November 27, 2025 • 42 mins
Katie Woolf was joined by Kathleen Gazzola, Treasurer Bill Yan and Labor's Chansey Paech.
The crew discussed Cyclone Fina, the cost of undergrounding power, new security announcement and new integrity reforms.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's time for the week that was and in the
studio with us this morning. Where should I go First?
We've got Chancey Paike from the from the Labor Party.
Good morning to you, Chancey.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Good morning Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Lovely to have you in the studio. We've got the
treasurer for the COLP, Bill Yan, Good morning to you.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Good morning Katie. Great to be back.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
It was a bit of a Central Australia feel this
morning with you two in here.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
Very nice.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
The best part of the terror.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Kathleen, Kathleen dirty looking the pair of you as you
were saying that you're from the best part of the
Northern Territory.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
You'll have to fight me and Kathleen for that first,
for that title. We love the top end.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Although you know, earlier in the week and on the weekend,
as the tropical cyclone Fena was coming through, maybe we
were wishing we were in Central Australia. You're not looking
exactly well. It was a major clean up effort. We
know it's still underway across the top end. Dafterfeen tore
(01:07):
through the territory on the weekend, leaving significant damage but
fortunately no injuries. We know the Category three system brought
destructive winds and heavy rain to Darwin as well as
the Tiwi Islands.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Trees were uprooted, power.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Lines brought down, roofs torn from homes and businesses. One
of the more serious incidents occurring at Royal Darwin Hospital,
where a four square meter section of ceiling collapsed on
the first floor. Now it wasn't the only section. We
also learned yesterday that there was a second section of
the hospital as well. That's having some structural looking into
(01:41):
it to determine just how bad that damage is at
the hospital.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
So that's some of the damage we know. There's been
a massive.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Effort throughout this week to get everything cleaned up, and
as you would expect, I suppose when there is an
incident like this, not everything's.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
Run that smoothly.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
We've had a lot of calls, a lot of messages
this week, people who've had big trees come down, green
waste on their verge, you know, wondering whether they're able
to get to the dump. There's certainly been some more
clarity as the days have gone on, but yeah, on
Monday it was anything but business as usual. I think
you'd have to say.
Speaker 5 (02:19):
Yeah, definitely, I mean we've just been inundated this week
of people with some of those teething issues you kind
of touched on, and of course, once things start to
calm down and you start to emerge out of that
emergency situation. But I think the main thing that we've
taken away is just those communication to people, Like people
understood we had a cyclone, so of course power is
(02:40):
going to be impacted, yea, But especially around the website,
people just wanted to know where crews were working so
they could know if it's going to be another day
or two or three, so then they can plan their
lives as to whether they needed to go to get
a hotel or go stay with friends or that kind
of thing. I think in the wash up of the
cyclone and review of those kinds of things, and of
(03:01):
course the plan around where to take Greenway certainly wasn't
communicated pretty much at all.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
No, not in the early days.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
We know that, you know, some of that clarifications definitely
come through now and Hidden Valley, there's a you know,
a Greenway stump out there at the moment where things
are able to be taken. There's certainly, you know, there
certainly has been a huge effort by Power and Water
as well to get everybody back online, Like massive job
for all those crews out there on our roads doing
(03:28):
what they can.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Only one hundred and ten houses now to have power,
And that was the update from this morning good which
has really been great. Those Power and Water ground crews
that have been out since Sunday morning have done a
power work and done a phenomenal job out there. They're
real heroes, those guys and girls out there doing those
assessments and getting the power back on to those homes.
And in such a short time lot, we're coming up
(03:51):
less than weeks still, yeah, and from nineteen thousand homes
without power and we're only lessed less than a week
with five six days, I've only got one hundred and
ten and they'll be working all day to day, they'll
probably be working all weekends. So I think we'll see
the rest of those homes back up very very soon,
which is great to see. But I think the one
big takeout I think from this, and there's always lessons
(04:12):
to be learned. It doesn't matter what the issue is
and what the crisis is, you do your wash up
at the end. There's always something that can be done.
Better and the smart thing is then to learn from
that and make sure that we don't repeat it. But
people of territory actually listen to the warnings and everything else,
and not just here in Darwin Parmo, but of course
out in the remote communities and on the Tea Weason.
(04:33):
I think that's reflected in the fact there was no injuries,
no one. We've had no report to everybody getting hurt
during the cyclone. Schools were closed down out in the
islands early, so people get into the cyclone shelters, so
people were actually out listening to the messaging. It was
going out and done the right thing, and that's reflected
and I think that the lack of issues that we've
(04:53):
seen around injuries reported back.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
And it was touch and go there.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
I suppose for a bit though, where we're thinking, oh,
hang on a second, should people have been evacuated from
the Tiwi Islands.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
I don't like, I don't know, and I think things
have changed.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Have they now got out on Teee Islands a cyclone
shelter where they are safe to go or what war.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
I'm younger in the school, the school there is a
cyclone shelter. I think there was police out there in
the days before the cyclone running around catching up with
people in community, just letting them know what was going on,
letting them know that they need to get to if
they have to. The shelter's a bits and pieces, So
that was a large piece of work that was done
in the remote communities and out in the islands as
a cyclone came in towards the case. So that was
(05:37):
really good. So that early messaging I think was key
to the lack of issues that we've seen as far
as injuries with people went. So that's a testament of
the people of the territory and of course right out
in the islands and those remote communities were doing the
right thing.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
And that's why it's.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
So important for BOMB to give those early warnings. You know,
people are like, oh, nothing's going to happen whatever, they're
beating it up, that kind of thing. But that's why
it's important to be warning that it's coming and it
could become as this, especially for those remote communities if
they need to be evacues are sort.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Of known for like, yeah, it'll be right exactly. We're
all pretty cyclone.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
We're a territory tough. I mean let's not joke we do.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I mean we don't laugh at Queensland when they talk
about a cyclone arriving, but we always think how big
is your cyclone?
Speaker 6 (06:21):
Have a look at our?
Speaker 7 (06:22):
Yeah, I think the real heroes here are absolutely at
Power and Water. They often poor buggers, often get rubbished
by a lot of people across the territory, but they
are the real heroes here.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
They've been doing the work.
Speaker 7 (06:33):
I think Bill the Chief Minister said last night that
there were two hundred homes that hadn't been connected overnight.
They've done an additional hundred, so you know, just really,
I mean they are the heroes in this situation.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Absolutely.
Speaker 7 (06:44):
I think as well, when we let me think about it,
we think, yeah, cyclone or when it gets downgraded big
you know, big storms, trenchial rains, winds.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
It's not until you're actually walking.
Speaker 7 (06:56):
Through the suburbs or the city that you actually just
look at the mammoth work that is required to get
the city back up. I mean, Darwin is a beautiful city.
It's a very lush city. It's very clean and when
you just see the debris laying around everywhere and you
see all the crews out doing the work. You think,
particularly in the weather, you think, God, that's a bloody job.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
One hundred and seventy thousand tons of green waste is
what Samone Saunders from the City of Darwin told us yesterday,
just for thing's going to need to be cleaned up,
just for Darwin, Like that's phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
That is a lot of green waste.
Speaker 7 (07:34):
Then you've also got to think about you know over
on the tee wheel that all the green waste there.
And I think, you know, one of the things that
we were able to negotiate with the Commonwealth and the
previous government and this government has continued that good work
is all of the new remote houses are built for
a category five side tolone, so you know, acknowledging that people,
(07:54):
we want you to stay at home if you can
and it's safe to do so, and your house is
raided to a category five, then do that.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (08:01):
But also if you want to go and be with family,
make sure that you do it all appropriately. So I
think that that is certainly a really important topic to raise,
is that we've got those things in place. But I think,
like everyone's spoken about here today, any government doesn't matter
where the government is in power in our or future governments.
Any government who says that they've done it all amazingly
(08:23):
after a natural disaster needs to have a bit of
a think about themselves. As Bill has said, everything is
always up for a review, and we can do better
where we can do better, and I think we.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Need to learn from that.
Speaker 7 (08:37):
I mean, climate change is real and we are going
to see more cyclones, So how do we adapt.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
And prepare well?
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Potentially the undergrounding of power one of the other things
I do wonder, I guess first and foremost, Bill, are
we in a situation are you, as the treasurer seeking
some financial help from the federal government at the moment
in terms of all that green waste? I know after
Cyclone Markers we got some from the federal government for
some skip bins around Darwin so that people could put
(09:04):
their green waste in there. I know we don't have
as much green waste potentially.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
This time round.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
That was one of the questions we were asking on
the show yesterday. So is that sort of a possibility
or could we be in a situation where there's some
funding from the Feds maybe to help people get rid
of all the greenways sets around on the verges.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
I know the Chief's been talking with her. It's the
emergency Minister mc bain. Yeah, I know the Chief has
met with her and been talking with her regularly on
what some of that recovery stuff looks like. I'm not
right across that detail, but I know that those discussions
have been had at that level so that we can
probably clean up around Darwin.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
What about some money from the FEDS as well for
some undergrounding of the power lines?
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Not going to a really asked that question I was
asked of I think the labor government asked of the
federal government quite some time ago, and the federal government
pretty clear in their reply. Is it that we with
ourselves the responsibility of the states and territories.
Speaker 5 (10:03):
What about through like funding? I mean we obviously talked
to Madli earlier this year.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
I No, funding is fine, but that's money that we
have to borrow then we have to pay it back.
So yes, it's money from the FEDS that we can
get to assist us in the first instance doing some work,
but it's still money that we have to pay back.
Speaker 5 (10:20):
But if you said that question was asked a long
time ago, why not ask it again? I mean we
are a capital city in Australia that still has wires
above the ground, which is crazy.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
When we live in a cyclone pron location. We're you know,
we're talking about in created.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Certainly. I don't think it was after Marcus that it
was asked with the Commonwealth would they come in and
pay for some upgrades to undergrounding power and responsible located territory.
