1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,120 Speaker 1: So at the Mount. The recovery is on Whold because 2 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:05,320 Speaker 1: of safety. They had a visually last night for the victims. 3 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:07,920 Speaker 1: Turning at MP Sam Uffundel's with me this morning, Sam, 4 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:08,600 Speaker 1: Good morning. 5 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:11,560 Speaker 2: Good morning, right? How are you yet? Well? Think you? 6 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 1: How's your community doing. 7 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 2: Well? Community is doing a pretty tough mate. You know, 8 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 2: it's obviously an incredibly challenging time for everyone, and there's 9 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 2: a huge distress with the with the families of course, 10 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 2: and first responders have been incredible. But I will say 11 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 2: about community that there's been a mess of out pouring 12 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 2: of love and support and it's it's come together really 13 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 2: really strongly. We've seen I've seen a huge numbers of 14 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 2: offers of food and accommodation and and support coming and 15 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 2: pouring through. But beyond that, I mean there's it's very 16 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 2: airie down at the Mount. I mean you've spent a 17 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 2: bit of time there before. A wonderful place, but it's 18 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 2: very quiet and it's very somber, and it's really rock 19 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 2: the community. 20 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:05,119 Speaker 1: Yeah one hundred. You've also got good people in your 21 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: community who were coming out and saying, you know, four 22 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,320 Speaker 1: hours before this tragedy happened, I was warning people about 23 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:13,960 Speaker 1: it I told the council rang the cops, what are 24 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,839 Speaker 1: you you're the local representative, what do you think about 25 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 1: what they're saying? 26 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:23,399 Speaker 2: Well, tcs toting a city council has rightfully got on 27 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:27,200 Speaker 2: the front foot watching inquiry to look into what happened 28 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 2: leading up to it, and that's the right thing to do, 29 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:32,320 Speaker 2: and they want to establish all of the facts and 30 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 2: get them out there the very public. I want it 31 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 2: to be open and transparent, and once we've got all 32 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 2: of that in front of us, then we can have 33 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 2: a better look at it all. But there are people 34 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 2: that we're saying that, and those those opinions and comments 35 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 2: or will definitely have to be factored into it. I mean, 36 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 2: you know, we need to take learnings out of this. 37 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 2: If there were things that should have been or could 38 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 2: have been done better, that needs to be on the table. 39 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 2: And we need to make sure that that things like 40 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 2: this don't happen again where it can be prevented. 41 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 1: I'm hearing from businesses this morning there are eight cafes 42 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 1: apparenting inside the cordon at the moment that can't open. 43 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: They'll be losing money. Is the cordon need to be 44 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: that wide? Have you heard this concern from businesses. 45 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 2: I have had some businesses raising it with me, and yes, 46 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 2: there are a number of businesses inside the cordon, and 47 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:31,959 Speaker 2: the cordon has been put in place by the place 48 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 2: along with the emergency services. Look, I'm not going to 49 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:38,639 Speaker 2: pass judgment on where that cordon should be the best 50 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 2: place to determine that, and that there is a lot 51 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 2: of sensitivity down there and they're dealing with with what 52 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 2: is still a pretty volatile site. There is a considerable 53 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 2: amount of heavy machinery coming in and out of that cordon. 54 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 2: But in saying that, yes, these businesses they will be 55 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:00,799 Speaker 2: losing money, are losing money and there needs to be 56 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 2: a look at how that can be addressed as well. 57 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, now, just finally, you know, there's two schools of thought. 58 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: I've been speaking to friends who are in Totong but 59 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: also just around the traps. This is just a horrible accident, 60 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:16,639 Speaker 1: an act of God, whatever you want to call it. 61 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: And you know you would never have prevented this tragedy 62 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:21,919 Speaker 1: from happening. There's people who say that these people who say, look, 63 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 1: they should have done more, could have done more. What 64 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: are your thoughts, Sam. 65 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 2: I'm not going to dart to anything there, but I'll 66 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 2: just say that it's a terrible, terrible tragedy. It's a 67 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 2: horrific time for Totong, it's a horrific time for the community, 68 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 2: and in particular it's awful for those families. But I 69 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 2: can make convention them again of our first responders, how 70 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 2: incredible they have been. I've never been more proud of 71 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 2: them watching them at work. They are they are heroes 72 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 2: and I want to say thank you for them. 73 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: Sam, appreciate your time this morning, Thanks for being with 74 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 1: me and thoughts. Please pass on our thoughts to your community. 75 00:03:57,960 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 1: Sam up and Dell the Totong at MP. 76 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 2: For more from earlier edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live 77 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:07,560 Speaker 2: to Newstalk STB from five am weekdays, or follow the 78 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 2: podcast on iHeartRadio.