1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,360 Speaker 1: Of course, all eyes remain on Catherine at this point 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:05,680 Speaker 1: in time. When we spoke to the mayor earlier in 3 00:00:05,720 --> 00:00:08,480 Speaker 1: the week, she said that everybody was holding their breaths 4 00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:11,800 Speaker 1: until today to see how those river levels were going. 5 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:15,319 Speaker 1: Joanna Holden, the Mayor of Catherine, is on the line 6 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: with us GEDA. 7 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,319 Speaker 2: Joanna, Hey, Katie, how are you this morning? 8 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:22,280 Speaker 1: I'm really good. How are you guys going? How are 9 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 1: those river levels looking? Oh? 10 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 2: I think we're all turning blue in the face waiting. 11 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 2: I think it's like a hurry up already. 12 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 1: Better stop holding your breath or you might pass on. 13 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: Oh god, gee, I feel for you guys. It's been 14 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 1: like a bloody roller coaster. 15 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:43,479 Speaker 2: It has, and I think people are just so, you know, 16 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 2: they're starting to become fatigued. I think the good thing is, though, 17 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:51,160 Speaker 2: everybody is ready and just waiting for it to happen 18 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 2: and be what it's going to be. But yes, I 19 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 2: think people are sort of starting to become a bit 20 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 2: drained with the whole rollercoaster ride of it's going to 21 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 2: happen today tomorrow. And unfortunately that's just the way the 22 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 2: weather is, isn't it. I Mean, it's very hard to 23 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 2: predict these types of events, and I know the bomb 24 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 2: does their best, but mother Nature has her own ideas 25 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 2: about what she wants to do sometimes, So yeah, I 26 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:14,839 Speaker 2: want to talk. 27 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:17,279 Speaker 1: Us through, like how are those river levels this morning, 28 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 1: and you know, and at what level does it become 29 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: a really serious concern, like we saw just a couple 30 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: of weeks ago. 31 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 2: So on the seventh of March it reached nineteen point one, 32 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 2: So that caused flooding in the town of Catherine and 33 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 2: the water beat, inundation, bit of noise in the CBD 34 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 2: in the south side and the north side. But before 35 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 2: that we start seeing flooding along the Gorge Road. So 36 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 2: homes along the Gorge Road had already been evacuated and 37 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 2: they had water rising through there. I can't tell you 38 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 2: exactly when they start to get water through there, but 39 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 2: it's well before that nineteen and then along the Mungeland 40 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 2: Road and into a few other areas. So today they're 41 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 2: saying seventeen point five. It's currently sitting at seven point 42 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:12,680 Speaker 2: four to two at a nip hook and that has 43 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 2: to come down here and it's generally the rule is 44 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 2: AD ten, so that comes down to seventeen point four 45 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 2: to two and we're sitting at sixteen and a half 46 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 2: I think at the moment, all right, so. 47 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:26,679 Speaker 1: It really is a waiting game at the moment. What's 48 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: the forecast looking like for you guys over the next 49 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 1: twenty four hours. 50 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 2: So it is very sunny. There has been very little 51 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 2: rainfall across the Katherine catchment area and the region in 52 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 2: the last twenty four hours. Catherine itself has had very 53 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 2: low rainfall since Sunday night, so that is a positive. 54 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 2: That means that the water that is lying around is running, 55 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 2: you know, is leaving and going up. So that's great. 56 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,480 Speaker 2: So there's not more water to it's not water coming 57 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:58,679 Speaker 2: down and water falling here, so that is positive. So 58 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:02,799 Speaker 2: hopefully this age seventeen and a half is going to 59 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:03,919 Speaker 2: be the peak of it all. 60 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, look, I hope that you guys are able to 61 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: get back to normal sooner rather than later. I know 62 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:13,799 Speaker 1: that earlier in the week we've been talking about the 63 00:03:13,840 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 1: fact that some of the facilities around Catherine had been 64 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:20,359 Speaker 1: able to reopen. Is that still the case or have 65 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: you had to close them again? 66 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 2: So the hospital remains as a field hospital in the 67 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:29,640 Speaker 2: industrial area, and they've done that obviously for good reason 68 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 2: because it is in the flood area and the water 69 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 2: was coming up at the back of it yesterday afternoon 70 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 2: at the normal hospital, the schools were reopened but and 71 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 2: I'm sure they're open today, so a lot of the 72 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 2: services are back to normal. There are some businesses that 73 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 2: have closed because if it does come, it'll come quickly 74 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 2: and they won't be able to get their gear out 75 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 2: and protect stuff. So there are businesses that have closed 76 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 2: and are waiting for it to peak before they make 77 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 2: a decision about what they'll do next. So it is 78 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 2: a bit of an bag and people are obviously becoming 79 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 2: cut off. We've got roads that have been closing progressively 80 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 2: since yesterday morning, so their businesses have stat up impacted, 81 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 2: so they are obviously having to let them go home 82 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 2: and stay at home and be safe there. So that 83 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:17,159 Speaker 2: obviously impacts on whether or not the businesses can continue 84 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:21,159 Speaker 2: to operate. So most services are open, the central services 85 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:24,559 Speaker 2: are open and running, but there are other businesses that aren't. 86 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 1: JO want to tell me in terms of and I 87 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:29,719 Speaker 1: know we're still a little way away, but in terms 88 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 1: of the cleanup the recovery, particularly for some of those 89 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:37,039 Speaker 1: homeowners and businesses, are they going to require further support 90 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: from the Northern Territory and the federal governments, like how 91 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:43,160 Speaker 1: you know, like how much are we going to need 92 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: here for the people of Catherine. 