1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,560 Speaker 1: New Northern Australian Coordination Network is going to be established 2 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:06,000 Speaker 1: by the federal government to help manage the threash of 3 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: lumpy skin disease and foot and mouth disease. Now, the 4 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 1: Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry and Emergency Management Murray what 5 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: he's going to be announcing this four point three million 6 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: dollar network and joins me in the studio right now. 7 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:21,239 Speaker 1: Good morning to you. 8 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 2: Good a Katie. Good to be back with you in 9 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:23,119 Speaker 2: the studio. 10 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, good to see you now, Minister, what exactly is 11 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: this network? 12 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, this is a really important step we're taking 13 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 3: in partnership with both the state territory governments and also 14 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 3: industry to really strengthen our lines of defense against those 15 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 3: diseases lumpy skin and foot and mouth disease. There's obviously 16 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 3: been a lot of attention on foot and mouth disease 17 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 3: over the last few months, and rightly so, but there's 18 00:00:43,920 --> 00:00:46,199 Speaker 3: actually a bigger risk of a different disease known as 19 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 3: lumpy skin disease getting into our country, especially in the north. 20 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 2: That's a very dangerous disease for cattle. 21 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 3: It doesn't affect all livestock in the way foot and 22 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 3: mouth disease do does. But if lumpy skin disease got 23 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 3: in here, it lis is what it sounds like, cattle 24 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:04,959 Speaker 3: developed lumps on their skin and it affects milk production. 25 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 3: It would very much affect our ability to export beef 26 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:09,839 Speaker 3: and cattle overseas. 27 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 2: So that's why we're working so hard with industry. 28 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 3: And the other sort of exposed quirky thing about this 29 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 3: disease is that it can be brought blown in literally 30 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:22,240 Speaker 3: by mosquitos from other countries that have it. So you know, 31 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 3: foot and mouth disease would normally be spread by bringing 32 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 3: in infected meat products or someone might have it on 33 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 3: their clothing, and you can do a few things to 34 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 3: try and control that, and we are, but there's a 35 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 3: little bit less you can do about making sure that 36 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 3: mosquitos don't blow in in a cyclone. 37 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 2: So that's why we're taking this so seriously. 38 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: So how exactly do we mitigate so that we know 39 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: we can try our best to make sure that we 40 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:43,320 Speaker 1: don't end up with this here in the Northern Territory. 41 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:45,320 Speaker 3: Well, the best thing we can do is to help 42 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 3: Indonesia get their outbreak under control, and so far Australia 43 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 3: has provided over four hundred thousand vaccines to Indonesia for 44 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 3: lumpy skin disease and around a million vaccines for foot 45 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:00,440 Speaker 3: and mouth disease as well, and we've committed to provide more. 46 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 3: The other thing we need to keep in mind is 47 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 3: that it's not just about Indonesia. If these diseases got 48 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 3: into Team or Less or Papua New Guinea, that would 49 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 3: obviously be an extra threat because they're even closer still 50 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:12,679 Speaker 3: to much of the country. And that's why this coordination 51 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,800 Speaker 3: network we're talking about is really important for Northern Australia 52 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 3: because we get that, you know, even though the government 53 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 3: might be in Canberra, it's Northern Australia who are on 54 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 3: the front line with these diseases and we need to 55 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 3: strengthen our lines of defense in the North. And it's 56 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 3: really fabulous that we've been able to work so closely 57 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:32,359 Speaker 3: with the Northern Territory Government, along with the Cattleman's Association 58 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 3: and a bunch of other industry groups to put this 59 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 3: plan together. 60 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 1: Now, tell me with foot and mouth disease, is that 61 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:40,920 Speaker 1: three to minimizing to some degree or have the different 62 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:43,800 Speaker 1: procedures and protocols that have been put in place at 63 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: the airport and various other locations. Are they working at 64 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 1: this point? 65 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:49,799 Speaker 3: Well, I would say they are working because Australia does 66 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 3: remain free of either foot and mouth disease or lumpy 67 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 3: skin disease, So I guess that's the best test of 68 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 3: how the defenses are working. But we've always acknowledged that 69 00:02:57,520 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 3: we can keep adding to things, and a couple of 70 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:01,640 Speaker 3: weeks ago we added a new measure which was to 71 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 3: ban people bringing in any meat products for personal consumption 72 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 3: from any country around the world that has foot and 73 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:12,679 Speaker 3: mouth disease. But in terms of what's happening in Indonesia, 74 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 3: we're keeping a very close eye on that and I 75 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 3: guess i'd say that things have plateaued there. It's certainly 76 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 3: not eradicated and won't be for some time to come. 77 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 3: But currently the figures that we have are that they've 78 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 3: vaccinated close to four million livestock, whereas they say they've 79 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 3: got about five hundred thousand infected animals. 80 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 2: So I guess that's a pretty good proportion. 81 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:32,360 Speaker 3: But we've got to keep taking this seriously and that's 82 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 3: why we're keeping out working up new plans with industry 83 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 3: as well. 84 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, now, Murray, you are also the Minister for Emergency Management. 85 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: We know that the threat of cyclone is always quite 86 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: the concern for us here in the Northern Territory. I 87 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: understand that you are going to be visiting some of 88 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 1: those disaster management centers a head of cyclone season today. 89 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 2: No, that's right, Katie. 