1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,880 Speaker 1: Some incredible vision coming out of Central Australia. Over the weekend, 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: a storm cell tour through parts of Alice Springs, bringing 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: down trees and power lines with it. 4 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:10,880 Speaker 2: Areas including Lara. 5 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 1: Pinta, Ara, Lewin Gillen and the Gap were among those impacted. 6 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:16,599 Speaker 1: And joining us on the line to tell us a 7 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,480 Speaker 1: bit more about what happened is the mayor of Alice, 8 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:20,320 Speaker 1: Matt Patterson. 9 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Matt, Good morning mate, what happened 10 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:27,080 Speaker 2: over the weekend with this storm. 11 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:29,480 Speaker 3: I've never been involved in a cyclone, Katie, but I 12 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 3: reckon it's what they're describing it as a mini tornado. 13 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 3: It went for about three minutes that it was the 14 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 3: scariest three minutes of my life. It was unbelievable. So 15 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,640 Speaker 3: I reckon, We've lost about ten thousand trees, big ones, 16 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 3: trees on houses, roofs ripped off. I'm sure you've seen 17 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:51,280 Speaker 3: the pictures of your Perinia, but yeah, unit complex roofs 18 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 3: and gone. 19 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 2: So unbelievable. 20 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, it sounds that way, and it sounds like it 21 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: was just a few minutes of absolute chaos. 22 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, chaos. It was just so destructive and it was 23 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:06,319 Speaker 3: only in certain parts of the town. So some other 24 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 3: parts in Alice, we didn't even get to drop a rain. 25 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 3: Pretty unbelievable. We had a storm two weeks ago, but 26 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:17,040 Speaker 3: storm on Saturday, and that makes that one look tiny. 27 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 3: So it's yeah, cleaning up. The council and emergency services 28 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:25,320 Speaker 3: worked till midnight on Saturday and then all day yesterday 29 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 3: cleaning it up. So they're going through his own plan now. 30 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:32,320 Speaker 1: And how's that clean up process going. Is everything sort 31 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: of done or is there still quite a bit of 32 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 1: work to go because it sounds like there was a 33 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: lot of damage in terms of structural damage. 34 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 3: Lots of structural damage. I'll be some houses that'll have 35 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 3: to be knocked down, but I can't imagine we'd get 36 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 3: all the trees off for probably, you know, four to 37 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 3: six weeks, so not because we're resourced in just because 38 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 3: there's so many of them, Katie, Yeah, you've seen the photos. 39 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 3: It's unbelievable. 40 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, And Matt's talk us through because I know, you know, 41 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: when we've had cyclones up here on the top end 42 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: at different times, when those trees go down on certain 43 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 1: power lines, it can take an incredibly long period of 44 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 1: time for some of those power lines to be fixed. 45 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 2: How's it going from that perspective. 46 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:18,079 Speaker 3: So on Saturday there was four thousand houses without power. 47 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 3: They got that down to thirteen hundred yesterday, and I 48 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:24,839 Speaker 3: think it's only about forty this morning. But a lot 49 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 3: of them are not power water issue. Now it's the 50 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 3: private owners because they need electricians in because of the 51 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:34,360 Speaker 3: mains coming into their house, which belongs to the owner, 52 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 3: not power and water. So yeah, there's only a few 53 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 3: houses now without power. 54 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, right, So I'm not. 55 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 3: Thinking day, which is quite nice. Yeah, you know, people 56 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 3: have lost their groceries and all those sort of things. 