Speaker 7 (10:50):
Later, would absolutely welcome the and support the asked the
c LP if they actually wanted to reach out and
ask the question government.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
It is one of those things that everybody needs to
get together and go all right, maybe we do need
to seek some additional funding from the federal government. I know,
I know it's tough because not only do we want
underground power, but we also want a new hospital.
Speaker 4 (11:10):
So we're probably asking for quite a bit this Christmas.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
Yeah, I especially two billion dollars.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Yeah, that's that's so much to us in all seriousness,
you know, like like Kathleen had said, we do live
in a capital city where then we're without power for days,
which I understand that we've had a cyclone go through,
and I will note that even in Brisbane, you know,
they've actually had a big storm and they've been without
power for days as well, so I get it that
it's going to happen, but you do wonder in a
(11:41):
place like Darwin, whether we need to bite the bullet
and go ahead with the underground power so that we
can avoid being in this situation and essentially, you know,
things having to come to a halt. And I know
we've managed pretty well in the day's post cyclone, but.
Speaker 7 (11:58):
As well, like you know, we need to look at
resilience of Darwin into the future.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
How can we be more resilient?
Speaker 7 (12:04):
Yes, I agree with builders an opportunity for this government
to ask the Commonwealth for.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Assistance, but it's also the role of this.
Speaker 7 (12:11):
Government to make it clear they can make their own
arrangements to invest as well. What we do need is
a rolling program and maybe it's each one suburb a
year or x amount of suburbs over a term of government.
Now we've changed the planning rules, you know, like every
new suburb has underground power, so it's about retrofitting those
(12:32):
existing suburbs. We're going to see more cyclones, We're going
to see more intense cyclones, So how do we build
a better infrastructure, How do we retrofit the older suburbs
and you know, I mean, I've got family in Perap
who had no power, the street had no power.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
They had solar and a battery.
Speaker 7 (12:49):
So they became the communal house in Perap for people
to come together. And that's the kind of conversations they
were having, is how do we make this city which
is a fantastic city.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
We love Darne and it's the.
Speaker 7 (13:01):
Tropical tropical city capital of Australia. But how do we
make it so that we can survive through cyclones and
not impact our lives and our commerce.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
In the future.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Yeah, and I think that is sort of the discussions
that people are starting to have. And I guess you
kind of forget about it then for the few years
in between cyclone, but then when another one hits.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
I think the key to this CAID is that the
proper planning needs we do not just go out and
sorry mate, but throw out a press release to say
that we're going to underground the power all the northern
sub of sixty million dollars like that doesn't get you anywhere.
Trust me. They undergrounded some high voltage through Nightcliff and
Parapp back in two thousand and two. I think they've
done about eight k's and that costs thirty five million
(13:43):
dollars in twenty ten.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
It's a heck of an expensive job.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
It is. And that's why when we came int Powamle
to come to us and said, look, there was sixty
million dollars on a grand pass. We can't do anything
with sixty million dollars. We just can't do it. Can
you take it out.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
And do something? And you can't do nothing with But
it's a lot of money.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
You've got to have a very, very clear and concise
plan and that hadn't been done. And that's something that
Power and Water will need to do as part of
their strategic planning going forward, because if we're going to
go down this road, as Power Order have told me,
it's going to be up to a billion dollars, that's
a lot of money.
Speaker 7 (14:14):
The longer you leave it, though, Katie, the longer you
leave it, the more it's going to cost. So I think,
and at the moment, you know, I like Bill, but
at the moment you know, at the moment there's there's
no message to the people of the Northern suburbs that
there's any commitment to roll out underground power.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
It's just saying that we might do it in the future.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
I'm not going to come out and make false promises
right at this point in time, when the people in
the northern suburbs are coming off the back of a cyclone.
I'm not going to go out there and make false
promises that like that. I won't. I won't do that,
and it's wrong to do that for the people of
the Northern.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
Tell us that you're going to look into it.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
It's a piece of work that needs to be done,
and I think to do the work, power and water
need to go and do those assessments. I've got the
amount of Columbus now from Paramore. There's sixty eight kilometers
of HV in about one hundred and thirty kilometers of
LV in a northern suburbs that need to be done.
To get economies of scale, you have to lay that
HV and the LV together, otherwise the cost significantly increases.
(15:14):
And like these thousands upon thousand dollars per meter to
get this stuff underground, that's just underground. Those like I
wish there's a point to the house.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
You know, And I wonder whether at some point here
in the Northern territory, and I'm sure that people who've
you know, who've been born and raised here and lived
here for much longer than I. I wish at some
point we get to the point where we're self sufficient
so we're able to do things like that. And I
know we're always going to be reliant on the federal government.
I get that, but where we have enough of our
own source revenue as well, where we've got it, like
(15:45):
where we're you know, look at Western Australia. I know
that they're resource rich, but you know where you think,
all right, well, we still need that funding from the
federal government. I get that we're always going to we're
a little place, but I just wish we were a
little bit more self sufficient so we didn't always feel
like someone's poor cousin.
Speaker 5 (16:02):
We could argue we are resource rich, it's just around
and having.
Speaker 7 (16:06):
The determination we've got to get it and get it
to Marrow well, first of all, I mean, we are
better than the wild West. But you know, I guess
what we do need to see is, you know, this
government hasn't even made a conversation start with the federal
government around revisiting the conversation around resilience around undergrounding power.
They're just saying, oh, well someone asked some time ago,
(16:28):
She'll be right re ask the conversation. There is a
federal labor government who are saying that that we need
to be resilient. Climate change is real, we need to
do this work. What's the harm in asking where someone
can say is no.
Speaker 5 (16:41):
But what frustrates me is canbra you know, they don't
think about us. They don't think about us in the
biggest scheme of things. What's our infrastructure one hundred and
fifty years behind the rest of the country Like that
is crazy for a capital city.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
And let's remember the hospital was designed the.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
Same all the way down to isn't it.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
It's just uplifted and put in the snows over the wind.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Yeah, and we're just reaching the point, you know, even
with the hospital, where it's coming to that end of
life where you know they're beyond end of life where
you know we are going to need to find ways
to to, you know, get another tertiorary hospital.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
That's the thing across the board. Cap aging infrastructure, infrastructure
put back into the fifty sixty seventy, So a lot
of that now is some of it's coming towards end
of life, and it's not just the hospitals. And then
it's that plan about how do we go about extending
some of the life so we get to a point
where we can start to look at replacement and where
we go to next.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Well, that's the general thing.
Speaker 7 (17:45):
When the territory was given self government, there wasn't actually
a considered plan around the infrastructure and what we need.
It was like giving over something that was going to
the federal government at the time, and successive governments knew
you like, this place is gonna need money in the future,
but you'll give it away now and then that's it.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
She'll be right, mate.
Speaker 7 (18:07):
It's like we've got aging infrastructure and we've got legacy
issues that all governments in the territory have always had
that dilemma or that question of where to and what.
But what we do need to go is the government
in now the CLP government have got two critical issues
prisons and hospitals, and there's gonna have to be a
choice because, as the treasurer said, the money doesn't go everywhere.
(18:29):
Where is that money gonna go?
Speaker 1 (18:30):
Well, literally, someone else had just sent us an email
as Kathleen was showing me some we need to build
a bigger prisoner as well. So there's a lot of
areas where we need you know, we need expansion. But
we're gonna have to take a quick break and gee,
there's plenty to discuss this morning.
Speaker 6 (18:45):
Mixed one or four point nine's three point sixty the
week that was the most listened to our in Territory radio.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
You are listening to the week that was if you've
just joined us Kathleen Gazola, Bill Yan and Chancey Paike
in the studio with me.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
Now, it's been a big week.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
We know the government earlier this week, well yesterday I
believe it passed through Parliament the changes to the band
drinker register.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
So essentially what it's going.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
To mean is that when you get a BDO or
band drinker order, it's no longer going to be a
seven day BDO, but you'll move to twenty eight days
from next month. It is part of well a review
that was conducted, as I understand it now, I know
that then Labor was really questioning that review in terms
(19:29):
of why some of the recommendations have been accepted but
then others not so Bill, first off, I mean, why
has the government gone down this path in terms of
moving from the seven day to the twenty eight day BDO.
Hopefully it means that, you know, it gives people an
opportunity during that stop gap to maybe get on a
program and get off the booze for good.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
Yeah. Look, that BDR review has been been underway most
of the year and we've firally got that review back
and I come back with full recommendations. Now, some of
those recommendations are going to take a little bit more
time to implement, but the simple one that came out
of that review and police have been asking for this
is changing those seven day bdos to twenty eight days.
(20:12):
And really that's a bit of a no brainer, and
we can get in and we can make those changes
from seven days to twenty eight days, and that you're right,
it gives people that little bit of a break. The
police are saying seven days really doesn't do a lot,
whereas twenty eight days gives people that break and gives
them the opportunity to make possibly some of that change.
So we bought that on the agency yesterday to bring
(20:35):
that part of that review through and it's a real
simple one and it gives the police a little bit
more power to do what they need to do on
those bdos to get people off the grog. And of
course leading into this Christmas period, I suppose some more opportunities.
I suppose another tool for the police to use to
deal with some of those problem drinkers.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
So yeah, look, I don't see it as a bad thing,
but we certainly haven't had a lot of feedback over
the day or two since we've been talking about it,
people saying that they think it's a bad thing. But
I mean you touched on there that there were other recommendations, Chancy.
What were some of those other recommendations from the oppositions
understanding that you maybe would have liked to have seen
in force.
Speaker 7 (21:13):
Yeah, look, there are what we understand that there were
four recommendations. The other recommendation was about allowing a voluntary
opt in flaws for licensed venues, because what we are
hearing from people in the community is great band drinker
Register actually works and allows people to put themselves on
there as well. Lots of aunties I know at Bush
(21:34):
and in town they put themselves so they don't get
humbug to buy grog from family. But also, you know,
this voluntary area would allow venues to register and put
themselves on because what lots of people are saying is
people get on the band drinker register, they can't buy
grog from takeaway, but they can go into a pub
and have a good old charge and then get pushed
(21:54):
out onto the street and become the community's problem. So
it allows some venues to say, yeah, we're willing to
give it a go. Information sharing was another one around
sharing that information. So look, certainly Labor absolutely supports the BDR.