90 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 3: I'm going to be joined by some of the ministers 91 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 3: in the Northern Territory government, along with our local representatives, 92 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 3: Luke Gosling and Marian Scrimjaw, for some of the emergency 93 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 3: management measures that we're taking. The latest information the Bureau 94 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,640 Speaker 3: of Meteorology came out with last week said that across 95 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 3: October to April this year, we've got about a seventy 96 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 3: percent chance as a country of having at least eleven cyclones, 97 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 3: and of course many of them would potentially come in 98 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:17,720 Speaker 3: through the North here. So over the last couple of 99 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 3: months we've had federal emergency management personnel out working with 100 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 3: the states and territories to ensure that everyone's fully prepared. 101 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 3: But I think it's important as the Minister that I 102 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 3: also come out here and see it for myself. So 103 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:31,600 Speaker 3: all the information I'm getting is that people are very 104 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 3: well prepared here in the Northern Territory government. They've obviously 105 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 3: got a lot of experience dealing with these things. But 106 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:38,360 Speaker 3: if there's anything that we can be doing at a 107 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 3: federal level to help, we're obviously happy to do that. 108 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: And have they sort of asked for anything yet at 109 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: that federal level, Is there any assistance that they need 110 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:46,000 Speaker 1: or any announcements we can expect today? 111 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:47,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, not at this point. 112 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:49,360 Speaker 3: It's really today is mainly about just keeping it on 113 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:51,840 Speaker 3: the radar for people literally that we could be facing 114 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:54,599 Speaker 3: a pretty intense cyclone season, and of course there's parts 115 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 3: of the Northern Territory a bit further south that are 116 00:04:57,120 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 3: still at risk. 117 00:04:57,640 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 2: Of bushfires as well. 118 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 3: So we've obviously got those big, heavy aircraft available to 119 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 3: help with water bombing and things like that. But I'm 120 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 3: probably to be honest, you know, where we're getting most 121 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 3: requests for support at the moment of from the Southern 122 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 3: states which are having those floods. But even these visits 123 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:15,040 Speaker 3: with Luca Marion and people like that demonstrate that we're 124 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:16,160 Speaker 3: ready to help if it's needed. 125 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, there is a lot happening at the moment in 126 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 1: those southern states when it comes to flooding. How are 127 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:23,719 Speaker 1: things going from your perspective, obviously as the Minister for 128 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:24,679 Speaker 1: Emergency Management. 129 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:27,719 Speaker 3: No, it's pretty serious down there, and New South Wales 130 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:30,040 Speaker 3: in particular has just had so much rain over the 131 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 3: last twelve months or so. Even since we were elected 132 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 3: in May, we had big floods in much of New 133 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 3: South Wales. 134 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:35,919 Speaker 2: In July. 135 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 3: I was in Dubbo and Ganada in western New South 136 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:42,040 Speaker 3: Wales before I came up here, and some of those 137 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 3: communities have been having floods for two or more months 138 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:46,159 Speaker 3: in you know, and it sort of rains really heavily 139 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:48,000 Speaker 3: and then it goes away, it comes back a couple 140 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 3: of weeks later. You've got communities in western New South 141 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 3: Wales that have been isolated for up to eight weeks. 142 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:55,320 Speaker 3: So it's really taking its toll on people. And of 143 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 3: course we've now seen in the last couple of days 144 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 3: that weather's going further south into Victoria and Mania as well. 145 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:03,360 Speaker 3: So you know, all the predictions are with this third 146 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 3: Lenina that we are facing really heavy rainfall and cyclonic 147 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:09,040 Speaker 3: conditions this year, and all we can do is ask 148 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:10,839 Speaker 3: people to be as prepared as possible. 149 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:13,719 Speaker 1: Yeah. Absolutely, Now I do want to ask I understand 150 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:16,159 Speaker 1: that you are potentially heading out to the National Critical 151 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:19,039 Speaker 1: Care and Trauma Response Center today. We'd caught up with 152 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:22,359 Speaker 1: a couple of people from the National Critical Care and 153 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:25,680 Speaker 1: Trauma Response Center earlier in the week, particularly Professor Len 154 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 1: Nataras we know that they had well all of the 155 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:31,119 Speaker 1: staff at Royal dal And Hospital had a huge part 156 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 1: to play in the response to the Bali bombings twenty 157 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 1: years ago. But really that center was born out of 158 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:41,840 Speaker 1: that response. It's pretty unbelievable to see what they can do, 159 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:42,360 Speaker 1: isn't it. 160 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:44,039 Speaker 3: It's fantastic and I think a lot of the time 161 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:46,719 Speaker 3: people down south don't appreciate the really special things that 162 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:49,000 Speaker 3: we've got in Northern Australia. And as you know as 163 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 3: a Queenslander, I was up here pretty regularly before the 164 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:53,960 Speaker 3: election in the Northern Australia role, and I've always seen 165 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 3: that part of my job, along with the local representatives here, 166 00:06:56,839 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 3: is to really tell the story of the Northern territory 167 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 3: and the fantastic things that happening. That center that Len 168 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 3: and his team are running is not just a national leader, 169 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 3: it's an international leader right here in Darwin. And as 170 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 3: you say, it was born out of the Barley bombings, 171 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 3: you'd be aware. Luke Gosling was in Bali this week 172 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 3: for the memorial service, which was really important I know 173 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:16,560 Speaker 3: to a lot of people in the territory. But yeah, 174 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 3: they've got some incredible capability that's really providing great support 175 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 3: overseas when they face disasters as well, and that's really 176 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 3: good for our international image as well. 177 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 2: So I'm really excited to be heading out there today. 178 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 1: Well, Murray Wash, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry and 179 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 1: Emergency Management, we appreciate your time this morning. 180 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 2: Thanks pleasure, Katie, really good to see you. 181 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 1: Thank you. You two