93 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:50,039 Speaker 2: So I think so that the homeowners that were impacted 94 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:52,680 Speaker 2: on the seven, a lot of them have you know, 95 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 2: thrown out the damage stuff and some have started to 96 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:59,360 Speaker 2: pull out floor coverings and whatever else to prepare their 97 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:02,479 Speaker 2: houses to be repaired. So some of them have insurance 98 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:05,799 Speaker 2: and some of them don't, so obviously those without insurance 99 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 2: could use a fair bit of support. There is I believe, 100 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:09,720 Speaker 2: an eight thousand dollars grant, but as you know, that 101 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 2: doesn't go far when you're replacing a washing machine and 102 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 2: a fridge and a whole other furniture, that's not a 103 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 2: lot at all. There are other I believe there's another payment. 104 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,640 Speaker 2: I think it's about one thousand dollars for emergency accommodation 105 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:24,280 Speaker 2: again if you've been if you're out of home the 106 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:26,840 Speaker 2: other for a week two weeks ago, our new back 107 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 2: out of home again because you're on Warge Road. That 108 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 2: doesn't go far either. So I do think there needs 109 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 2: to be supports for people. Although it hasn't flooded, have 110 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:38,599 Speaker 2: been impacted again because they've had to leave their property 111 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 2: because potentially we're flooding. I think that they will need 112 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 2: support like's they've been through a natural disaster, right, they 113 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:52,599 Speaker 2: need that emotional and that wellbeing support from the community 114 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 2: continually checking in. I think most of the homes have 115 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 2: now been cleaned in that so we shouldn't it's unless 116 00:05:58,400 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 2: we get water through again, we shouldn't need to go 117 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 2: back and do that cleaning process again, which is great. 118 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 2: But yes, I certainly do think that they are going 119 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 2: to need further payments for the disruption caused by this 120 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 2: because they're already Yeah, and also there's a lot of 121 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:18,720 Speaker 2: our sporting bodies and not for profit organizations they need 122 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 2: to be they've had infrastructure damage. They don't all ness 123 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:25,360 Speaker 2: as they don't necessarily have insurance because it is very 124 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:27,720 Speaker 2: expensive to have fun insurance. A lot of people have 125 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:30,880 Speaker 2: said to me, look, Johina, we don't have insurance because 126 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:33,920 Speaker 2: you know it's ten thousand dollars a year for insurance. 127 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:37,480 Speaker 1: I mean, you know they can't afford that, Like you 128 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: can't afford that. 129 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:43,039 Speaker 2: No, No, nor can families afford that, or a single 130 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 2: person or a single parent or an elderly person I mean, 131 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 2: how do you, as somebody on the A tension afford 132 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:50,880 Speaker 2: that type of insurance costs? 133 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 1: Really, that's exactly. 134 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:55,359 Speaker 2: So there's a lot of uninsured people that have now 135 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:58,080 Speaker 2: got a come. Yeah, but yes, sporting gods can't afford that. 136 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:02,480 Speaker 2: Parents can't afford the registration fees to cover that. So 137 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 2: I think that the community will be looking to the 138 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:09,240 Speaker 2: government for assistance to get our and you know, sport 139 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 2: community activities, they're essential to the health of the community, 140 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 2: keep the community supported. 141 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, yep, for so many reasons, you know, even like 142 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 1: keeping the kids on the right track. It's such a 143 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:24,400 Speaker 1: great you know, it's such a great thing for the community. 144 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 1: But also after a terrible situation like you guys have 145 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 1: been through and you're continuing to live through at the moment, 146 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: people need that kind of thing to you know, to 147 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 1: keep you happy, to make you feel like life's back 148 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 1: to normal. 149 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 2: Exactly, Katie, Exactly. I think it's a critical part of 150 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 2: that ongoing well being after an event like this. 151 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: Joanna Holden, we were thinking we're holding our breath still today, 152 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 1: we're going to have to hold them for a little 153 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:52,920 Speaker 1: bit longer and we'll see how you guys track thisg 154 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 1: I hope everything ends up being all right and that 155 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 1: that rain stays away. 156 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:00,240 Speaker 2: Yep. Thank you so much, Katie. We're all when we 157 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 2: all want you to be right the way. I love 158 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 2: talking to you. How to read it, chee, I know right? 159 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 1: Hey, I hope, I hope you guys are all going okay. 160 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 1: We'll talk to you again soon. I really appreciate your 161 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:17,840 Speaker 1: time through what's been a tough, tough time for the 162 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 1: residents of Catherine. 163 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 2: Thank you, Thanks so much.