1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:03,240 Speaker 1: A real change of pace right now, because food security 2 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 1: had been a real issue in the Borrow Lula community 3 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:08,680 Speaker 1: in recent weeks as a result of the wild weather 4 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:11,440 Speaker 1: that has been experienced. Joining us on the line right 5 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: now is a local member for the Barklay Steve Edgington. 6 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: Good morning to you, Steve, Good. 7 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 2: Morning Katie, and good morning to all the listeners. 8 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for your time this morning. Steve, tell 9 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 1: us how are things going in Bora Lula. I know 10 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: there was a real sort of concern around food security 11 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: or food supply. 12 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 2: Well, there certainly has been, Katie, and I'll tell you what, 13 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 2: there's a lot of relieved people in Bora Lulla today 14 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:42,600 Speaker 2: because as approaching three weeks today, well approaching three weeks, 15 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 2: I should say, on the weekend that people without food 16 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:50,360 Speaker 2: or without food delivery. So after a delay of trucks 17 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 2: that were supposed to go through Saturday, they eventually went 18 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 2: through on Sunday. I was at highway in on the 19 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 2: Sunday afternoon when three trucks carrying food and three also 20 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 2: trucks carrying fuel went through to Borrow Lulla. So come 21 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:10,840 Speaker 2: Monday morning there's food on the shelves and a lot 22 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 2: of relief people in. 23 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 1: Boro, La. Yeah, they must have absolutely been signing relief. 24 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:18,559 Speaker 1: I mean just how like what have they been doing. 25 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: It's it'd be really difficult not having any food there 26 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: or any food delivered for three weeks. 27 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, it's a look around this time of the year. 28 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 2: I think what generally happens, and particularly out of Robinson 29 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:37,400 Speaker 2: River and Boro Lulla, those stores they do stock up 30 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 2: leading into the wet season, so they do have storage. 31 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 2: The storage is mainly for dry foods, you know, canned 32 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:46,680 Speaker 2: food and the packaged food that sits on the shelf, 33 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 2: So there's a lot of storage that can happen there, 34 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 2: and you know, carton milk and all those sorts of things. 35 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 2: But the critical, the critical thing that's been missing is 36 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,600 Speaker 2: you know, the fresh meat, fresh meat, I should say, 37 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 2: the fresh vegetables, milk, bread, all of those sorts of 38 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 2: things that we see, you know, every day of the 39 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:08,639 Speaker 2: week on shells in our supermarkets. That's the sort of 40 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 2: food that's been missing now for the last couple of weeks. 41 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 2: So to have that on the shelf well Monday morning 42 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 2: has made a huge difference. 43 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, I bet it has. Steve, how have things going 44 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: been going in the Barkley region. You know, when you 45 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:25,400 Speaker 1: talk about that weather that has been experienced, I know 46 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: that there has been a few locations where access my 47 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 1: road's been incredibly difficult. 48 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 2: It is Kadian this time of the year. And look, 49 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:40,359 Speaker 2: it was only what eleven days ago that the Category 50 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 2: one cyclone made landfall just near borro Lull, and that 51 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 2: weather has affected all of the Barkley area because we 52 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 2: saw roads closed around Tenant Creek, just north of Tenant 53 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 2: Creek and south of Tenant Creek just after that's as well, 54 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 2: but also at the moment the Tablelands Highways closed. Photos 55 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,919 Speaker 2: were coming through yesterday anywhere up to about eight hundred 56 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 2: miles of water flowing over the Tablelands Highway here in 57 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 2: Tenant Creek itself. North of Tenant Creek, there has been 58 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 2: some damage to different parts of the road and a 59 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 2: lot of washouts in those areas, but the water has subsided, 60 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 2: so the road north of Tenant Creek is open. There's 61 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 2: still quite a bit of damage. Forty five kilometers south 62 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 2: of Tenant Creek. That's been a real problem area over 63 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,799 Speaker 2: the last couple of years where rain continues to wash 64 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 2: out the floodway in that area. So i'd certainly be 65 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 2: urging the Minister to look at that carefully because this 66 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 2: can't continue where to have problems in that area, because 67 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:44,840 Speaker 2: that's going to lead to the road being cut at 68 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 2: various stages. So this needs to be assessed. Even if 69 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 2: it's lifted, culvert's put in that area, but we need 70 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 2: to flood proof that as we move forward. 