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Speaker 1: Now we know the Northern Territories. Twenty twenty five Australian

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Speaker 1: of the Year Award recipients were announced at a ceremony

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Speaker 1: held in Darwin last night. Musician, role model and cultural

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Speaker 1: leader Grant Non Mia Non Diurrabella was named the Australian

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Speaker 1: of the Year, recognized for his efforts in inspiring the

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Speaker 1: next generation to excel at performing traditional music and dance.

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Speaker 1: He's shown how Nonbloir people can make an income from

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Speaker 1: expressing their internationally esteemed culture in a place where employment

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Speaker 1: is scarce. We also know the NT Senior Australian of

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Speaker 1: the Year Award went to community volunteer and founder of

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Speaker 1: Seniors of Excellence NT Michael Foley AM Now for more

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Speaker 1: than forty years, mister Foley's been contributing to the recognition

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Speaker 1: of senior citizens in our communities and their mental well being.

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Speaker 1: The eighty four year old has also raised thousands of

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Speaker 1: dollars and volunteered for countless hours for community organizations such

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Speaker 1: as Cancer Care in Tea Variety and the Royal Darwin

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Speaker 1: Hospital Palliative Care Hospice. Meanwhile, our Wonderful Young Australian of

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Speaker 1: the Year was awarded to community service leader Nil DeLucia,

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Speaker 1: who inspires and unites young people from diverse backgrounds to

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Speaker 1: serve their community. The twenty eight year old's commitment to

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Speaker 1: community service led him to spearhead too successful community initiatives

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Speaker 1: the Kindness Shake, as well as ROTORAGT Young Professionals n T.

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Speaker 1: Now we also know that the wonderful wildlife carer and

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Speaker 1: advocate Minyon mckchendry is the Northern Territori's local Hero, recognized

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Speaker 1: for bringing compassion and education to the community and rescuing

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Speaker 1: and caring for the territories unique wildlife for more than

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Speaker 1: thirty years. She also donates her time to working with

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Speaker 1: remote community and I am very pleased to say that

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Speaker 1: Mignon joins me on the line. Now, good morning to you.

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Speaker 2: Good morning, Katie. How are you today?

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Speaker 1: I'm so good, A massive congratulations. How are you feeling.

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Speaker 2: Honored? Scared? A lot of going through I.

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Speaker 1: Bet there is, Minyon not absolutely no reason to feel scared.

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Speaker 1: You sound like an absolute legend and so deserving of

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Speaker 1: being the NT local hero.

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Speaker 2: Thank you so much.

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Speaker 1: Tell me a little bit about the work that you do.

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Speaker 2: Basically, we rescue wildlife that's engined or orphaned. And take

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Speaker 2: them into care with the initiative of releasing them back

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Speaker 2: into the wild.

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Speaker 1: So what kind of calls do you get. What do

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Speaker 1: people usually you know, get in contact with you guys.

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Speaker 2: About Oh, we have bats on senses, all of these

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Speaker 2: that have been hit on the road, possums with dermatitis,

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Speaker 2: baby birds galore at the moment with the storms. And

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Speaker 2: if people do find a baby bird, please try and

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Speaker 2: look for the nest first and put him back if

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Speaker 2: you can, or build a false nest. It's always a

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Speaker 2: great thing to get him back with their parents.

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Speaker 1: Mignon, you might like you must have seen some, you know,

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Speaker 1: some incredible stuff over the years, some really you know,

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Speaker 1: some terrible situations as well with animals over the years.

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Speaker 1: Tell me about some of the more memorable interactions that

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Speaker 1: you've had.

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Speaker 2: Oh, memorable. And we're chasing a black neck doork or

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Speaker 2: javaru down the city of Darwin because it was in

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Speaker 2: a very unusual place and we had to get him

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Speaker 2: out of there. Yeah, they are quite a big bird.

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Speaker 2: While we've rescued wedge sale eagles off the roads, again

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Speaker 2: a large animal. We've had some unusual macropods in some

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Speaker 2: northern and euro wallaroos, which we don't get very often.

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Speaker 2: So yeah, there's lots of memorable experiences.

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Speaker 1: I bet there is, and I tell you what you know,

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Speaker 1: for over thirty years, it's an incredible achievement really and

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Speaker 1: such an incredible way that you've given back to the community.

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Speaker 2: Thank you. I'd just see it as a rescue and release.

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Speaker 2: So much devastation is done by people that it's fantastic

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Speaker 2: that we can actually put something back out there.

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Speaker 1: What are you hoping, you know, being named the local

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Speaker 1: Hero of the Year for the Northern Territory, what are

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Speaker 1: you hoping that it does in terms of raising that

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Speaker 1: awareness around the work that you do and some of

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Speaker 1: the things that you do see and experience.

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Speaker 2: I hope people are a little bit more aware of

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Speaker 2: our wildlife. I mean, we have a unique world enough

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Speaker 2: up here and we have a lot of it which

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Speaker 2: is fantastic, and hopefully get more cares and people interest

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Speaker 2: then looking after our wildlife. We were always in need

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Speaker 2: of cares. Unfortunately with all the bulldozing and devastation and fires,

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Speaker 2: we're getting a lot more animals in that we have cares.

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Speaker 1: Minion, do you have animals in your care at the moment?

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Speaker 1: Do you always have animals in your care.

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Speaker 2: I always have animals in my care, correct, And yes

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Speaker 2: I have a lot in the care at the moment.

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Speaker 1: I knew you would.

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Speaker 2: What have you got?

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Speaker 1: Tell me about what you've got at the moment.

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Speaker 2: We've got some antilopie and wallaroos, northern wallaroo, We've got

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Speaker 2: vegitail eagles, We've got rufus owl, barking owls, a couple

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Speaker 2: of snakes that came in that had been injured, sugar gliders. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: so many different things. That's got a beautiful little cantrall

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Speaker 2: at at the moment.

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Speaker 1: Oh, how incredible you sound like. You sound like such

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Speaker 1: a gem, you know, doing what you do and helping

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Speaker 1: the wildlife. What do you hope that the next generation

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Speaker 1: sort of you know, realizes or to anybody out there

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Speaker 1: listening this morning, you know, what is your message to them?

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Speaker 2: Really?

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Speaker 1: As as you embark on what's going to be a

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Speaker 1: year of really raising awareness about the work that you do.

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Speaker 2: Basically, just keep an eye out for anything that's unusual

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Speaker 2: or not doesn't look quite right, give us a call

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Speaker 2: and ask us before it is rewarding. We have got

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Speaker 2: a lot of grants from the government this year so

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Speaker 2: we were able to help with cages and things now

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Speaker 2: which we couldn't do before. So yeah, please put your

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Speaker 2: name down. Even try one one animal will be so

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Speaker 2: rewarding you'll be hooked.

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Speaker 1: Oh good on you, Minyon. Thank you so very much

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Speaker 1: for your time this morning. I really appreciate it. And

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Speaker 1: such a big congratulations than to you being named the

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Speaker 1: twenty twenty five Local Hero for the Northern Territory.

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Speaker 2: Thank you so much for your time, Katie.

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Speaker 1: Thank you