57 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 3: So I put out, I mean, this is when our springs, 58 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 3: you know, the community spirit comes out. I'd give a 59 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 3: few welfare check chefs own residents and they said to me, Matt, 60 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:00,640 Speaker 3: this tree had fallen down. And then I looked around 61 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 3: and six people were here with chainsaws that I've never 62 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 3: met before cutting it out. And on the radio station 63 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 3: in Als, I put out that some people need some 64 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:11,639 Speaker 3: food and money because they can't afford any They lost 65 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 3: it all in and my phone blew up and our 66 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:17,959 Speaker 3: lady's you know, had a donation to her. So that's 67 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 3: the part of our springs that we love and that's 68 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:21,919 Speaker 3: why people live here, and so it's good to see. 69 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:24,519 Speaker 1: And you know what, it's probably even though it's been 70 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:27,839 Speaker 1: such a tough time going through that storm and you've 71 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:32,639 Speaker 1: had such a tough time around crime, it's probably incredible 72 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 1: to see the way that the community is now banding 73 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 1: together to help each other out. 74 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 3: Absolutely incredible. Yeah, and you know, warms my heart yesterday 75 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 3: when I seen it, and so, as you said, it's 76 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 3: a tough couple of weeks and months, but you know, 77 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 3: the community really did come together yesterday and you can 78 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 3: see them now out in the streets, and yeah, it 79 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 3: is fantastic to see. And that's what's so special about 80 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 3: Olie Springs. 81 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, it really is. 82 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 1: Matt tell Us, do you have any idea how many 83 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 1: homes were damaged. 84 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 3: Severely damaged? I would say probably a dozen, but a 85 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 3: lot of people have lost carports and you know, backyards 86 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 3: and verannas and those sort of things. But you know, 87 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 3: the severe ones as big gums basically chopped chopped the 88 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:24,359 Speaker 3: house in half. So I continue some photos, Kadie. Yeah, 89 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 3: unbelievably not one person was injured. 90 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 2: Oh, thank good, I believe it. Yeah, thank good. 91 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 3: And we were working with the Northern Territory government. They 92 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:37,840 Speaker 3: are in town. So I took the Chief Minister out 93 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 3: and some cabinet members yesterday so they can you know, 94 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:44,839 Speaker 3: they could see the damage and really appreciate the bounce 95 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 3: back that we're going to need. So they're going to 96 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:49,239 Speaker 3: assist that they can, which is also going to greatly 97 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 3: appreciate it. 98 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, hey, Matte, talk us through as well. 99 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 1: You know, I guess when things like this happen, everybody 100 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: kind of takes a step back and goes, well, were 101 00:04:58,200 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 1: we warned early enough? 102 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 2: Did the bureau send out a warning? And was it 103 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 2: early enough? Or was there not much more you could 104 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:05,039 Speaker 2: really do? 105 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 3: No, there was no warning. It just happened. It was 106 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 3: just it was incredible. So it just come through town 107 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:16,479 Speaker 3: and as I said, sort of ripped counterpart. But it 108 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 3: happened with the click of a finger, Okatie, And I 109 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:21,160 Speaker 3: don't know what Yeah, what more could have been done? 110 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:21,760 Speaker 3: To be honest? 111 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, was there much other sort of bad weather that 112 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 1: followed mash or was that it? I know, like you said, 113 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 1: a couple of weeks ago, there was that storm, but 114 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 1: nowhere near as severe as this one. 115 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 3: No, we've had a little bit of rain enough something 116 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:38,279 Speaker 3: like this. I calling this a super cell. It was unbelievable. 117 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:42,480 Speaker 3: But yeah, it was. When I say it was scariest 118 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 3: three minutes of my life. It was like there's a 119 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 3: jet plane on the roof. It's unbelievable. 120 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:49,080 Speaker 2: Wow. 121 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: And I know, like you've got little ones. I know 122 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 1: there's plenty of kids in Alice Springs. They must have 123 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 1: been frightened. 124 00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:58,719 Speaker 3: Yeah, Well, luckily enough, I just dropt my kids to 125 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 3: my mum's and she's on the other side of town, 126 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:03,679 Speaker 3: and I rang on and said to mckin'saka after the storm, 127 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 3: and she had no idea what I was talking about. 128 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:08,680 Speaker 2: So how incredible. 