We brought it in and its first machinations, the seven
days that was introduced by Natasha files around those band
(22:16):
drinking orders, So look, it does require work. We are
asking that the government released the full review and the
recommendations because Katie, this is important that industry like hospitality
gets to have a say, but our medical services, our organizations,
our social services all good.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
To have input.
Speaker 7 (22:35):
Duran Young moved a motion in Parliament. I gave notice
this week as well, calling on the government in next
year in March or February to table or report around
the timelines of when they're going to actually look to
introduce the three remaining measures and anything else, because you
need to have a comprehensive approach to our clock.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
So with those other three remaining measures, I mean, Billy,
is that something that the government's going to be looking.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
At working through those. I said, we've done the seven
days and twenty eight because a simple, straightforward and fairly easy,
and we're able to do that immediately once we've got
the report. So the other piece is required, like of
course BDR on premise for those who want to opt
into that, there's some technology requirements. It's something we can't
do straight away. I don't believe it requires any legislative change,
but there's some technology requirements needed and some stuff back
(23:22):
of house with DCDD to be able to do that.
The information sharing, again is a technology thing, and it's
setting up how that information sharing works to make sure
that we're sharing the rights up but also protecting individuals too,
So that's quite critical. So that's another that's a piece
of administrative work that needs to be on which will
happen behind the scenes, and that will just naturally happen.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
I know people will also though, be looking at Okay,
you know, if we've got problem drinkers out on the street,
have we got enough police to be able to go
out there and check on them, you know, arrest them
if needed, give them a bdo if that is what
is required. I understand that the government's going to be
coming out today making an announcement around security. Now, probably
three weeks ago we were having discussions with some of
(24:06):
the well certainly with Hospitality and TA, around some of
the issues that were being experienced with some of the
hotels for example along the Esperadeen. They had felt that
security had been sort of the hours minimized. Now I
understand that as of today, Darwin and Palmerston, you guys
are going to be announcing that you're ramping up that security,
the expansion of the private security patrols.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
What exactly are we going to see, do you know? Bill?
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Look, we're going to be doubling the security patrols Darwin,
Northern Suburbs and Parmo over this period and increasing it
out I think six days a week and increasing the hours.
So we'll see an increased security presence across Darwin, out
the Northern Suburbs and Palms as well leading into this
Christmas period and over the Christmas period and for a period.
Speaker 4 (24:54):
So is that the blue shirt Mont?
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Yeah, So that's a security Yeah, So that's a scre
their private security that we contract came in that we've
seen them around the CBD and I think people out
in the suburbs have seen them doing what they do.
So we're increasing that, doubling it, change in the hours
and increasing the days that they'll be out operational over Christmas,
just to provide that little bit of extra security because
(25:19):
we have heard from hospitals there's issues around the place.
So we're getting these people back.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
How long does Christmas go for Billy, Well in the
territory Christmas.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
It's starting for me and Kathleen today.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
It goes right through to February. I'm not sure any
Ejac dated one how far it goes after Christmas, but
I said it will progress over Christmas and past Christmas
over there. I suppose that I.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
Actually think that this has always been a good initiative,
the security patrols. And I know that you know, the
former government cops a lot of stick on a lot
of things, but it was something that you guys introduced
while still in power many years ago, and it was
at a time when we were struggling with those police numbers,
and you know, we were seeing a lot of antisocial behavior,
a lot of issues on the street. I think if
we're able to do this, I would be proactive. I
(26:05):
hope that it's a good thing. I hope that it
is for the community.
Speaker 7 (26:08):
It is a good thing, right, I mean, we had
we had it when we were in government. This government's
continuing it. They're looking at some expansion. It's a deterrent,
right when you see people there, you kind of almost
start going, oh, I've got to behave myself. So I
think it's a good measure. But also we know that
our police do an incredible job and we want them
to be out, you know, responding to domestic family violence,
(26:30):
responding to you know, traffic crimes, all these things, and
then security can be at those venues or on patrolling
parts of the CBD to just help de escalate situations.
Speaker 5 (26:41):
Yeah, and that's what it is. It's that that fear
factor to eliminate that. I mean, in particular around the CBD.
You know, you definitely see a lot less broken windows.
Of course, it's going to be still around the place
because you're never going to eliminate it completely. But it's
that safety factor of people feeling that they are safer
rather than just when you're.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Cruising in your car and suddenly you see a cop
car in.
Speaker 7 (27:02):
Eurovision mirrorle and you haven't done anything wrong, but suddenly
you're like, oh, rechecking yourself.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
But you know what I mean.
Speaker 7 (27:11):
Having security around the CBD, people start to then question
their own behavior.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
And you make sure you would think that people are
making sure they're doing the right thing. Well, we'll take
a really quick break. You are listening to Mix one
O four nine's three sixty. It is the week that
was Mixed one.
Speaker 6 (27:26):
At four point nine three sixty, the week that was
the most listened to our in Territory radio.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
Well in the studio this morning, we've got Bill Yan,
Chancey Paik and Kathleen Gazola. Now it is always a
busy week in Parliament, but certainly when it's the final
week of parliamentary sittings for the year.
Speaker 4 (27:45):
And well, last night, I.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
Believe Bill you're handed down the mid year budget report.
Doing it late night on a Thursday. Was that because
it was good or bad?
Speaker 3 (27:57):
I would to like to hand it out the first
day of the week because it was good. Look, we've
seen in the midiar report a change in our numbers
off our budget that we handed down earlier this year.
So we've seen a kick in GST revenue because we've
had an increase in population which has changed that g
T about one hundred and thirty four million there.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
But what we had next one hundred and thirty four million.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Yeah, but what we're seeing now is a big underground power. Yeah.
Just because extra doesn't mean we run out and spend it.
I know another Bobby used to do that. I'm just saying,
he's the bill of the territory, can't afford it, here's
the bill looking after. But we've had a big kick
to in our own source revenue and that's through either
(28:39):
stamp duties, particularly coming off the back of the homegrown
grants and some sales of commercial property. So we've had
also an uptick in our own source revenue. So overall
it's probably four to five hundred million dollar change on
the positive side in the midyear report, which is really
good to see. So those numbers.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
Are really good as shows.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
That we're we're able to probably said start we'll reducing
We're not going to we can't reduce the debt like
as the debt will still increase slightly. But what we're
doing we're seeing a change in that debt curve. So
rather than continue, it's started starting to slow and flatten out.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
So as the treasure, does that make you go, Okay,
well we need to just you know, keep going steady here,
or we need to look at some things to invest
some money into.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
No, what said these changes in these numbers K just
means that we're not we don't have to borrow.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
As that much.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
And we've seen our debt debts revenue ratio change. The
forecast was up towards one hundred and thirty two, one
hundred and thirty percent. That's dropped down now, which is
good to see.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
So what's dropped down to.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
I think we've done about one hundred and twenty four
one hundred and twenty five, which is a good change,
but still sign I look at Victoria's feel good to.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
Make an impact.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Has some of the scrapping of different projects had Has
it had any you know, some of the different things
that you're expecting to have ongoing, you know, like the
museum and art gallery or the you know, the Aboriginal
Art Gallery in Alice.
Speaker 4 (30:06):
Springs for example.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
I know we hadn't sort of started building it, but
some of the work had already been under.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Way, that hasn't had a real it hasn't had a
real effect on those numbers, on those headline numbers. And
also what we're saying is this particular changes in GS
two revenue and owned source revenue, so through taxation. The
one really interesting thing, Katie has been we don't made
those changes from one point five to two point five
on payroll tax oh sorry, on businesses here, so we
(30:36):
lifted that to two point five million dollars. Now, we
were forecasting to probably see a reduction in revenue by
about twenty five to thirty million dollars with those changes.
But what we've actually seen now, we've seen an increase
in employment. We've seen an increase in wage growth in
business across the territory. So those numbers have actually gone up.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
So resign on a high, Billy.
Speaker 4 (30:58):
I want to see that gap flying revenue.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
I've still got plenty more work to do. And look,
we're doing the work now on the next on our
next budget for next year. And it's hard draft because
everybody wants everything. I'd love to give everybody everything, but
I can't. They got pretty responsible about how we do
it to make sure that that debt number is not
continue to increase.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
Stromy look, and.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
I think it's always interesting, you know, because for a
lot of people listening, some of these numbers they just
flow over your head, right, you know, like you go, Okay,
we're an enormous amount of deep what exactly does that mean?
Speaker 4 (31:31):
And and for a.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
Lot of people, they're they're sort of more going, all right, well,
how do we build a new hospital or what do
we need to do to get to a point where
we're able to you know, to deliver some of those
projects and to not feel as though we are, you know,
we're constantly kind of behind.
Speaker 7 (31:46):
The important part, Katie, I think you know it was
tabled last night on the last sitting day, so we'll
now work through that and have a bit of a
look at it.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
I think you make a good point.
Speaker 7 (31:55):
We often talk about numbers both parties, and often a
lot of people don't understand what those numbers mean.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
And not all debt is bad debt.
Speaker 7 (32:02):
Sometimes you have to spend money to make money, but
also you need to sometimes look at borrowing money to
build things.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Like hospitals or infrastructure projects.
Speaker 7 (32:13):
And you know, things like yes, the average and art
gallery is not going to go ahead under the CLP
in our springs, but we need to make sure that
we can quarantine that money in our springs because we
can invest in other opportunities, because the biggest thing the
territory needs to do is attract people to move here
and to come here to visit, because we just love
interstate people's money coming into the toys.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
We'll look look at that GSD increase of just said,
it's so the population.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Jurism or major event that comes to the territory.
Speaker 7 (32:42):
We want interstate and international people to spend their mulla
here in the territory because that means more for us.