71 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, right, So you do feel as though it does 72 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: need to be something that happens in the near future. 73 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:00,120 Speaker 1: I mean, how much would something like that cost? Do 74 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: we know? 75 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:04,720 Speaker 2: Well, you know, it's roughly four or five years ago 76 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 2: that I think about a two kilometer stretch was resealed 77 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 2: in that area, and I think, you know, on average 78 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 2: now you're looking at roughly about a million dollars a 79 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 2: kilometer when it comes to resealing and rebuilding roads. So 80 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:20,680 Speaker 2: I think the area that we're talking about at the 81 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 2: moment is probably the same two kilometer stretch that was 82 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:27,839 Speaker 2: resealed four to five years ago. So I had a 83 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 2: guess probably around two million dollars. But at this stage 84 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 2: that could save a lot of work in the future 85 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 2: because constant repairs, if it's continually repaired over the next 86 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 2: not only the previous two years, but the next two 87 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,480 Speaker 2: years there could be savings over the longer term by 88 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 2: actually doing it properly. 89 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:49,600 Speaker 1: To begin, Steve, what else has been happening in the electorate, 90 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:51,479 Speaker 1: in the Barkley electorate. I mean, the last time you 91 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: and I spoke, crime was high on the agenda. How 92 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: have things been tracking well? 93 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 2: Certainly when it comes to crime, Caterie, continue to see 94 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 2: a high level of crime in the Barkley. And you 95 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 2: know this morning I just duck down to the courthouse 96 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 2: where court is sitting this week and again a very 97 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:14,680 Speaker 2: long courtless there, so just to see firsthand some of 98 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 2: the charges that some people are facing in court this 99 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:22,599 Speaker 2: week is you know, it's really worrying to see the 100 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 2: level of crime that's going on. But you know, even 101 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 2: the crime statistics themselfs paint a very worrying picture, particularly 102 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 2: around unlawful entries, but still domestic violence assaults and alcohol 103 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 2: later assaults. You know, just over the last seven years, 104 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 2: domestic violence assaults are up well over sixty five percent, 105 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:44,359 Speaker 2: which is very concerning, particularly when a lot of those 106 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:48,160 Speaker 2: involve you know, female partners that are suffering injuries at 107 00:05:48,160 --> 00:05:52,839 Speaker 2: the hands of these offenders. So this is really worrying. Stuff, 108 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 2: and of course on the weekend we saw again another 109 00:05:55,839 --> 00:06:01,080 Speaker 2: serious assault where the victim I believe was medi back 110 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 2: to Darwin. So this is the type of crime that 111 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 2: we're seeing at the moment. So many of those crimes 112 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 2: are alcohol related. But on the other hand, we've got 113 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 2: housebreakings up around about three hundred and eight percent just 114 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 2: over the last seven years. And you know some of 115 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 2: the things that we're seeing at the moment. Really there 116 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,840 Speaker 2: is no plan in place from the labor government. The 117 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 2: Labor government continues to just stir it around the edges. 118 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:29,760 Speaker 2: We need a clear plan to tackle crime. You're in 119 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 2: the Tenant Creek at the moment. 120 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: It sounds like you might certainly do. Steve Edgington, we 121 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: are going to have to leave it there. Good to 122 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 1: speak with you this morning. Thanks so much for giving 123 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 1: us a bit of an update on the situation for 124 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:41,479 Speaker 1: those residents in Borolula. 125 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,279 Speaker 2: Good on you, Kati, and good morning to all the listeners. 126 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: Thank you.