfalls, gorges, hot

(23:48):
springs and four wheel drive tracks. Got a message from
Mickey overnight and he said that the four will Driving
Association really wanted to see this happen. I also spoke
or I also had a tourism operator contact me a
little earlier in the week, guy who'd said, Wolfe, the
opportunities are absolutely endless when you look at what could

(24:08):
be done in this in this area of Litchfield National Park.
I mean, it does seem as though the opposite of
the opportunities, I should say, are endless. I guess you
just need some money for those opportunities as well, though.

Speaker 2 (24:23):
Don't you, Katie.

Speaker 4 (24:25):
This is very, very exciting for territorians. In fact, I
was at mine of my local community events last night
and people families are actually coming up to me saying,
I just want to say thank you for that expansion
to Litchfield. We can't wait to take our Campa van
there and find these new spots, and you know, they're
just really excited about it.

Speaker 5 (24:42):
I mean.

Speaker 2 (24:42):
And also, what.

Speaker 4 (24:43):
You didn't mention was the hunting reserve, which is going
to happen because hunting is obviously a very big draw
card for the territories.

Speaker 1 (24:49):
Did you catch up with bart when I talked about
that earlier in the week.

Speaker 4 (24:52):
Yeah, So those that you know, all the different groups
that you could think of and all of the locals
that this is a part of our true territory lifestyle.
And other point that we heard on Monday from Sam
Bennett from Tourism Top End was what this part of
the new Lichfield will be is access in the wet
season and the low season, which is actually really important

(25:13):
for our tourism operators. Traditionally Litchfield, you know, like One
Guy and Bully Rock Hole, they kind of closed down
during the wet because it's crocodiles and other things. Yeah,
One Guy because of the rain of course, and not
of course crocodiles and even a little bit of access there.
What we want this one to be, and I think
it can be, is you can access it all year round,
which means that because of the escarpments and things, that's

(25:36):
much higher ground and so that's a really exciting opportunity
for our tourism operators to get in there.

Speaker 5 (25:41):
Did we pay overs, No, So we've got advertised here
for five million bucks. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (25:47):
Look, it has been on the market for a very
very long time. I know that the first prices that
were out there by and there's multiple real esst agents
that were involved with trying to sell this property for
a very long time, and I mean I think we
were talking up loads of tens of millions of dollars originally,
so we saw this as an opportunity that it was available.

(26:07):
We struck the deal for seven point five million dollars.
What that does is secure this land if we had it,
if that had.

Speaker 5 (26:14):
Been over to a private sale for office, office over
five million can sometimes mean a bit more than five million.
But if office over five million and they hadn't been
able to sell it for a long time, should we
not have been able to get it for close to
five million dollars rather than seven point five million dollars.

Speaker 4 (26:29):
I think this is a really good deal for territorians.
Like we've got a debt of eleven billion dollars, we
had labor spending millions and millions on things we didn't
need and what territorians didn't want. Now we have seven
point five million dollars of investment of territorians with the.

Speaker 1 (26:44):
Yesterday as well. In terms of the cost Durana, it
was something that you were concerned with, and I like,
I actually did a bit of investigating into this yesterday too,
because i'd been sent the link where it was offers
over five million dollars. But then I also found a
report by Alex Tracy from last year in May two
thousand and twenty four that said a Sydney general practitioner,

(27:05):
well he wanted eighteen million plus. I think that included well,
it was an enormous slice of silk wood. I don't
know if it's all the same area. I can only
assume it is. It was thirty five thousand hectares of
spectacular wilderness.

Speaker 5 (27:23):
Someone else tells me that three blocks of land purchased.
It was seventeen million. The lobbying started the three blocks
and now advertised for nine million.

Speaker 1 (27:31):
Oh there you go. So, Duran, do you think it's
money well spent investment? Have we got Duran there? Can
you hear us? Duran? Sorry? Mate, can you hear us?
Do you think it's money well spent? I'm having some difficulty,
so we might just will continue on. Hopefully we're able
to get him back on the line.

Speaker 4 (27:49):
But yeah, look to me, I I think he'll be
pretty happy about this. Look.