Speaker 5 (32:48):
What's the forecast looking like next year? Because I mean,
isn't an empire or bloo oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
Looking like producing next year? And of course those revenue
numbers ramp up by time. So the initial revenue numbers
are coming out of bou are not that huge, but
I'll take any revenue a course, Kathleen, what's a flow
on too? And as Beeloo ramps up, it comes up
to full production, that's when you see a really significant
shift in revenue numbers. Chances right, we do have to
(33:16):
borrow money to do things, but to be able to
borrow money. We've got to be responsible in our spending
at the moment. I suppose the one thing, and I've
spoken about it before, is we have Moodies. They come
up every year. They came up in March, and I
was really concerned about our Moody's rating because looking at
the debt.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
Projections, it impacts whether you how much borrowing you can do,
and that kind of thing.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
It fis our interest rates on our borrowings. If our
rating drops and our interest rate goes up, so we're
paying more to borrow. And Moodies came up and I
sat down with them with the Treasury team and we
went through what we were doing, the plans we had
in place for our economic strategy, and Moodies came back
in September. We've maintained our rating.
Speaker 4 (33:54):
Well, that is good. That's good.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
That was some really positives that what I need to
do is make that rating.
Speaker 7 (34:00):
That's yeah, reducing interest and that's the challenge that all
governments have, right and this government will have the same.
It's like, you know, these gas projects that are coming
onto line now, they've been in the making for a
long time, so it'll be interesting to find out what
the Territory Coordinator actually does and what they're able to produce,
to say that they have streamlined to bring projects on quicker,
(34:21):
to bring more revenue, because so far we've spent twenty
one million dollars and got sixteen staff and we haven't
had a project class track.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Well, look, we will just move along very quickly. I
mean sorry, any updates there on the Territory Coordinator, I'll
give jaxas a little.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
Bit of smoke and Mirrorscadia from the government. The money
for the Territory of co Ordinator come from the three
commissioners that the previous government had was taken from there
and rolled into one agency. So it's not as if
we're all new money. This was existing and moved across.
It's been done, or he's doing plenty of trust.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
Well, hey, just a couple of listener comments. Someone said
a hospital over power lines please says that text. Someone
else has said, Katie, can you please ask Bill Yan
what the extended hours and days are for the Blue Shirts?
And does this cover per rap that one from Joe
any idea of bill Arena.
Speaker 3 (35:11):
We'll cover prep because we're talking about Darwin Northern suburb.
So it's all Darwin, including Palmo. So I think they're
out till midnight and it's six days a week.
Speaker 4 (35:20):
I'll double check that.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
I'm pretty sure i've got that info there, so I'll
double check that for Joe as well, and we'll.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
Take a really quick break. You are listening to Mix
one O four nine's three sixty. It is the week
that was.
Speaker 6 (35:30):
Mixed one or four point nine three sixty, the week
that was the most listened to our in Territory radio.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
Well, you are listening to the week that was the
last one for the year. I'm going on long service leave,
as we all know from from today, so the last
week that was of the year. Now, before we wrap.
Speaker 2 (35:48):
Up, how long is long?
Speaker 4 (35:50):
How long's long service? December and January?
Speaker 3 (35:52):
Nice?
Speaker 1 (35:53):
You guys be happy with that never runs. All the
pollies are happy, They're like already kay. Now, before we
do wrap up the integrity reform, the government passed what
it's calling a defining reform for the Northern Territories integrity
system Parliament approving the Integrity and Ethics Commissioner Bill for
twenty twenty five, a major overhaul is what you guys
(36:15):
have described it as bill that merges the IKAK, the Ombudsman,
the Information Commissioner, and the Health Complaints Commissioner into one
independent watchdog. I know it was not without opposition, a chancey,
I believe you guys asked a few questions on this
and had a few concerns.
Speaker 4 (36:32):
I mean, how is this going to make things better?
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (36:37):
Look if you go back to the ik the previous
goverment board in yeah and look and said look where
we ended up with that ik It's unfortunate, but the
entire population territories lost faith in the IKAK. There there
was no faith in what they were doing, sadly, and
then we got the review done by the two independent
(37:00):
people and they come up with a model that said
for the territory, this is what will work and this
is what we recommend. And they are independent of territory,
very highly respected people who inspector who work in this
integrity space, and they come up with a model and
presented that to us and said this is what the
territory needs to implement. And we've taken that report and
we've implemented the changes that they've put forward. But what
(37:23):
it does does a couple of things. It provides a
little bit more support too for some of those other
independent officers, because they were all working doing their thing
in their own individual spaces, but there was very little
support above them. So we have the commission that sits
across the top. Then we have a like a CEO
that sits over that provides that ADMIN support HR and
(37:45):
all those other bits and pieces that a lot of
these agencies have struggled with over time. And they sit
in under there. They're still independence and do their work,
but there's support for them. Everyone's saying, oh, this is
a cost saving measure. Well, funnily enough, Katie, it's not.
Speaker 4 (37:59):
Is it going to cost me?
Speaker 3 (38:00):
It's going probably going to cost us a little bit
more money to do this, but we'll get better out.
Speaker 1 (38:04):
The big thing is I just I suppose I'm a
bit like, kind of following on from some of the
things that we've seen through the eyekack, I'm a bit like, well,
is it actually going to work?
Speaker 4 (38:13):
You know?
Speaker 3 (38:16):
This clears up on what the KAK will be investigating
and gives I think a little bit more separation around
what some of those things are. And of course, particularly
in the territories context, there's no five degrees of separational
territories about point five. Everybody knows everybody, So it's the
ability then to deal with those conflicts and those perceived
(38:37):
conflicts far better than what we've seen because the stuff, sadly,
the stuff we've seen from the IKA has not been
great and have they been investigating the right things. We
hopefully we'll see that change now with a change instructuring. Look,
I think it's important.
Speaker 7 (38:50):
I think we've had numerous conversations about what an integrity
body could look like. There was even suggestions from members
of Parliament about outsourcing it entirely to it now that
you're diction because how close everyone is. We've got a
small population and everyone knows everyone and knows what's going
on or if they someone does.
Speaker 4 (39:08):
Someone does.
Speaker 7 (39:09):
So Look, I think, look, the devil is going to
be in the detail. We as the Terrotory Labor have
called for a mandatory reporting period of twelve months to
come back to Parliament to you know, really check it's working,
the checks and the balances. Look, we were very proud
to bring in the first integrity body into the territory
(39:29):
and look, things do need to be reviewed, They do
need to be evaluated, and you know, as Bill has said,
there's always opportunity to look at things and make them better.
So we'll look at this now it's past, it's now
going to be effective, so we'll look at what that
looks like and make sure that we ask the right questions.
And I think a period of twelve months will allow
us to have a enough for.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
Us all to have a good look at it and
good look at whether it's working or not.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (39:53):
Absolutely, I mean obviously good friend of the show Matt
Cunningham would help some few opinions on it, given what
we have seen over the what's happened with the different
IKAQ commissioners and what's come out of it, reports tabled,
reports thrown out, and the rest of it.
Speaker 7 (40:07):
So I mean, we when we talk about it, we
know what corruption is. But to the everyday person is
tuning in, now, what do you send to this commission?
Speaker 2 (40:16):
Like, you know, what is it? I think this person's.
Speaker 4 (40:18):
Doing this And that's the thing.
Speaker 1 (40:20):
Like that's what I've kind of seen over the years
as well, is as you know, everybody reporting things to
the to the I cack and they're going, oh hang on,
they're not doing their job effectively.
Speaker 4 (40:28):
But it's like.
Speaker 3 (40:30):
Someone else's job, and if it's reported through, that's when
the IK needs to discidaball is does this really sit
with me? And that's then there's there's clear parameters about
what ICC actually does and then whether they send it
out to different areas to do.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
Yeah, we'll see how it goes.
Speaker 5 (40:46):
Very close of the twelve months, a report back as
to how it's working and whether it can be improved
as well, because the reputation of it is completely shock.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
Yeah, there was no confidence left in Well that's it for.
Speaker 4 (40:58):
Us this morning. A very civil week. That was Chancey
Pike from the opposition.
Speaker 7 (41:05):
Great to be on the show, and shout out to
all of your listeners. I hate to have a safe
and happy Christmas, and I know it can be tempting
at times, but don't drink and drive, don't be a
bloody idiot. Exactly, have a great season. We'll be back
next year, certainly, Bill and I go on hand a
bit of rain.
Speaker 4 (41:20):
Yeah, it does look like it does.
Speaker 1 (41:22):
Jen nice for you guys, Well, yeah, Treasurer, thank you
so much.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
And while I've got the opportunity I want, I've been
I think power and all of those crews, but I
also need to think the d AL team. The DLA
team were out on the ground Sunday morning making sure
that roads were open, checking bridges, doing all that infrastructure
work so people can get out and about. They're done
a power work Sunday and Monday. So thanks those guys,
and the same for people the territory. Be safe over Christmas,
(41:46):
have a great Christmas. Don't do any dumb on the roads.
We don't want any more fatalities. I said it in
Parliament the other day. Enjoy your Christmas, but don't be
silly on the roads. Think about yourself, think about your families,
and think about everybody else. But have a great Christmas
and the great news.
Speaker 4 (42:02):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (42:02):
Look bipartisan thing right here.
Speaker 7 (42:04):
Shout out to everyone who are our frontline workers, like
Bill and I were talking about it in Parliament yesterday.
You know, nurses, doctors, fieries, police officers and all these
people who are going to be making the sacrifice to
not be at home on Christmas Day.
Speaker 2 (42:19):
Shout out to all of.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
You probably there all weekend as well, following off from
the cyclone.
Speaker 4 (42:24):
You know, a busy busy month.
Speaker 3 (42:26):
For U being rostered on for plenty of Christmas days.
Speaker 4 (42:28):
Yeah, I bet well. Thank you, Bill and Chancy so much.
Speaker 1 (42:31):
Kathleen, thank you so much, but you're not going anywhere.