129 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: It's incredible that half the town was struck in the 130 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 1: way that it was, and then other areas just didn't 131 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: even didn't even know about it. 132 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:19,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, and I'm so thankful that the other half didn't 133 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,600 Speaker 3: get hit, because this would be a massive clean up 134 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 3: if we were dealing with the whole town. This is 135 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 3: half the town that is. It's unbelievable. Probably ten thousand 136 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 3: trees down, Katie, and big big ones as well. 137 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:37,480 Speaker 1: So Matt, just talk us through with those ten thousand trees. 138 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:40,599 Speaker 1: You know how difficult a process is it going to be? 139 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 1: And how long does the accountsil anticipate it's going to 140 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:45,240 Speaker 1: take before you can get all of those cleaned up. 141 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 3: I'll look probably I think the early early numbers is 142 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 3: about four to six weeks to get them picked up. 143 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 3: But you know, we'll be reaching out to other people, 144 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 3: probably from Darwen and Catherine to try to come down 145 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 3: and help. Now, people are being quite good taking up 146 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 3: taking it out to the regional waste management facility down here. 147 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 3: It is free green waste and we do multure but 148 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 3: with the biggest stuff we'll cut that up into firewood. 149 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:16,560 Speaker 3: But some people just have to leave it on their 150 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 3: verge because they don't have access to a trailer or 151 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 3: a up and so we'll have to get to those eventually. 152 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 3: But yeah, probably four to six weeks at this stage 153 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 3: based on current resourcing. Obviously, for we get more resources 154 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:30,239 Speaker 3: down here, it'll be a much quicker process. 155 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:32,640 Speaker 1: And any idea of what the cost is going to be, 156 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: I guess it's still such early days. 157 00:07:36,240 --> 00:07:38,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't want to think about that at this stage. 158 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 3: Hopefully it's the clear of disaster, so the people can 159 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 3: help out financially under governments can help out financially as well. 160 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:48,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, I understand that you bring your school. It had 161 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: its roof peeled off. How are they going, do you know? 162 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: And are the kids able to go today? 163 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 3: No? I don't think that they will be there this week, 164 00:07:57,880 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 3: at least the earliest. I spoke to Gavin, the principal, yesterday, 165 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 3: and he just got elected the council on Friday, so 166 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 3: he's got a baptism on fire. But yeah, I think 167 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 3: that they're looking at alternates after this week. Gavin's probably 168 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:13,760 Speaker 3: a better person to speak about that one. 169 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 2: We'll have a chat to it. 170 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 3: That was hugely damaged as well. 171 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:21,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, goodness may it sounds like it was absolute chaos. 172 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 1: Alice Spring, It's been a tough time for you guys. 173 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 1: You know, like we mentioned earlier, there's been really tough 174 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:30,880 Speaker 1: going with crime. Then to have this storm cell, this 175 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: superstorm cell hit the town. But as you've said, and 176 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:37,680 Speaker 1: I always think that this is the wonderful thing about 177 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:39,960 Speaker 1: the Northern Territory, is it when you go through these 178 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 1: hard times you then see that real territory spirit shine through. 179 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:47,319 Speaker 3: Yeah. Absolutely, I don't know why anyone would want to 180 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:51,240 Speaker 3: be the mayor. Kady. Let me tell you about No. 181 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 3: As I said, my heart was warm yesterday when I 182 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:58,360 Speaker 3: just said, Alice Springs come together and you know it's 183 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:01,360 Speaker 3: what this community, that community spirit, it's built on our springs. 184 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:02,480 Speaker 3: So it was fantastic. 185 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:03,319 Speaker 2: Yeah. 186 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 1: Well, Matt Patterson, the mayor of Alice Springs, great to speak. 187 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:07,360 Speaker 2: With you this morning. 188 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:10,000 Speaker 1: I hope that you know that that clean up process 189 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:13,199 Speaker 1: and everything goes pretty smoothly. I'm sure that if there 190 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:16,720 Speaker 1: is assistance required from from Darwin, we'd be more than 191 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:17,559 Speaker 1: happy to send. 192 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 2: It down mate. We appreciate your time. 193 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 3: Please do I'll send you through some photos. 194 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:23,560 Speaker 2: Thank you. That'd be wonderful