Speaker 5 (27:54):
I don't want to be the way I think it's
I actually do think it's a great thing, you know what,
I think it's really good. Highlight if Litchfield is and
will be expanded and has all of these things. Is
the growing difference between Lichfield and Kackadoo. And I think
there's real issues with Kakadoo because for some of the

(28:18):
things that Mary Clare was talking about before, the accessibility
at Kakadoo seems to be just becoming less and less
and less. It seems that there's now a two month
window where you can access things at Kakadoo. And as
Mary Clair, I mean at the moment, as you know,
you can access things at Lichfield all around. You can
go to Florence, you can go to Bully. There's a

(28:40):
sealed road all the way around now, you know, and
to have more access more of the year round. But
also at Kakado we've seen like this week Gunlan Falls
reopened after six years. Six years. That is the jewel
in the crown of Kackadoo and it's been shut for
six years because of a dispute between Parks Australia. And
I know people in this jurisdiction always say, oh, we

(29:02):
should get the federal government to come in and take
over because the Northern Territory government's so incompetent. Well if
you and sometimes there's an argument for that. I'm not
saying that the Northern Territory government doesn't have its moments
of incompetence, but if you look at the difference between
Kakadu and Lichfield, you know, it's almost like one is
saying we want to do everything we can to get
as many people to come here all the time, as

(29:24):
often as they can and do as many things as
they can, and the other place is saying, oh, I
don't know, you know, maybe we'll let you come here
just this little.

Speaker 4 (29:33):
You make a pro really good point about the difference
between the two parks, Like one is a national park
Parks Australia with the federal government and they can be
very difficult to work with, as we all know. And
of course Lichfield is the Northern Territory Government the Parks
and Wildlife people who.

Speaker 2 (29:47):
Do a phenomenal job.

Speaker 4 (29:48):
And I think people will definitely understand that that's the case.
And so we know that Litchfield has about two hundred
and fifty thousand visitors each year, which is phenomenal and
I think that that is just set to grow even
further with this expansion.

Speaker 1 (30:02):
Zarahan, what do you reckon, mate? Money well spent? I
know you and I spoke yesterday about the actual cost.
It seems like there's a few varying numbers floating around,
But do you reckon that it is a good purchase.

Speaker 3 (30:15):
Yeah, Look, I fully support the expansion of Litchfield National Park.
You know, as I said yesterday, it sits right in
the heart of my elector itself, and we know that
many visitors and many territories use Lichfield National Park to
show off the territory in a lot of ways because
it is so close to some of the most spectacular

(30:37):
waterfalls we have in Australia. That yeah, look, I think
it was fair to ask the question why it was
paid fifty percent more than what the asking price originally
was at five million dollars. And if you go back
and look at what the actual land itself was worth,
I think it was at three and a half million dollars.
Like usually before you buy property, you'll check what it's worth.

Speaker 1 (31:00):
The land valuation.

Speaker 5 (31:01):
I do research on the run here. Then the announcement
was for thirty thousand hectares and the link I have
to this five million dollar price is for twenty eight
thou two hundred and fifty eight hectares, which I presume
is the same parcel parcel of land. So I don't know.

Speaker 1 (31:17):
So you reckon we have gone too much.

Speaker 5 (31:19):
I don't know. I'm just saying there isn't.

Speaker 4 (31:24):
I give you, like, this is an amazing asset for
seven point five million dollars, an incredible asset that is
going to serve territories for generations, for generations. And this
is what people love about the territory that ruggedge Champion driver.

Speaker 1 (31:39):
And the thing that I want to see is like
you go to other parts of Australia and this point
was made to me earlier in the week about Far
North Queensland, right and the four wheel driving tracks and
the way in which they've capitalized on those four wiel
driving tracks and some of the different things you can
do in Far North Queensland. I go to Queenstown sometimes
on family holidays. You look at what they've done in

(32:01):
a place like that. In terms of innovation. There's a
chairlift so that then you can go up, you can lose,
you can mountain bike down hills. You know, we seem
to have lost that innovation in some ways in the
Northern territory and that spirit of let's have a crack
but let's try something different to get people here instead
of like everybody knocking.