Speaker 4 (42:36):
Thank you,
It's time for the week that was and in the
studio with us this morning. Where should I go First?
We've got Chancey Paike from the from the Labor Party.
Good morning to you, Chancey.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Good morning Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Lovely to have you in the studio. We've got the
treasurer for the COLP, Bill Yan, Good morning to you.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Good morning Katie. Great to be back.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
It was a bit of a Central Australia feel this
morning with you two in here.
Speaker 4 (00:23):
Very nice.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
The best part of the terror.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Kathleen, Kathleen dirty looking the pair of you as you
were saying that you're from the best part of the
Northern Territory.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
You'll have to fight me and Kathleen for that first,
for that title. We love the top end.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Although you know, earlier in the week and on the weekend,
as the tropical cyclone Fena was coming through, maybe we
were wishing we were in Central Australia. You're not looking
exactly well. It was a major clean up effort. We
know it's still underway across the top end. Dafterfeen tore
(01:07):
through the territory on the weekend, leaving significant damage but
fortunately no injuries. We know the Category three system brought
destructive winds and heavy rain to Darwin as well as
the Tiwi Islands.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Trees were uprooted, power.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Lines brought down, roofs torn from homes and businesses. One
of the more serious incidents occurring at Royal Darwin Hospital,
where a four square meter section of ceiling collapsed on
the first floor. Now it wasn't the only section. We
also learned yesterday that there was a second section of
the hospital as well. That's having some structural looking into
(01:41):
it to determine just how bad that damage is at
the hospital.
Speaker 4 (01:46):
So that's some of the damage we know. There's been
a massive.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Effort throughout this week to get everything cleaned up, and
as you would expect, I suppose when there is an
incident like this, not everything's.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
Run that smoothly.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
We've had a lot of calls, a lot of messages
this week, people who've had big trees come down, green
waste on their verge, you know, wondering whether they're able
to get to the dump. There's certainly been some more
clarity as the days have gone on, but yeah, on
Monday it was anything but business as usual. I think
you'd have to say.
Speaker 5 (02:19):
Yeah, definitely, I mean we've just been inundated this week
of people with some of those teething issues you kind
of touched on, and of course, once things start to
calm down and you start to emerge out of that
emergency situation. But I think the main thing that we've
taken away is just those communication to people, Like people
understood we had a cyclone, so of course power is
(02:40):
going to be impacted, yea, But especially around the website,
people just wanted to know where crews were working so
they could know if it's going to be another day
or two or three, so then they can plan their
lives as to whether they needed to go to get
a hotel or go stay with friends or that kind
of thing. I think in the wash up of the
cyclone and review of those kinds of things, and of
(03:01):
course the plan around where to take Greenway certainly wasn't
communicated pretty much at all.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
No, not in the early days.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
We know that, you know, some of that clarifications definitely
come through now and Hidden Valley, there's a you know,
a Greenway stump out there at the moment where things
are able to be taken. There's certainly, you know, there
certainly has been a huge effort by Power and Water
as well to get everybody back online, Like massive job
for all those crews out there on our roads doing
(03:28):
what they can.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Only one hundred and ten houses now to have power,
And that was the update from this morning good which
has really been great. Those Power and Water ground crews
that have been out since Sunday morning have done a
power work and done a phenomenal job out there. They're
real heroes, those guys and girls out there doing those
assessments and getting the power back on to those homes.
And in such a short time lot, we're coming up
(03:51):
less than weeks still, yeah, and from nineteen thousand homes
without power and we're only lessed less than a week
with five six days, I've only got one hundred and
ten and they'll be working all day to day, they'll
probably be working all weekends. So I think we'll see
the rest of those homes back up very very soon,
which is great to see. But I think the one
big takeout I think from this, and there's always lessons
(04:12):
to be learned. It doesn't matter what the issue is
and what the crisis is, you do your wash up
at the end. There's always something that can be done.
Better and the smart thing is then to learn from
that and make sure that we don't repeat it. But
people of territory actually listen to the warnings and everything else,
and not just here in Darwin Parmo, but of course
out in the remote communities and on the Tea Weason.
(04:33):
I think that's reflected in the fact there was no injuries,
no one. We've had no report to everybody getting hurt
during the cyclone. Schools were closed down out in the
islands early, so people get into the cyclone shelters, so
people were actually out listening to the messaging. It was
going out and done the right thing, and that's reflected
and I think that the lack of issues that we've
(04:53):
seen around injuries reported back.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
And it was touch and go there.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
I suppose for a bit though, where we're thinking, oh,
hang on a second, should people have been evacuated from
the Tiwi Islands.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
I don't like, I don't know, and I think things
have changed.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Have they now got out on Teee Islands a cyclone
shelter where they are safe to go or what war.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
I'm younger in the school, the school there is a
cyclone shelter. I think there was police out there in
the days before the cyclone running around catching up with
people in community, just letting them know what was going on,
letting them know that they need to get to if
they have to. The shelter's a bits and pieces, So
that was a large piece of work that was done
in the remote communities and out in the islands as
a cyclone came in towards the case. So that was
(05:37):
really good. So that early messaging I think was key
to the lack of issues that we've seen as far
as injuries with people went. So that's a testament of
the people of the territory and of course right out
in the islands and those remote communities were doing the
right thing.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
And that's why it's.
Speaker 5 (05:51):
So important for BOMB to give those early warnings. You know,
people are like, oh, nothing's going to happen whatever, they're
beating it up, that kind of thing. But that's why
it's important to be warning that it's coming and it
could become as this, especially for those remote communities if
they need to be evacues are sort.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Of known for like, yeah, it'll be right exactly. We're
all pretty cyclone.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
We're a territory tough. I mean let's not joke we do.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I mean we don't laugh at Queensland when they talk
about a cyclone arriving, but we always think how big
is your cyclone?
Speaker 6 (06:21):
Have a look at our?
Speaker 7 (06:22):
Yeah, I think the real heroes here are absolutely at
Power and Water. They often poor buggers, often get rubbished
by a lot of people across the territory, but they
are the real heroes here.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
They've been doing the work.
Speaker 7 (06:33):
I think Bill the Chief Minister said last night that
there were two hundred homes that hadn't been connected overnight.
They've done an additional hundred, so you know, just really,
I mean they are the heroes in this situation.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Absolutely.
Speaker 7 (06:44):
I think as well, when we let me think about it,
we think, yeah, cyclone or when it gets downgraded big
you know, big storms, trenchial rains, winds.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
It's not until you're actually walking.
Speaker 7 (06:56):
Through the suburbs or the city that you actually just
look at the mammoth work that is required to get
the city back up. I mean, Darwin is a beautiful city.
It's a very lush city. It's very clean and when
you just see the debris laying around everywhere and you
see all the crews out doing the work. You think,
particularly in the weather, you think, God, that's a bloody job.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
One hundred and seventy thousand tons of green waste is
what Samone Saunders from the City of Darwin told us yesterday,
just for thing's going to need to be cleaned up,
just for Darwin, Like that's phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
That is a lot of green waste.
Speaker 7 (07:34):
Then you've also got to think about you know over
on the tee wheel that all the green waste there.
And I think, you know, one of the things that
we were able to negotiate with the Commonwealth and the
previous government and this government has continued that good work
is all of the new remote houses are built for
a category five side tolone, so you know, acknowledging that people,
(07:54):
we want you to stay at home if you can
and it's safe to do so, and your house is
raided to a category five, then do that.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (08:01):
But also if you want to go and be with family,
make sure that you do it all appropriately. So I
think that that is certainly a really important topic to raise,
is that we've got those things in place. But I think,
like everyone's spoken about here today, any government doesn't matter
where the government is in power in our or future governments.
Any government who says that they've done it all amazingly
(08:23):
after a natural disaster needs to have a bit of
a think about themselves. As Bill has said, everything is
always up for a review, and we can do better
where we can do better, and I think we.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Need to learn from that.
Speaker 7 (08:37):
I mean, climate change is real and we are going
to see more cyclones, So how do we adapt.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
And prepare well?
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Potentially the undergrounding of power one of the other things
I do wonder, I guess first and foremost, Bill, are
we in a situation are you, as the treasurer seeking
some financial help from the federal government at the moment
in terms of all that green waste? I know after
Cyclone Markers we got some from the federal government for
some skip bins around Darwin so that people could put
(09:04):
their green waste in there. I know we don't have
as much green waste potentially.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
This time round.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
That was one of the questions we were asking on
the show yesterday. So is that sort of a possibility
or could we be in a situation where there's some
funding from the Feds maybe to help people get rid
of all the greenways sets around on the verges.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
I know the Chief's been talking with her. It's the
emergency Minister mc bain. Yeah, I know the Chief has
met with her and been talking with her regularly on
what some of that recovery stuff looks like. I'm not
right across that detail, but I know that those discussions
have been had at that level so that we can
probably clean up around Darwin.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
What about some money from the FEDS as well for
some undergrounding of the power lines?
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Not going to a really asked that question I was
asked of I think the labor government asked of the
federal government quite some time ago, and the federal government
pretty clear in their reply. Is it that we with
ourselves the responsibility of the states and territories.
Speaker 5 (10:03):
What about through like funding? I mean we obviously talked
to Madli earlier this year.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
I No, funding is fine, but that's money that we
have to borrow then we have to pay it back.
So yes, it's money from the FEDS that we can
get to assist us in the first instance doing some work,
but it's still money that we have to pay back.
Speaker 5 (10:20):
But if you said that question was asked a long
time ago, why not ask it again? I mean we
are a capital city in Australia that still has wires
above the ground, which is crazy.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
When we live in a cyclone pron location. We're you know,
we're talking about in created.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Certainly. I don't think it was after Marcus that it
was asked with the Commonwealth would they come in and
pay for some upgrades to undergrounding power and responsible located territory.
Speaker 7 (10:50):
Later, would absolutely welcome the and support the asked the
c LP if they actually wanted to reach out and
ask the question government.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
It is one of those things that everybody needs to
get together and go all right, maybe we do need
to seek some additional funding from the federal government. I know,
I know it's tough because not only do we want
underground power, but we also want a new hospital.
