1
00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,400
Speaker 1: And the Mayor of Alice Springs, Matt Patterson, joins me

2
00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:04,240
Speaker 1: on the line.

3
00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:07,440
Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Matt, Good morning Katie.

4
00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:10,040
Speaker 3: Thanks for having me, Matt. Beautiful weather on a beautiful

5
00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:10,880
Speaker 3: Alice Springs day.

6
00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:12,559
Speaker 2: Sounds like it's glorious weather.

7
00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:17,040
Speaker 1: And are people feeling pretty upbeat today with the news

8
00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:19,479
Speaker 1: from the Chief Minister that this curfew is going to

9
00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:23,160
Speaker 1: be extended until next Tuesday?

10
00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:27,520
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean people are very happy with the extension.

11
00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:31,760
Speaker 3: I think people, you know, just have had two weeks

12
00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:34,640
Speaker 3: of fresh air basically, and you know, I think the

13
00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:38,680
Speaker 3: attitude with residents and Alice Springs has been completely different

14
00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:41,760
Speaker 3: and it's made a dramatic impact. And you know, I

15
00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:44,400
Speaker 3: think the Chief Minister has shown great leadership and done

16
00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:47,639
Speaker 3: something that's not really been done before and it's had

17
00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:51,800
Speaker 3: a massive impact on the social wellbeing of the community.

18
00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:55,840
Speaker 1: Now tell me, the Chief Minister had said again earlier

19
00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,240
Speaker 1: this morning on the show, basically what they're looking then

20
00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:03,160
Speaker 1: at longer term is you know, how they can keep

21
00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:06,680
Speaker 1: the effects of that curfew in place without having to

22
00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:08,080
Speaker 1: have the curfew in place.

23
00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:09,639
Speaker 2: What do you make of that, Matt?

24
00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:13,800
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, we're not going to be under the

25
00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:18,280
Speaker 3: inverted Commas curfew forever and you know, we needed that

26
00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:22,399
Speaker 3: circuit breaker. The big impact is the police, Kadie, that

27
00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:25,760
Speaker 3: just the visual presence of them, the proactive policing that

28
00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:28,760
Speaker 3: they've been able to do, has had a positive effect.

29
00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:31,640
Speaker 3: And just the engagement and walking down the street. And

30
00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:34,840
Speaker 3: that's the comments from most of the community is it's

31
00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:36,720
Speaker 3: completely different at night and people are willing to go

32
00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,360
Speaker 3: down the street and also just the visual of present

33
00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,680
Speaker 3: visual presence of police. They feel safe and you know,

34
00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:45,280
Speaker 3: it's been a really nice change, mate.

35
00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:48,320
Speaker 1: What needs to happen, you know longer term? What a

36
00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:49,480
Speaker 1: local saying to you.

37
00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,600
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think it's it's certainly the resourcing piece. We

38
00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:58,120
Speaker 3: certainly need more police than malice springs. It's brought some

39
00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:01,080
Speaker 3: attention this morning that the two hundred police officers, none

40
00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:05,320
Speaker 3: are actually pegged for our springs, so that's disappointing. But

41
00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:08,560
Speaker 3: I think it is clearly the resourcing issue. And also

42
00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:11,400
Speaker 3: if these kids are on the street because it's safer

43
00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:13,600
Speaker 3: for them to be there than than at home, then

44
00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:15,720
Speaker 3: we need to really look at some safe places for

45
00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:18,639
Speaker 3: kids to go rather than go back home.

46
00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,240
Speaker 1: Yeah, and you know this is the thing, I guess

47
00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:24,560
Speaker 1: we have seen and this is another thing that the

48
00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:26,880
Speaker 1: Chief Minister had sort of pointed to earlier this morning

49
00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:29,520
Speaker 1: that yes, the curfew has made a difference, but also

50
00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,160
Speaker 1: those additional police on the ground have made a massive difference.