Speaker 5 (32:23):
Everything down in the great boundless possible creed.

Speaker 2 (32:29):
You know.

Speaker 5 (32:30):
Part of that said, you know it's a place where
if you have a go, you'll get a go. And
I reckon for the last ten years, it's felt like
it's a place where you try to have a go,
you'll get shut down before you even try.

Speaker 2 (32:38):
And that's why this week that all stops.

Speaker 4 (32:41):
Right. This is an absolute investment in our future. I mean,
you talk about full driving, Katie, we should be the
world's number one destination for for well driving, and this
part of Lichfield will be that. And Mickey, like you
mentioned from the full Drive Club, he's already out there
getting people to come to the territory for this well.

Speaker 5 (32:57):
He reliably informs me that this was a bargain. And
I've known Mickey for a long time and he's never
told me your life, so I'm going to take him
at at his word.

Speaker 1 (33:06):
All right, if you could have anything in this parcel
of land, what would it be? Want some mountain biking,
some for wearll driving, some hunting. What do you reckon? Duran? Oh?

Speaker 3 (33:15):
For myself, I'm someone that just likes to. I mean,
I love hiking, but I also love just getting away,
you know, speaking off on a Saturday night and just
being able to park your car and set up at
a camp site, a water hole. I think a lot
of territories enjoy that. Just just an easy way to
quick in and out from close to home. So for me,

(33:37):
I'm looking forward to that. Yeah, I'm just just out
of interest. When does it open up?

Speaker 2 (33:45):
It's already open. It's already open.

Speaker 5 (33:47):
We can go there this weekend.

Speaker 3 (33:49):
You can go there.

Speaker 1 (33:51):
You've got somewhere to go.

Speaker 2 (33:54):
You'll see Mickey from the Full Drive Club down there.
He's out there checking it all out.

Speaker 1 (33:58):
What do you guys reckon? I mean, if you like,
if you could, if you had any bucket of money,
that you could actually see something set up in this
area of the National Park. What do you think should happen?

Speaker 5 (34:08):
Well, do you know what I reckon? We need? Like
I love going out to Litchfield and there's some great
places to stay there. You know, the outback resort at Bachelor,
which we've stayed at a few times, is terrific. I
reckon it would be good in twenty twenty five to
have some really quality accommodation at a place like Lichfield.

(34:32):
Like remember when they built the Crocodile Hotel all those
years ago, must be forty years ago at Kakadoo, and
you know it was a deluxe hotel. To say, I
don't know, there's a lot of people who love camping
and who love roughing it and who love you know,
staying in some You know.

Speaker 1 (34:46):
There's lots of people like me that hotel.

Speaker 5 (34:50):
And it would you up to a whole a whole
nother market when it comes to tourism, because at the moment,
you know, there are a lot of poshturists out there
and at the mo moment we're saying to them, come
to Lichfield Park, but you know you can camp. I
think it'd be good if there was, you.

Speaker 4 (35:07):
Know, especially with Adelaide River right on the doorstep there.
I mean, imagine what you can do for that town.
We all we need some private investors to see the
opportunity go. Well, you know what, we're going to build
some accommodation here and instead of just you know, the
campground at the show grounds there, maybe there will be
a nice hotel one day.

Speaker 2 (35:22):
How good would that be.

Speaker 1 (35:23):
Let's wait and see. We are going to have to
take a very quick break. You're listening to Mix one
oh four nine's three sixty. It is the week that was.
You are listening to the week that was if you've
just joined us Murray Claire boothby, Matt Cunningham and Duran
Young on the show today. Now, one of the issues
that got people pretty fired up throughout the week is
the changes when it comes to power prices. Now we

(35:43):
know that from the first of January, well, I mean
first of July, I should say you weren't just allowed
to let off fireworks, but unfortunately your prices went up
three percent as well. Now that part people seem to
sort of, you know, they certainly don't want their power
prices going up, but they seem to be able to
pallett that to some degree. But the roll out then

