1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: Good morning, everybody. Welcome to the Daily OS. It is Monday, 2 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:05,920 Speaker 1: the seventh of March. For most of the East Coast, 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: it was another wet weekend, but the rest of the 4 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 1: country seem to have some good weather. We also had 5 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 1: the Mardi Gras Parade in Sydney. There was a lot happening, 6 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:16,560 Speaker 1: but also a lot of news. Here to take us 7 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:19,119 Speaker 1: through the news from the weekend is Mariah Lattice, and 8 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: then I'm going to talk to her about the chat 9 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,280 Speaker 1: that I had with somebody in New South Wales Northern 10 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: Rivers region. Mariah, what do we need to know today? 11 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 2: Starting off internationally, Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that 12 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 2: any declaration of a no fly zone over Ukraine will 13 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 2: be considered a participation in the armed conflict. Several powers, 14 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:42,839 Speaker 2: including the US, have so far refused to declare a 15 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 2: no fly zone. Putin added a no fly zone declaration 16 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 2: would lead to colossal and catastrophic consequences not only for Europe, 17 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:52,520 Speaker 2: but also the whole world. 18 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 1: Meanwhile, sticking with the Russia Ukraine conflict, payment services Visa 19 00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 1: and MasterCard have suspended operations in Russia amid the ongoing invasion. 20 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 1: Visa has confirmed it is working to cease all transactions 21 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: over the coming days, while MasterCard has announced all cards 22 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,400 Speaker 1: issued by Russian banks will not be supported by its network. 23 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 2: Former Australian cricketer Shane WARN's body has been transferred to 24 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:19,399 Speaker 2: mainland Thailand for doctors to conduct an autopsy after Warn 25 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 2: died suffering a suspected heart attack on Friday. Thai authorities 26 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,480 Speaker 2: confirmed Warn was suffering from chest pains prior to his 27 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 2: holiday in Thailand. 28 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: And today's good news. To kick us off for the week, 29 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:34,279 Speaker 1: all public schools across New South Wales will provide free 30 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:38,040 Speaker 1: pads and tampons in bathrooms for students. The announcement comes 31 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: after a successful pilot program in thirty one schools across 32 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: the state. The program is expected to be completely rolled 33 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 1: out by the middle of this year. 34 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 2: Residents in New South Wales and Queensland have continued to 35 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 2: clean up damage caused by the floods over the weekend. Now, Sam, 36 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 2: you did speak to someone from Northern Rivers region. Can 37 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 2: you tell me about what's happening on the ground. 38 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:08,920 Speaker 1: I had a really important discussion yesterday with Jess Hayes. 39 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 1: Now she's the organizer of one of the petitions calling 40 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 1: for a state of emergency to be declared in the region. 41 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: At the time of writing, the petition had about twenty 42 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: two thousand signatures and the main point of what she 43 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: was asking for on behalf of the people in the 44 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: Northern Rivers is for emergency services and skilled professionals to 45 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 1: be immediately deployed to the region to alleviate some of 46 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:35,360 Speaker 1: the stress on the local community. Has said that a 47 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 1: lot of the community at the moment has put their 48 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: life on hold to help out. It's now been about 49 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 1: seven days since the flood and they've donated whatever time 50 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: they can, but a lot of them have to actually 51 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 1: go back to work at the moment, and that's why 52 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: she's calling on a state of emergency to be declared 53 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: and the army and emergency services to take over the mission. 54 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 2: So with all that in mind, what do the people 55 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 2: on the ground say are the key issues for them 56 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:00,959 Speaker 2: right now? 57 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 1: So residents are saying that they have very limited phone 58 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:07,360 Speaker 1: reception and internet and many are still trapped in remote areas, 59 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 1: unable to communicate with the rest of their community. We 60 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 1: know that most of the water supply in the area 61 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,359 Speaker 1: has now been contaminated. We know that fuel is being 62 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: rationed to petrol stations ATMs are out of cash, and 63 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:22,919 Speaker 1: food supplies are rapidly dwindling. In some cases, actually, people 64 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:26,640 Speaker 1: are hiring private helicopters to fly in food and supplies. 65 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 1: I heard about one case where twelve hundred warm meals 66 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: were flown in from Byron to the Lismore area via 67 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: a privately hired helicopter. I've even heard some reports over 68 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: the weekends that crowdfunded helicopters have also been used to 69 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: rescue people in remote areas. Now, these are jobs that 70 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: take a very high level of skill being performed by 71 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 1: the local community. It is quite a dramatic state of affairs. 