51
00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,000
Speaker 1: So with the review being released yesterday and you're saying,

52
00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:37,320
Speaker 1: then with those two hundred officers that you've learned that

53
00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:41,320
Speaker 1: none of those are going to be for ours', that's

54
00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:42,000
Speaker 1: tough to hear.

55
00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:46,520
Speaker 3: Yeah, it is, and you know it's really hard to

56
00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:48,800
Speaker 3: you know, I think my position to think about the

57
00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:52,520
Speaker 3: long term when it's the here and now and you know,

58
00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:54,000
Speaker 3: we're just trying to get through week by week, and

59
00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:57,680
Speaker 3: I think the extension is clearly beneficial to get us

60
00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:02,040
Speaker 3: through school holidays. So you know, we'll continue to advocate

61
00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,239
Speaker 3: and we'll be from our end. But as I said,

62
00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:06,080
Speaker 3: the resources have got on the ground at the moment

63
00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:09,000
Speaker 3: helping dramatically.

64
00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:12,280
Speaker 1: Those officers were due to arrive, if not already, from

65
00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:13,160
Speaker 1: South Australia.

66
00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:14,120
Speaker 2: How has that been going.

67
00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:17,839
Speaker 3: Yeah, look, I'm not sure if they're here or not yet.

68
00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:20,680
Speaker 3: I think they were mental Land of eight forty. But again,

69
00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:24,560
Speaker 3: you know, I think I think we'll see more positive impact.

70
00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:28,040
Speaker 3: Obviously Wednesdays. Our bottle shops are open today again after

71
00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:31,320
Speaker 3: two days of being shut, so we'll see. I think

72
00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:34,480
Speaker 3: that they've announced that the palis or point of sale

73
00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:38,120
Speaker 3: intervention will remain for the near future, so I think

74
00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:39,400
Speaker 3: that's also beneficial.

75
00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,080
Speaker 1: Yeah. Look, I have seen a letter that obviously went

76
00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:48,240
Speaker 1: from the Northern Territory Police to those licensed takeaway premises

77
00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:50,840
Speaker 1: and it had said that with the training commitment, so

78
00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:54,960
Speaker 1: this was yesterday that those recruit constables we're going to

79
00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,760
Speaker 1: see studies in Alice on Wednesday, the tenth of April,

80
00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:00,360
Speaker 1: and post this date that there would be a vision

81
00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:03,000
Speaker 1: to the hybrid posey operation.

82
00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:05,760
Speaker 2: What are you hearing on the ground though.

83
00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:10,960
Speaker 3: I'm hearing that there'll be full coverage for the near future, okay,

84
00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:15,400
Speaker 3: And so you know that's obviously going to be well

85
00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:19,200
Speaker 3: received by the public. The challenges I mean, if you

86
00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:22,599
Speaker 3: remove these point of point of sail inspectors or license

87
00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,719
Speaker 3: inspectors or palis whatever we want to call them, it's

88
00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:27,960
Speaker 3: going back to the you know, the lapsing of stronger

89
00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:30,520
Speaker 3: futures and we've seeing the carnage that ensued from that.

90
00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:34,719
Speaker 3: So you know that's their role. You know, who does it?

91
00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:38,400
Speaker 3: I let other people decide that someone needs to be there,

92
00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:41,599
Speaker 3: especially whilst we're going through changes. We can't just make

93
00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:45,000
Speaker 3: all these dramatic changes and expect everything to be okay.

94
00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:49,040
Speaker 3: We need to just think about the unintended consequences of

95
00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:50,880
Speaker 3: what will happen when we do make a change.

96
00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,200
Speaker 1: All right, So, Matt, from your perspective, I know, the

97
00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:57,320
Speaker 1: chiefiness is saying that Friday there'll be an announcement sort

98
00:04:57,320 --> 00:05:00,480
Speaker 1: of longer term, she's heading back to Allie Springs this week.