(36:05):
comes in three stages, and there is this tiered pricing system.
So from January, the first fifty five killow hours per
day are going to be charged at a normal household rate.
Usage above that is going to be charged at a
higher rate equal to the rate applied to small businesses. Now,
we spoke to Jacana's CEO about this yesterday and he

(36:27):
talked us through some of how this is going to work.
But we have had a lot of people messaging in going,
we use more than fifty five killer what hours a day,
and we're really worried about, you know, the way in
which this is going to impact us, and how much
extra it's going to mean to our bill. Now he said,
it's not going to be a significant amount extra, but

(36:48):
a lot of our rural users, for example, saying, well,
we've got a bore. You know, we run the air
conditioner because we work hard and we want to be
able to do that, and it is going to make
things significantly more expensive. I mean that the last time
power prices went up, it didn't go well for the
COLP government, terry mills, but that was a significant amount
more we know, well, you know.

Speaker 5 (37:08):
And I think they'd be aware of that. And it's interesting.
I'm not sure what happens beyond July one next year,
but it doesn't seem that there is any guarantee from
the government. Power prices are going to be capped. They
were previously capped at CPI. This one's at three percent
from January one. As you say, for higher users, it
goes up again and then I don't know what happens

(37:29):
beyond that. I mean, the government is clearly aware that
they have a rapidly growing problem when it comes to
the cost of generating power, and just to illustrate that,
you know, and part of it has been caused, a
large part of it has been caused by the crazy
renewable energy policies. You go back, you remember the famous

(37:52):
report that we got under FOI wherever the page was
blacked out. I got an unredacted copy of that report
a bit later, and the government subsequently tabled it in parliament.
But that at the time, the community service obligation, which
is the amount of money that tax payers pay to
basically prop up power and water, was eighty million dollars

(38:14):
a year, and that report, which was done in twenty eighteen, said,
under this fifty percent renewables model, the community service obligation
will increase by between twenty five and twenty nine million
dollars by twenty thirty, you know, depending on the path
we take, but between twenty five and twenty nine, so
that would have taken it to just over one hundred
million dollars. Right now, it's one hundred and ninety two

(38:38):
million dollars. That cost has blown out like you would
not believe.

Speaker 3 (38:43):
Now.

Speaker 5 (38:43):
Part of that is because we've had issues with the
gas running out at e Andi and we've had to
go and find emergency supplies from elsewhere, and part of
it is because of the renewables. So much money's been
spent and invested on this renewables policy and someone's got
to pay for it at the end of the day.
And consumers have been shielded from that until now because

(39:05):
the previous government was happy to just let that cost
basically go on to the bottom line for the debt
to keep increasing. And at some point someone the government
now is saying, well, that can't go on forever, and realistically,
until we get the gas from the Beterloo, either from
Tambor or from Bedloo Energy, you know, we're still going

(39:27):
to see that cost increase. And I don't think the
proper planning was done to look for that next source
of gas supply because people had been convinced or kidted
or whatever it was that you know, by twenty twenty
five we'd be able to run our electricity system off
solar panels, which was the case never going to happen.

Speaker 1 (39:44):
No, that's exactly right. I mean, look, it's a tough
one and I feel for the you know, those people
who are concerned about their power prices going up. But
it does sound as though it's something that's you know,
the reality of it is that it sort of needs
to happen.

Speaker 4 (39:59):
I guess, Katie, if you look at it from an
average household perspective, I'm just going to use a figure
of maybe seven hundred dollars a quarter for maybe the
average up to one thousand.

Speaker 1 (40:07):
I guess in some PA, how hard your kids run
their air Yeah, I've got.

Speaker 4 (40:10):
Those kids too that run their airc on pretty hard.
And yeah, it does add up. But I think if
you let's just use seven hundred because you can give
and take. Of course, like three percent increases as about
twenty one thirty one dollars a quarter, So it is
an increase, and of course for some that will probably
hurt them, but you know, for most, I think they
should be able to absorb it. And it's a balance

(40:33):
we had to take. We had to make sure that
we could continue to afford to have this the power
and everyone contribute. But of course, you know, we don't
want to go and make it exorbitant either, because that
doesn't solve anyone's I'd.