72 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 1: When I spoke to Jess and asked her what was 73 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: the key need for the communities around the Northern Rivers 74 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: region right now, she actually said power generators that was 75 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: needed to power homes, power cleaning tools, and keep the 76 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 1: people going. She even said that, you know, it'd be 77 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 1: nice to have a hot meal, and that really hit 78 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: me hard. There's something that you know is desperately needed 79 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: in the area to continue the rescue efforts with. 80 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,160 Speaker 2: Those issues that you've just outlined. What are residents calling 81 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 2: for in terms of help what do they need as help? 82 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:21,039 Speaker 1: So I think the key thing to acknowledge here is 83 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:23,840 Speaker 1: that there is already a disaster relief payment rolled out 84 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: by the federal government, but Jess said that many residents 85 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:29,239 Speaker 1: have not actually been able to even access the payment 86 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 1: because of the lack of internet connection. She acknowledged that 87 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:34,679 Speaker 1: there were some evacuation centers where there was a physical 88 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 1: representative from Services Australia, but it sounds like it was 89 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: a pretty slow process to process some of those claims 90 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 1: in person. So I guess the key ask right now 91 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: is that a state of emergency be declared. And to 92 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: give you a little bit of background about what that 93 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: actually means. Basically, a state of emergency allows for the 94 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 1: government to pool particular levers. This could be instructing communities 95 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: to alter their normal behaviors, and this could be evacuation orders, 96 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 1: and it could also order government agencies to implement emergency 97 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: preparedness plans. So it actually instructs emergency services and even 98 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 1: gives a case to the federal government for the ADF 99 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: to be deployed. In New South Wales. A premier can 100 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 1: declare a state of emergency if they're reasonably satisfied that 101 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 1: the emergency constitutes a significant and widespread danger to life 102 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: or property. It's pretty clear here that those two factors 103 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 1: are satisfied, so the ball is really in the premier's court. 104 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 1: Speaking over the weekend, the premier said that no dollar 105 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: would be spared for the rescue efforts, and said that 106 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:40,119 Speaker 1: the deployment of ADF personnel has already begun in the area, 107 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:42,159 Speaker 1: so we should see that make a difference on the 108 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 1: ground early this week. 109 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 2: It sounds like a pretty desperate situation. Did you hear 110 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 2: anything that left you with hope? 111 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: I think we've all heard stories over the weekend that 112 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 1: have left us in awe. Of the local communities in 113 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 1: the Northern Rivers region, Jess said that there was just 114 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 1: this sense of hands on, whatever it takes help. She 115 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: told me that it was quite a weird feeling walking 116 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 1: into strangers' homes because that's something that you normally never do, 117 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 1: but in these circumstances, it sounds like you just kind 118 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: of jump in where you can. It was particularly interesting 119 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:15,279 Speaker 1: to talk to her about the divisions that were in 120 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 1: the community before the floods, particularly around the COVID vaccine, 121 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 1: and Jess said that despite the COVID situation we've had, 122 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:25,600 Speaker 1: and vaccinated and unvaccinated people not getting along as they 123 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 1: usually would. This is all gone out the window. There's 124 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:31,360 Speaker 1: no one complaining. It's all hands on deck. I've never 125 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:33,680 Speaker 1: seen anything like that in my life. So if this 126 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,840 Speaker 1: crisis has shown us anything it's shown us the robustness 127 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:39,839 Speaker 1: and strength of those local communities. And it certainly will 128 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:43,440 Speaker 1: be a long road ahead, but community spirit and appropriate 129 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:47,120 Speaker 1: government support will surely get these communities back on their feet. 130 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 1: Definitely keep in touch with us on Instagram. I'd love 131 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 1: to hear from anybody in the Northern Rivers region with 132 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:57,160 Speaker 1: any photos or personal stories. There's some incredible tales of 133 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 1: bravery coming out from the region and we would love 134 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:01,560 Speaker 1: to cover on The Daily Ods. You can find us 135 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:04,040 Speaker 1: on Instagram at the Daily Ods. It's where over three 136 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:07,720 Speaker 1: hundred and thirty thousand young Australians are getting their news today, 137 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 1: tomorrow and the next day. And we'll be back in 138 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 1: your years tomorrow morning. If you enjoy this podcast, give 139 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 1: us a review and have a great day.