Speaker 4 (11:10):
So we're probably asking for quite a bit this Christmas.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
Yeah, I especially two billion dollars.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Yeah, that's that's so much to us in all seriousness,
you know, like like Kathleen had said, we do live
in a capital city where then we're without power for days,
which I understand that we've had a cyclone go through,
and I will note that even in Brisbane, you know,
they've actually had a big storm and they've been without
power for days as well, so I get it that
it's going to happen, but you do wonder in a
(11:41):
place like Darwin, whether we need to bite the bullet
and go ahead with the underground power so that we
can avoid being in this situation and essentially, you know,
things having to come to a halt. And I know
we've managed pretty well in the day's post cyclone, but.
Speaker 7 (11:58):
As well, like you know, we need to look at
resilience of Darwin into the future.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
How can we be more resilient?
Speaker 7 (12:04):
Yes, I agree with builders an opportunity for this government
to ask the Commonwealth for.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Assistance, but it's also the role of this.
Speaker 7 (12:11):
Government to make it clear they can make their own
arrangements to invest as well. What we do need is
a rolling program and maybe it's each one suburb a
year or x amount of suburbs over a term of government.
Now we've changed the planning rules, you know, like every
new suburb has underground power, so it's about retrofitting those
(12:32):
existing suburbs. We're going to see more cyclones, We're going
to see more intense cyclones, So how do we build
a better infrastructure, How do we retrofit the older suburbs
and you know, I mean, I've got family in Perap
who had no power, the street had no power.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
They had solar and a battery.
Speaker 7 (12:49):
So they became the communal house in Perap for people
to come together. And that's the kind of conversations they
were having, is how do we make this city which
is a fantastic city.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
We love Darne and it's the.
Speaker 7 (13:01):
Tropical tropical city capital of Australia. But how do we
make it so that we can survive through cyclones and
not impact our lives and our commerce.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
In the future.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Yeah, and I think that is sort of the discussions
that people are starting to have. And I guess you
kind of forget about it then for the few years
in between cyclone, but then when another one hits.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
I think the key to this CAID is that the
proper planning needs we do not just go out and
sorry mate, but throw out a press release to say
that we're going to underground the power all the northern
sub of sixty million dollars like that doesn't get you anywhere.
Trust me. They undergrounded some high voltage through Nightcliff and
Parapp back in two thousand and two. I think they've
done about eight k's and that costs thirty five million
(13:43):
dollars in twenty ten.
Speaker 4 (13:45):
It's a heck of an expensive job.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
It is. And that's why when we came int Powamle
to come to us and said, look, there was sixty
million dollars on a grand pass. We can't do anything
with sixty million dollars. We just can't do it. Can
you take it out.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
And do something? And you can't do nothing with But
it's a lot of money.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
You've got to have a very, very clear and concise
plan and that hadn't been done. And that's something that
Power and Water will need to do as part of
their strategic planning going forward, because if we're going to
go down this road, as Power Order have told me,
it's going to be up to a billion dollars, that's
a lot of money.
Speaker 7 (14:14):
The longer you leave it, though, Katie, the longer you
leave it, the more it's going to cost. So I think,
and at the moment, you know, I like Bill, but
at the moment you know, at the moment there's there's
no message to the people of the Northern suburbs that
there's any commitment to roll out underground power.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
It's just saying that we might do it in the future.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
I'm not going to come out and make false promises
right at this point in time, when the people in
the northern suburbs are coming off the back of a cyclone.
I'm not going to go out there and make false
promises that like that. I won't. I won't do that,
and it's wrong to do that for the people of
the Northern.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
Tell us that you're going to look into it.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
It's a piece of work that needs to be done,
and I think to do the work, power and water
need to go and do those assessments. I've got the
amount of Columbus now from Paramore. There's sixty eight kilometers
of HV in about one hundred and thirty kilometers of
LV in a northern suburbs that need to be done.
To get economies of scale, you have to lay that
HV and the LV together, otherwise the cost significantly increases.
(15:14):
And like these thousands upon thousand dollars per meter to
get this stuff underground, that's just underground. Those like I
wish there's a point to the house.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
You know, And I wonder whether at some point here
in the Northern territory, and I'm sure that people who've
you know, who've been born and raised here and lived
here for much longer than I. I wish at some
point we get to the point where we're self sufficient
so we're able to do things like that. And I
know we're always going to be reliant on the federal government.
I get that, but where we have enough of our
own source revenue as well, where we've got it, like
(15:45):
where we're you know, look at Western Australia. I know
that they're resource rich, but you know where you think,
all right, well, we still need that funding from the
federal government. I get that we're always going to we're
a little place, but I just wish we were a
little bit more self sufficient so we didn't always feel
like someone's poor cousin.
Speaker 5 (16:02):
We could argue we are resource rich, it's just around
and having.
Speaker 7 (16:06):
The determination we've got to get it and get it
to Marrow well, first of all, I mean, we are
better than the wild West. But you know, I guess
what we do need to see is, you know, this
government hasn't even made a conversation start with the federal
government around revisiting the conversation around resilience around undergrounding power.
They're just saying, oh, well someone asked some time ago,
(16:28):
She'll be right re ask the conversation. There is a
federal labor government who are saying that that we need
to be resilient. Climate change is real, we need to
do this work. What's the harm in asking where someone
can say is no.
Speaker 5 (16:41):
But what frustrates me is canbra you know, they don't
think about us. They don't think about us in the
biggest scheme of things. What's our infrastructure one hundred and
fifty years behind the rest of the country Like that
is crazy for a capital city.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
And let's remember the hospital was designed the.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
Same all the way down to isn't it.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
It's just uplifted and put in the snows over the wind.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
Yeah, and we're just reaching the point, you know, even
with the hospital, where it's coming to that end of
life where you know they're beyond end of life where
you know we are going to need to find ways
to to, you know, get another tertiorary hospital.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
That's the thing across the board. Cap aging infrastructure, infrastructure
put back into the fifty sixty seventy, So a lot
of that now is some of it's coming towards end
of life, and it's not just the hospitals. And then
it's that plan about how do we go about extending
some of the life so we get to a point
where we can start to look at replacement and where
we go to next.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Well, that's the general thing.
Speaker 7 (17:45):
When the territory was given self government, there wasn't actually
a considered plan around the infrastructure and what we need.
It was like giving over something that was going to
the federal government at the time, and successive governments knew
you like, this place is gonna need money in the future,
but you'll give it away now and then that's it.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
She'll be right, mate.
Speaker 7 (18:07):
It's like we've got aging infrastructure and we've got legacy
issues that all governments in the territory have always had
that dilemma or that question of where to and what.
But what we do need to go is the government
in now the CLP government have got two critical issues
prisons and hospitals, and there's gonna have to be a
choice because, as the treasurer said, the money doesn't go everywhere.
(18:29):
Where is that money gonna go?
Speaker 1 (18:30):
Well, literally, someone else had just sent us an email
as Kathleen was showing me some we need to build
a bigger prisoner as well. So there's a lot of
areas where we need you know, we need expansion. But
we're gonna have to take a quick break and gee,
there's plenty to discuss this morning.
Speaker 6 (18:45):
Mixed one or four point nine's three point sixty the
week that was the most listened to our in Territory radio.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
You are listening to the week that was if you've
just joined us Kathleen Gazola, Bill Yan and Chancey Paike
in the studio with me.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
Now, it's been a big week.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
We know the government earlier this week, well yesterday I
believe it passed through Parliament the changes to the band
drinker register.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
So essentially what it's going.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
To mean is that when you get a BDO or
band drinker order, it's no longer going to be a
seven day BDO, but you'll move to twenty eight days
from next month. It is part of well a review
that was conducted, as I understand it now, I know
that then Labor was really questioning that review in terms
(19:29):
of why some of the recommendations have been accepted but
then others not so Bill, first off, I mean, why
has the government gone down this path in terms of
moving from the seven day to the twenty eight day BDO.
Hopefully it means that, you know, it gives people an
opportunity during that stop gap to maybe get on a
program and get off the booze for good.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
Yeah. Look, that BDR review has been been underway most
of the year and we've firally got that review back
and I come back with full recommendations. Now, some of
those recommendations are going to take a little bit more
time to implement, but the simple one that came out
of that review and police have been asking for this
is changing those seven day bdos to twenty eight days.
(20:12):
And really that's a bit of a no brainer, and
we can get in and we can make those changes
from seven days to twenty eight days, and that you're right,
it gives people that little bit of a break. The
police are saying seven days really doesn't do a lot,
whereas twenty eight days gives people that break and gives
them the opportunity to make possibly some of that change.
So we bought that on the agency yesterday to bring
(20:35):
that part of that review through and it's a real
simple one and it gives the police a little bit
more power to do what they need to do on
those bdos to get people off the grog. And of
course leading into this Christmas period, I suppose some more opportunities.
I suppose another tool for the police to use to
deal with some of those problem drinkers.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
So yeah, look, I don't see it as a bad thing,
but we certainly haven't had a lot of feedback over
the day or two since we've been talking about it,
people saying that they think it's a bad thing. But
I mean you touched on there that there were other recommendations, Chancy.
What were some of those other recommendations from the oppositions
understanding that you maybe would have liked to have seen
in force.
Speaker 7 (21:13):
Yeah, look, there are what we understand that there were
four recommendations. The other recommendation was about allowing a voluntary
opt in flaws for licensed venues, because what we are
hearing from people in the community is great band drinker
Register actually works and allows people to put themselves on
there as well. Lots of aunties I know at Bush
(21:34):
and in town they put themselves so they don't get
humbug to buy grog from family. But also, you know,
this voluntary area would allow venues to register and put
themselves on because what lots of people are saying is
people get on the band drinker register, they can't buy
grog from takeaway, but they can go into a pub
and have a good old charge and then get pushed
(21:54):
out onto the street and become the community's problem. So
it allows some venues to say, yeah, we're willing to
give it a go. Information sharing was another one around
sharing that information. So look, certainly Labor absolutely supports the BDR.