Speaker 5 (40:45):
Be interested to see though, from January one, for the
users who use over the fifty five kill what hours
how much what the actual increase for that power is,
because that will tell you exactly how much your power
is being subsidized at the time. I think. I think
that what the government's announcing is that everything you use
over and above fifty or five killer what hours a

(41:06):
day is going to be charged at the unsubsidized rate.
So we'll find out what the unsubsidized rate of power
will be, and I imagine it's going to be double
what we're paying at the moment.

Speaker 4 (41:15):
Well, it's a tiered pricing system, and maybe we could
get some calculations and some examples for the listeners about that,
because I don't actually have the examples of how that
tier it will work.

Speaker 2 (41:25):
But we got a little.

Speaker 1 (41:27):
Bit of detail on yesterday. Yeah, we did get a
little bit of detail on it yesterday and power Wold Sorry,
Jacana did say to us yesterday that most so there's
about ten thousand people that fall into the category of
what they've described what the Chief Minister described on the
show on Monday as super users is what they're called.
So about ten thousand territorians. Now, some of them continuously

(41:48):
sort of go over that fifty five killer what hours
a day. Others it might be a one off or
you might have family visiting or whatever and it goes up.
But nonetheless it is going to have an impact. I mean, Durm,
what do you make all the changes? It's you know,
I guess it's a tough one, however you.

Speaker 5 (42:04):
Look at it.

Speaker 3 (42:07):
Yeah, definitely it is, Katie. I mean since we talked
about I think it was last week on the program Friday,
I've had a number of constituents coming to my electured
office and raise their concerns around it, especially our seniors
and people that are on pensions. But you know, during
the build up time, during that wet season time, they
do run their air cons for most of the day,

(42:29):
and I mean they don't really have a choice but
to run that because it can. The reality is it
is a lot hotter a little bit further south you go,
like in places and talking about Bachelor when you're off
the coastline, So people are using their air cons all
day and they're quite worried that this increase to pipe

(42:50):
power prices is actually going to impact their daily living
because you know a lot of our pensioners and old people,
they they do kind of account there their dollars and
then try to get by week by week as well.
So they're quite concerned. And I even had one of

(43:10):
a family member who said she kind of meets that cap.
They've got one daughter during the school holidays. They live
on a rural block, so they do a lot of
their activities at home on rural blocks that they're using
the pumps as the water pumps and they'll be at
home because they don't have the privilege of like people
do in Darwin and Palmerston, where they that you can

(43:31):
actually get out of the house. There's activities that you
can go and enjoy, so you're not using that power
back at home because you know, you might have youth
programs at Palmerston for example, or in Darwen, it's usually
many things. You can go to markets and festivals and things,
but in the rural area or places like Bachelor, you
just don't have those options. For a lot of difficult
that people do is on their actual their rural block,

(43:53):
which means they do use a lot more power, so
they feel like it's really going to hit them really hard,
and they're what I'm doing.

Speaker 1 (44:02):
Well, Look, it is something that will no doubt continue
to hear about. I'm sure as people get those bills,
we are going to take a really quick break. When
we come back, we might talk very briefly about who's
putting their hand up for local government ahead of those
elections coming your way in August. Well, it is just
about time to wrap up. But before we do, the
Lord Mayor obviously confirming that he is going to run again.

(44:24):
Convat Scala's putting his hand up for Lord Mayor. He
did tell us that on the show a couple of
weeks ago, but I think he's officially come out and confirmed.
No real word yet on who else is going to
put their hand up for the mayor of Alice Springs.
We know that Matt Patterson has said that he will
not be running. Adam Palmerston. I'm not sure whether Athena
Pasco Bell is she is. Yep. It's always interesting, isn't it,

(44:48):
the race for mayor across the Northern Territory.

Speaker 4 (44:53):
Doesn't I think when it comes to our mayors of
our cities and regions, like it's someone that you can
work with, like either as a community and someone who
can go to but also you know from different layers
of government.