99
00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,880
Speaker 1: From your perspective, you know what really does need to

100
00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:06,960
Speaker 1: happen so that you have that long term change, you know,

101
00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:09,719
Speaker 1: so that you've got people able to continue to go

102
00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:12,320
Speaker 1: out for dinner back in Alice Springs out you know,

103
00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:14,279
Speaker 1: in the mall and that kind of thing. Again.

104
00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:17,720
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think it's all Yeah. I think it's about

105
00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:19,800
Speaker 3: investment in the remote communities and the role out of

106
00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:27,080
Speaker 3: that two fifty million. I haven't been dramatically you know,

107
00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:29,520
Speaker 3: I've been supportive of the two fifty and it rolling

108
00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:32,000
Speaker 3: out slowly. I think that's important that the consultation is

109
00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:34,159
Speaker 3: done right, so the right investment happening in the remote

110
00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:37,440
Speaker 3: community's economy, out in remote communities because we'll continually see

111
00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:40,520
Speaker 3: other springs used as a service hub with less investment

112
00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:43,240
Speaker 3: in the remote community. So it's all about that. But

113
00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:45,159
Speaker 3: I think the big one is there's got to be

114
00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:47,400
Speaker 3: a safe place for these kids to go, and we

115
00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,960
Speaker 3: should try a youth for you know, a big advocate

116
00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,560
Speaker 3: for youth boys and spoke about until I'm blue in

117
00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:56,479
Speaker 3: the face. But they're in every other jurisdiction, Kdie, we

118
00:05:56,480 --> 00:05:58,360
Speaker 3: need one in the territory, especially in our springs.

119
00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:00,080
Speaker 2: Where do you reckon it should be in Alice man.

120
00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:04,719
Speaker 3: All of I think, you know, you know where. There's

121
00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:06,680
Speaker 3: a lot of land in our springs, so there's plenty

122
00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:11,160
Speaker 3: of opportunity. I think the first piece is getting a

123
00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:13,560
Speaker 3: commitment from government and working that out. Secondly, I think

124
00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:15,640
Speaker 3: that the federal government have a role to play here

125
00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:19,280
Speaker 3: as well. And you know there's locations that will be

126
00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:23,800
Speaker 3: beneficial here and especially getting young people into jobs. The

127
00:06:23,839 --> 00:06:26,760
Speaker 3: success rate of these layers is astronomical.

128
00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:29,560
Speaker 2: Well, I just think, you.

129
00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:31,919
Speaker 1: Know, we've got to look at these longer term solutions.

130
00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,040
Speaker 1: You and I have been talking about this, well at

131
00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:36,800
Speaker 1: least for a whole year, but we're actually talking about

132
00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:39,719
Speaker 1: it before things really blew up. Last year as well,

133
00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:43,159
Speaker 1: and you know, the time for changes now, like the

134
00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:46,960
Speaker 1: time for action is absolutely now. We have seen that

135
00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,080
Speaker 1: over the last couple of weeks from the Chief Minister.

136
00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:52,120
Speaker 1: So let's hope that we are going to continue on

137
00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:54,280
Speaker 1: that path. I know that you guys, you know the

138
00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:56,719
Speaker 1: people of Alice Springs absolutely need.

139
00:06:56,560 --> 00:07:00,839
Speaker 3: It, oh absolutely, And I think that what we've seen

140
00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:03,680
Speaker 3: in the last two weeks is now, I think there's

141
00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:05,160
Speaker 3: a belief that there is light at the end of

142
00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:08,400
Speaker 3: the tunnel because we've seen government have put their foot

143
00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:10,880
Speaker 3: down and made some big calls, and I think people

144
00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:14,120
Speaker 3: are really supportive of the Chief Minister and much he's

145
00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:17,240
Speaker 3: been able to do. And you know, we'll continue on.

146
00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:18,880
Speaker 3: But as I said, we know it can be done,

147
00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:22,200
Speaker 3: and the police has been amazing as well.