We brought it in and its first machinations, the seven
days that was introduced by Natasha files around those band
(22:16):
drinking orders, So look, it does require work. We are
asking that the government released the full review and the
recommendations because Katie, this is important that industry like hospitality
gets to have a say, but our medical services, our organizations,
our social services all good.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
To have input.
Speaker 7 (22:35):
Duran Young moved a motion in Parliament. I gave notice
this week as well, calling on the government in next
year in March or February to table or report around
the timelines of when they're going to actually look to
introduce the three remaining measures and anything else, because you
need to have a comprehensive approach to our clock.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
So with those other three remaining measures, I mean, Billy,
is that something that the government's going to be looking.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
At working through those. I said, we've done the seven
days and twenty eight because a simple, straightforward and fairly easy,
and we're able to do that immediately once we've got
the report. So the other piece is required, like of
course BDR on premise for those who want to opt
into that, there's some technology requirements. It's something we can't
do straight away. I don't believe it requires any legislative change,
but there's some technology requirements needed and some stuff back
(23:22):
of house with DCDD to be able to do that.
The information sharing, again is a technology thing, and it's
setting up how that information sharing works to make sure
that we're sharing the rights up but also protecting individuals too,
So that's quite critical. So that's another that's a piece
of administrative work that needs to be on which will
happen behind the scenes, and that will just naturally happen.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
I know people will also though, be looking at Okay,
you know, if we've got problem drinkers out on the street,
have we got enough police to be able to go
out there and check on them, you know, arrest them
if needed, give them a bdo if that is what
is required. I understand that the government's going to be
coming out today making an announcement around security. Now, probably
three weeks ago we were having discussions with some of
(24:06):
the well certainly with Hospitality and TA, around some of
the issues that were being experienced with some of the
hotels for example along the Esperadeen. They had felt that
security had been sort of the hours minimized. Now I
understand that as of today, Darwin and Palmerston, you guys
are going to be announcing that you're ramping up that security,
the expansion of the private security patrols.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
What exactly are we going to see, do you know? Bill?
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Look, we're going to be doubling the security patrols Darwin,
Northern Suburbs and Parmo over this period and increasing it
out I think six days a week and increasing the hours.
So we'll see an increased security presence across Darwin, out
the Northern Suburbs and Palms as well leading into this
Christmas period and over the Christmas period and for a period.
Speaker 4 (24:54):
So is that the blue shirt Mont?
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Yeah, So that's a security Yeah, So that's a scre
their private security that we contract came in that we've
seen them around the CBD and I think people out
in the suburbs have seen them doing what they do.
So we're increasing that, doubling it, change in the hours
and increasing the days that they'll be out operational over Christmas,
just to provide that little bit of extra security because
(25:19):
we have heard from hospitals there's issues around the place.
So we're getting these people back.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
How long does Christmas go for Billy, Well in the
territory Christmas.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
It's starting for me and Kathleen today.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
It goes right through to February. I'm not sure any
Ejac dated one how far it goes after Christmas, but
I said it will progress over Christmas and past Christmas
over there. I suppose that I.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
Actually think that this has always been a good initiative,
the security patrols. And I know that you know, the
former government cops a lot of stick on a lot
of things, but it was something that you guys introduced
while still in power many years ago, and it was
at a time when we were struggling with those police numbers,
and you know, we were seeing a lot of antisocial behavior,
a lot of issues on the street. I think if
we're able to do this, I would be proactive. I
(26:05):
hope that it's a good thing. I hope that it
is for the community.
Speaker 7 (26:08):
It is a good thing, right, I mean, we had
we had it when we were in government. This government's
continuing it. They're looking at some expansion. It's a deterrent,
right when you see people there, you kind of almost
start going, oh, I've got to behave myself. So I
think it's a good measure. But also we know that
our police do an incredible job and we want them
to be out, you know, responding to domestic family violence,
(26:30):
responding to you know, traffic crimes, all these things, and
then security can be at those venues or on patrolling
parts of the CBD to just help de escalate situations.
Speaker 5 (26:41):
Yeah, and that's what it is. It's that that fear
factor to eliminate that. I mean, in particular around the CBD.
You know, you definitely see a lot less broken windows.
Of course, it's going to be still around the place
because you're never going to eliminate it completely. But it's
that safety factor of people feeling that they are safer
rather than just when you're.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Cruising in your car and suddenly you see a cop
car in.
Speaker 7 (27:02):
Eurovision mirrorle and you haven't done anything wrong, but suddenly
you're like, oh, rechecking yourself.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
But you know what I mean.
Speaker 7 (27:11):
Having security around the CBD, people start to then question
their own behavior.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
And you make sure you would think that people are
making sure they're doing the right thing. Well, we'll take
a really quick break. You are listening to Mix one
O four nine's three sixty. It is the week that
was Mixed one.
Speaker 6 (27:26):
At four point nine three sixty, the week that was
the most listened to our in Territory radio.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
Well in the studio this morning, we've got Bill Yan,
Chancey Paik and Kathleen Gazola. Now it is always a
busy week in Parliament, but certainly when it's the final
week of parliamentary sittings for the year.
Speaker 4 (27:45):
And well, last night, I.
Speaker 1 (27:46):
Believe Bill you're handed down the mid year budget report.
Doing it late night on a Thursday. Was that because
it was good or bad?
Speaker 3 (27:57):
I would to like to hand it out the first
day of the week because it was good. Look, we've
seen in the midiar report a change in our numbers
off our budget that we handed down earlier this year.
So we've seen a kick in GST revenue because we've
had an increase in population which has changed that g
T about one hundred and thirty four million there.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
But what we had next one hundred and thirty four million.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Yeah, but what we're seeing now is a big underground power. Yeah.
Just because extra doesn't mean we run out and spend it.
I know another Bobby used to do that. I'm just saying,
he's the bill of the territory, can't afford it, here's
the bill looking after. But we've had a big kick
to in our own source revenue and that's through either
(28:39):
stamp duties, particularly coming off the back of the homegrown
grants and some sales of commercial property. So we've had
also an uptick in our own source revenue. So overall
it's probably four to five hundred million dollar change on
the positive side in the midyear report, which is really
good to see. So those numbers.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
Are really good as shows.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
That we're we're able to probably said start we'll reducing
We're not going to we can't reduce the debt like
as the debt will still increase slightly. But what we're
doing we're seeing a change in that debt curve. So
rather than continue, it's started starting to slow and flatten out.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
So as the treasure, does that make you go, Okay,
well we need to just you know, keep going steady here,
or we need to look at some things to invest
some money into.
Speaker 3 (29:28):
No, what said these changes in these numbers K just
means that we're not we don't have to borrow.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
As that much.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
And we've seen our debt debts revenue ratio change. The
forecast was up towards one hundred and thirty two, one
hundred and thirty percent. That's dropped down now, which is
good to see.
Speaker 2 (29:44):
So what's dropped down to.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
I think we've done about one hundred and twenty four
one hundred and twenty five, which is a good change,
but still sign I look at Victoria's feel good to.
Speaker 4 (29:53):
Make an impact.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Has some of the scrapping of different projects had Has
it had any you know, some of the different things
that you're expecting to have ongoing, you know, like the
museum and art gallery or the you know, the Aboriginal
Art Gallery in Alice.
Speaker 4 (30:06):
Springs for example.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
I know we hadn't sort of started building it, but
some of the work had already been under.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Way, that hasn't had a real it hasn't had a
real effect on those numbers, on those headline numbers. And
also what we're saying is this particular changes in GS
two revenue and owned source revenue, so through taxation. The
one really interesting thing, Katie has been we don't made
those changes from one point five to two point five
on payroll tax oh sorry, on businesses here, so we
(30:36):
lifted that to two point five million dollars. Now, we
were forecasting to probably see a reduction in revenue by
about twenty five to thirty million dollars with those changes.
But what we've actually seen now, we've seen an increase
in employment. We've seen an increase in wage growth in
business across the territory. So those numbers have actually gone up.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
So resign on a high, Billy.
Speaker 4 (30:58):
I want to see that gap flying revenue.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
I've still got plenty more work to do. And look,
we're doing the work now on the next on our
next budget for next year. And it's hard draft because
everybody wants everything. I'd love to give everybody everything, but
I can't. They got pretty responsible about how we do
it to make sure that that debt number is not
continue to increase.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
Stromy look, and.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
I think it's always interesting, you know, because for a
lot of people listening, some of these numbers they just
flow over your head, right, you know, like you go, Okay,
we're an enormous amount of deep what exactly does that mean?
Speaker 4 (31:31):
And and for a.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
Lot of people, they're they're sort of more going, all right, well,
how do we build a new hospital or what do
we need to do to get to a point where
we're able to you know, to deliver some of those
projects and to not feel as though we are, you know,
we're constantly kind of behind.
Speaker 7 (31:46):
The important part, Katie, I think you know it was
tabled last night on the last sitting day, so we'll
now work through that and have a bit of a
look at it.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
I think you make a good point.
Speaker 7 (31:55):
We often talk about numbers both parties, and often a
lot of people don't understand what those numbers mean.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
And not all debt is bad debt.
Speaker 7 (32:02):
Sometimes you have to spend money to make money, but
also you need to sometimes look at borrowing money to
build things.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Like hospitals or infrastructure projects.
Speaker 7 (32:13):
And you know, things like yes, the average and art
gallery is not going to go ahead under the CLP
in our springs, but we need to make sure that
we can quarantine that money in our springs because we
can invest in other opportunities, because the biggest thing the
territory needs to do is attract people to move here
and to come here to visit, because we just love
interstate people's money coming into the toys.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
We'll look look at that GSD increase of just said,
it's so the population.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Jurism or major event that comes to the territory.
Speaker 7 (32:42):
We want interstate and international people to spend their mulla
here in the territory because that means more for us.