Speaker 2 (45:06):
We all need to work together.

Speaker 4 (45:07):
And it's I guess it's the it's the grassroots of government,
isn't it Like as you put paths, it's your playgrounds
and yeah, you want you want them to be good, approachable,
able to work with everybody.

Speaker 5 (45:18):
Well, it should be those things. It should be what
is it the three hours rates, roads and rubbish sometimes
councils and to Darwin Council's credit and Palmerston they there
hasn't been too much crazy veering into Wokhism South mad Yeah,
you see some of those. Look at that guy, Look
at that guy in Victoria who got sacked by the

(45:41):
Durban Council because.

Speaker 1 (45:42):
He read that through didn't do the acknowledgment of.

Speaker 5 (45:44):
The country at the beginning of the Safety Toolbox meeting.

Speaker 1 (45:47):
Yeah, I read that through the week. Yeah, look, it's
all it's really interesting. Do you remember a few years
back there was there was about eighteen people that put
their hand up for me for Darwin. Do you recall that.
It was when I can't remember what the political party
was called, but it was like another political party had
set themselves up and it might be one territory. Yeah,

(46:08):
and they had a number of candidates running. There was
a number of other candidates and it was like this
massive race. Yeah, you know for mayor. It was a
very interesting time. I don't know whether that's going to
happen this year. I mean Deranda. You know, have you
heard anyone who's putting their hand up aside from con.

Speaker 3 (46:28):
No, I'm not aware of anyone in the Dahn region
putting their hand run. But you know, I think it
is a great opportunity to you know, it's the first
layer of government here in the Northern territory of local government,
and it's a great opportunity for people to choose who
their mayor is. But what is concerning is there is
a discussion paper out at the moment around the Local

(46:49):
Government Act and looking at changing the way we elect
our mayors, taking it out of the hands of people. Yeah,
electing our councilors then to choose the mayor, which quite
dangerous and you know, it brings in the politics. I
agree with its works quite well right now because we

(47:09):
do see mayors that are able to work both sides
of the isle. I mean, an example of Spring so
I think that change is quite concerning.

Speaker 4 (47:20):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (47:20):
I agree with that too. For that reason, the last
thing you would want to see is that one major
political party or the other trying to get the numbers
on the council.

Speaker 1 (47:27):
So it'll end up being a fringe party that does that,
I reckon.

Speaker 3 (47:32):
Yeah, well exactly, and that's what's concerning about. But what
I've been impressed with local government and the mayors. They're
being able to work both sides, and that's the community
expectation when they're elected.

Speaker 1 (47:43):
In Look, someone's just messaged and said, do you remember
when Scrumpy the Dog ran for me? She got a
few votes. I do remember. I do remember.

Speaker 5 (47:51):
And at nteen years we got Damo the Fixer to
run for Lord Mayor and you got seven percent. Oh
on that night.

Speaker 1 (48:03):
We are going to have to wrap up. Matt Cunningham
from Sky News, thanks so much for your time this morning, Murray,
Claire boothby the Attorney General, thank you for your time
this morning.

Speaker 4 (48:12):
Thank you, Katy, and can I just give a quick
shout out to Amber n t who deal with parents
have bereaved children. They're doing their walk to Remember this
weekend Sunday at Sanctuary Lakes.

Speaker 2 (48:21):
So they do a wonderful job for a lot of time.
They do.

Speaker 1 (48:24):
They truly do. Duran Young, good to catch up with
you from Alice Springs this morning. Thank you for your time.

Speaker 3 (48:30):
Thank you, and thank you to all your listeners.

Speaker 1 (48:32):
Katie, Oh, hey, I just got word in. Sam from
the Mad Snake is running for me? Is what Crystal's
just telling me. I don't know.

Speaker 5 (48:40):
Yeah, it was real going. We'll hang on.

Speaker 1 (48:44):
Someone's text That in someone's texting, so it could just
be someone hoping that he.

Speaker 5 (48:49):
Puts something up on. He puts something up on, his
socials

Speaker 1 (48:53):
Will go well, so we can find out