148
00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:24,800
Speaker 1: Matt. Has there been much traction, you know, we know

149
00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:27,360
Speaker 1: that there's been a few groups that have sort of

150
00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:29,800
Speaker 1: come out and said, you know, question whether the curfew

151
00:07:30,200 --> 00:07:33,000
Speaker 1: is lawful or whether it should happen. Has that gained

152
00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:34,880
Speaker 1: much traction in Alice Springs?

153
00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:39,480
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think they've read the room and quite down

154
00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:41,960
Speaker 3: a little bit. I think what people forget is on

155
00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:44,440
Speaker 3: paper they might say that it won't work but the

156
00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:47,920
Speaker 3: two weeks preceding the curfew, Katie, we had two young

157
00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:50,240
Speaker 3: men lose their lives in a sixteen year old girl

158
00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:53,600
Speaker 3: horrendously bashed and ship in the street. Now we've had

159
00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:56,920
Speaker 3: a police present, the visual presence of the curfew and

160
00:07:56,960 --> 00:07:58,760
Speaker 3: all of those sort of things. We haven't seen that.

161
00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:03,400
Speaker 3: We have not seen any of that carnage or you know,

162
00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:08,080
Speaker 3: that horrendous behavior. So I don't buy that these expertsy,

163
00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:11,520
Speaker 3: so called experts, when they say it won't work, you know,

164
00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:13,440
Speaker 3: they should get out of their ivory towers and actually

165
00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:15,280
Speaker 3: come to our springs and say what will work for

166
00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:17,679
Speaker 3: the short term, not the medium and long term stuff.

167
00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:20,480
Speaker 3: What's going to work here? And now? Clearly, as I said,

168
00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:22,360
Speaker 3: the Chief Miness has made a decision and it has

169
00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:24,600
Speaker 3: worked because facts prove that it has worked.

170
00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:27,960
Speaker 2: Matt Patterson, the mayor of Alice Springs.

171
00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:29,880
Speaker 1: Good to catch up with you this morning, mate, And

172
00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:32,959
Speaker 1: I'm really pleased that there's some hope for the people

173
00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:35,600
Speaker 1: of Alice Springs. I hope that we are on the

174
00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:37,199
Speaker 1: path to some change.

175
00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:42,800
Speaker 3: There's been a nice change.

176
00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:43,040
Speaker 2: Here, mate.

177
00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:44,800
Speaker 1: How good would it be if you and I could

178
00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:46,640
Speaker 1: catch up and you know, talk about some of the

179
00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:50,160
Speaker 1: great stuff that's going on in Alice Springs, and you know,

180
00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:52,400
Speaker 1: there is great stuff that goes on. There's so many

181
00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:55,000
Speaker 1: wonderful people that live there. I long for the day

182
00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:56,560
Speaker 1: where I don't have to get on air and talk

183
00:08:56,559 --> 00:08:58,480
Speaker 1: about the crime and all the issues that are happening

184
00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:00,840
Speaker 1: around the territory and when we can, you know, focus

185
00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:03,240
Speaker 1: a bit more on some of the wonderful stuff that happens.

186
00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:07,000
Speaker 3: Yeah, I meet me too. I mean, obviously this has

187
00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:10,000
Speaker 3: taken a dramatic impact for our tourism operators and businesses

188
00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:13,160
Speaker 3: in town as well, and they felt the pinstry COVID,

189
00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:15,640
Speaker 3: so we you know, it is an amazing place and

190
00:09:15,679 --> 00:09:17,160
Speaker 3: we need to promote it to be that way. But

191
00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:19,199
Speaker 3: obviously we just need to get through this bump in

192
00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:20,920
Speaker 3: the road and it can go back to the wonderful

193
00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:21,480
Speaker 3: place it was.

194
00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:24,520
Speaker 1: Yeah, smot On, Matt Patterson, talk to you again soon,

195
00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:25,199
Speaker 1: Thanks mate

196
00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:27,199
Speaker 3: Good on you, thank you, thank you,