Speaker 5 (32:48):
What's the forecast looking like next year? Because I mean,
isn't an empire or bloo oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
Looking like producing next year? And of course those revenue
numbers ramp up by time. So the initial revenue numbers
are coming out of bou are not that huge, but
I'll take any revenue a course, Kathleen, what's a flow
on too? And as Beeloo ramps up, it comes up
to full production, that's when you see a really significant
shift in revenue numbers. Chances right, we do have to
(33:16):
borrow money to do things, but to be able to
borrow money. We've got to be responsible in our spending
at the moment. I suppose the one thing, and I've
spoken about it before, is we have Moodies. They come
up every year. They came up in March, and I
was really concerned about our Moody's rating because looking at
the debt.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
Projections, it impacts whether you how much borrowing you can do,
and that kind of thing.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
It fis our interest rates on our borrowings. If our
rating drops and our interest rate goes up, so we're
paying more to borrow. And Moodies came up and I
sat down with them with the Treasury team and we
went through what we were doing, the plans we had
in place for our economic strategy, and Moodies came back
in September. We've maintained our rating.
Speaker 4 (33:54):
Well, that is good. That's good.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
That was some really positives that what I need to
do is make that rating.
Speaker 7 (34:00):
That's yeah, reducing interest and that's the challenge that all
governments have, right and this government will have the same.
It's like, you know, these gas projects that are coming
onto line now, they've been in the making for a
long time, so it'll be interesting to find out what
the Territory Coordinator actually does and what they're able to produce,
to say that they have streamlined to bring projects on quicker,
(34:21):
to bring more revenue, because so far we've spent twenty
one million dollars and got sixteen staff and we haven't
had a project class track.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Well, look, we will just move along very quickly. I
mean sorry, any updates there on the Territory Coordinator, I'll
give jaxas a little.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
Bit of smoke and Mirrorscadia from the government. The money
for the Territory of co Ordinator come from the three
commissioners that the previous government had was taken from there
and rolled into one agency. So it's not as if
we're all new money. This was existing and moved across.
It's been done, or he's doing plenty of trust.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
Well, hey, just a couple of listener comments. Someone said
a hospital over power lines please says that text. Someone
else has said, Katie, can you please ask Bill Yan
what the extended hours and days are for the Blue Shirts?
And does this cover per rap that one from Joe
any idea of bill Arena.
Speaker 3 (35:11):
We'll cover prep because we're talking about Darwin Northern suburb.
So it's all Darwin, including Palmo. So I think they're
out till midnight and it's six days a week.
Speaker 4 (35:20):
I'll double check that.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
I'm pretty sure i've got that info there, so I'll
double check that for Joe as well, and we'll.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
Take a really quick break. You are listening to Mix
one O four nine's three sixty. It is the week
that was.
Speaker 6 (35:30):
Mixed one or four point nine three sixty, the week
that was the most listened to our in Territory radio.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
Well, you are listening to the week that was the
last one for the year. I'm going on long service leave,
as we all know from from today, so the last
week that was of the year. Now, before we wrap.
Speaker 2 (35:48):
Up, how long is long?
Speaker 4 (35:50):
How long's long service? December and January?
Speaker 3 (35:52):
Nice?
Speaker 1 (35:53):
You guys be happy with that never runs. All the
pollies are happy, They're like already kay. Now, before we
do wrap up the integrity reform, the government passed what
it's calling a defining reform for the Northern Territories integrity
system Parliament approving the Integrity and Ethics Commissioner Bill for
twenty twenty five, a major overhaul is what you guys
(36:15):
have described it as bill that merges the IKAK, the Ombudsman,
the Information Commissioner, and the Health Complaints Commissioner into one
independent watchdog. I know it was not without opposition, a chancey,
I believe you guys asked a few questions on this
and had a few concerns.
Speaker 4 (36:32):
I mean, how is this going to make things better?
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (36:37):
Look if you go back to the ik the previous
goverment board in yeah and look and said look where
we ended up with that ik It's unfortunate, but the
entire population territories lost faith in the IKAK. There there
was no faith in what they were doing, sadly, and
then we got the review done by the two independent
(37:00):
people and they come up with a model that said
for the territory, this is what will work and this
is what we recommend. And they are independent of territory,
very highly respected people who inspector who work in this
integrity space, and they come up with a model and
presented that to us and said this is what the
territory needs to implement. And we've taken that report and
we've implemented the changes that they've put forward. But what
(37:23):
it does does a couple of things. It provides a
little bit more support too for some of those other
independent officers, because they were all working doing their thing
in their own individual spaces, but there was very little
support above them. So we have the commission that sits
across the top. Then we have a like a CEO
that sits over that provides that ADMIN support HR and
(37:45):
all those other bits and pieces that a lot of
these agencies have struggled with over time. And they sit
in under there. They're still independence and do their work,
but there's support for them. Everyone's saying, oh, this is
a cost saving measure. Well, funnily enough, Katie, it's not.
Speaker 4 (37:59):
Is it going to cost me?
Speaker 3 (38:00):
It's going probably going to cost us a little bit
more money to do this, but we'll get better out.
Speaker 1 (38:04):
The big thing is I just I suppose I'm a
bit like, kind of following on from some of the
things that we've seen through the eyekack, I'm a bit like, well,
is it actually going to work?
Speaker 4 (38:13):
You know?
Speaker 3 (38:16):
This clears up on what the KAK will be investigating
and gives I think a little bit more separation around
what some of those things are. And of course, particularly
in the territories context, there's no five degrees of separational
territories about point five. Everybody knows everybody, So it's the
ability then to deal with those conflicts and those perceived
(38:37):
conflicts far better than what we've seen because the stuff, sadly,
the stuff we've seen from the IKA has not been
great and have they been investigating the right things. We
hopefully we'll see that change now with a change instructuring. Look,
I think it's important.
Speaker 7 (38:50):
I think we've had numerous conversations about what an integrity
body could look like. There was even suggestions from members
of Parliament about outsourcing it entirely to it now that
you're diction because how close everyone is. We've got a
small population and everyone knows everyone and knows what's going
on or if they someone does.
Speaker 4 (39:08):
Someone does.
Speaker 7 (39:09):
So Look, I think, look, the devil is going to
be in the detail. We as the Terrotory Labor have
called for a mandatory reporting period of twelve months to
come back to Parliament to you know, really check it's working,
the checks and the balances. Look, we were very proud
to bring in the first integrity body into the territory
(39:29):
and look, things do need to be reviewed, They do
need to be evaluated, and you know, as Bill has said,
there's always opportunity to look at things and make them better.
So we'll look at this now it's past, it's now
going to be effective, so we'll look at what that
looks like and make sure that we ask the right questions.
And I think a period of twelve months will allow
us to have a enough for.
Speaker 1 (39:50):
Us all to have a good look at it and
good look at whether it's working or not.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (39:53):
Absolutely, I mean obviously good friend of the show Matt
Cunningham would help some few opinions on it, given what
we have seen over the what's happened with the different
IKAQ commissioners and what's come out of it, reports tabled,
reports thrown out, and the rest of it.
Speaker 7 (40:07):
So I mean, we when we talk about it, we
know what corruption is. But to the everyday person is
tuning in, now, what do you send to this commission?
Speaker 2 (40:16):
Like, you know, what is it? I think this person's.
Speaker 4 (40:18):
Doing this And that's the thing.
Speaker 1 (40:20):
Like that's what I've kind of seen over the years
as well, is as you know, everybody reporting things to
the to the I cack and they're going, oh hang on,
they're not doing their job effectively.
Speaker 4 (40:28):
But it's like.
Speaker 3 (40:30):
Someone else's job, and if it's reported through, that's when
the IK needs to discidaball is does this really sit
with me? And that's then there's there's clear parameters about
what ICC actually does and then whether they send it
out to different areas to do.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
Yeah, we'll see how it goes.
Speaker 5 (40:46):
Very close of the twelve months, a report back as
to how it's working and whether it can be improved
as well, because the reputation of it is completely shock.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
Yeah, there was no confidence left in Well that's it for.
Speaker 4 (40:58):
Us this morning. A very civil week. That was Chancey
Pike from the opposition.
Speaker 7 (41:05):
Great to be on the show, and shout out to
all of your listeners. I hate to have a safe
and happy Christmas, and I know it can be tempting
at times, but don't drink and drive, don't be a
bloody idiot. Exactly, have a great season. We'll be back
next year, certainly, Bill and I go on hand a
bit of rain.
Speaker 4 (41:20):
Yeah, it does look like it does.
Speaker 1 (41:22):
Jen nice for you guys, Well, yeah, Treasurer, thank you
so much.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
And while I've got the opportunity I want, I've been
I think power and all of those crews, but I
also need to think the d AL team. The DLA
team were out on the ground Sunday morning making sure
that roads were open, checking bridges, doing all that infrastructure
work so people can get out and about. They're done
a power work Sunday and Monday. So thanks those guys,
and the same for people the territory. Be safe over Christmas,
(41:46):
have a great Christmas. Don't do any dumb on the roads.
We don't want any more fatalities. I said it in
Parliament the other day. Enjoy your Christmas, but don't be
silly on the roads. Think about yourself, think about your families,
and think about everybody else. But have a great Christmas
and the great news.
Speaker 4 (42:02):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (42:02):
Look bipartisan thing right here.
Speaker 7 (42:04):
Shout out to everyone who are our frontline workers, like
Bill and I were talking about it in Parliament yesterday.
You know, nurses, doctors, fieries, police officers and all these
people who are going to be making the sacrifice to
not be at home on Christmas Day.
Speaker 2 (42:19):
Shout out to all of.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
You probably there all weekend as well, following off from
the cyclone.
Speaker 4 (42:24):
You know, a busy busy month.
Speaker 3 (42:26):
For U being rostered on for plenty of Christmas days.
Speaker 4 (42:28):
Yeah, I bet well. Thank you, Bill and Chancy so much.
Speaker 1 (42:31):
Kathleen, thank you so much, but you're not going anywhere.
Speaker 4 (42:36):
Thank you,
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