1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,880 Speaker 1: Overnight. The Northern Territories Australian of the Year Award recipients 2 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:08,640 Speaker 1: for twenty twenty four were announced at a ceremony in 3 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:13,039 Speaker 1: Darwin Now. Blair McFarlane, the founder of Central Australian Youth 4 00:00:13,119 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: Link Up Service, was named the Australian of the Year, 5 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: with teacher and linguist and community leader jal May Yunipingu 6 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: receiving the Senior Australian of the Year seventeen year old. 7 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: A seventeen year old medical student and community volunteer Peter 8 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:32,559 Speaker 1: Sossanto took out the Young Aussie of the Year. Some 9 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: absolutely phenomenal Territorians and the Northern Territories Australian of the Year. 10 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 1: Blair McFarlane joins me on the line. Good morning, Blair, 11 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: and a massive congratulations to you. 12 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 2: Oh thanks, Katie. It was very unexpected, O. 13 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: Bet mate, how does it feel receiving this award? I 14 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 1: know that so often when we speak to incredible people 15 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 1: like yourself, the main thing that we hear is that 16 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: you're really quite humbled and as you said, unexpected. 17 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, like I was. Anybody who knows me will know 18 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 2: how unusual this is. But I was completely gunfounded. I was. 19 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 2: I couldn't speak for a little while because there was 20 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:18,680 Speaker 2: just such a shock, you know, like when they called 21 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 2: my name, it was like, oh my god, you know 22 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:24,120 Speaker 2: so because I was quite embarrassed to be even nominated. 23 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:26,559 Speaker 2: But I did figure it was a useful thing because 24 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 2: I think people down south don't really understand what the 25 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 2: territory is going through and what the territory is like, 26 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 2: and so it is like getting some media attention like 27 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 2: this and for it to maybe spread across Australia I 28 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 2: think could be really good to address some of the 29 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 2: some of the issues that we face on a daily 30 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 2: basis in the territory. 31 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, I reckon you spot on. I think that what 32 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: it really does do is highlights the incredible work that 33 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 1: you've been doing and the incredible work that you know 34 00:01:56,160 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: that the Central Australian Youth Link Up Service does. I mean, 35 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 1: for two decades you've been dedicated to improving the lives 36 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: of Indigenous people and you were instrumental in setting up 37 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: the Youth Link Up Service, weren't you. 38 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, in the beginning, it was just me, like I 39 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 2: was it. That was in the year two thousand and two, 40 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 2: and since then I've managed to attract some excellent other 41 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 2: people into the mix, and we always had a lot 42 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:26,639 Speaker 2: of support from the bush who didn't want to see 43 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 2: all the kids netting petrol, but they it was beyond 44 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:32,359 Speaker 2: what they could do to stop them. So yeah, it's 45 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 2: been quite a learning curve over the years, and I 46 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 2: do hope to share some of the things that people 47 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 2: like me, you know, like I've been there and in 48 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 2: the communities, along with the teachers and the police and 49 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:49,079 Speaker 2: the medical people and the council workers, and we've all 50 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 2: been there and we've seen it, and so I think 51 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 2: we have a really clear understanding of what's going on, 52 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,079 Speaker 2: and I think that's what I'm hoping to be able 53 00:02:57,120 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 2: to spread through this award. 54 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 1: Well, for anybody out there listening who doesn't understand exactly, 55 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: you know, what the work is that you do through 56 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 1: the Youth Link Up Service, kalas talk us through us. 57 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 2: Well, we do it basically boils down to two things, 58 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 2: which is supply reduction and demand reduction. So supply reduction 59 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 2: is things like rolling out opal fuel so that people 60 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 2: can't easily access the supply of sniffable fuel, and also 61 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:34,360 Speaker 2: we work with retailers voluntarily to sort of put inhalance 62 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 2: in cages and to make sure they know that they're 63 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 2: allowed to not sell the people if they think they're 64 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 2: going to sniff it. And so that's on the supply reduction. 65 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 2: Then even ultimately more important is the demand reduction, which 66 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 2: means we're trying to address the factors that push people 67 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 2: and kids, particularly towards snipping and substance abuse and all 68 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 2: forms of crime, but just trying to trying to make 69 00:03:58,160 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 2: their lives that little bit better. 70 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: Now, tell me, you know, it does seem as though 71 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:08,000 Speaker 1: over the years there has been a reduction when it 72 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: comes to petrol sniffing. But it does seem as though 73 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 1: what we've seen a little bit more as well over 74 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 1: over recent times, and please correct me if I'm wrong, 75 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: is an increase in chroming. And you know, young people 76 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 1: chroming seems to be a real concern at the moment too. 77 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:30,359 Speaker 2: It is. Yeah, And I can't really talk from the 78 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 2: top ends because like my work is at Central Australia, 79 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,799 Speaker 2: but that's we saw the same thing. Like when suddenly 80 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:41,159 Speaker 2: fuel wasn't sniffable, a whole lot of kids actually moved 81 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 2: into alice springs from remote communities and started sniffing paint 82 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 2: at that stage chroming. But we worked with the retailers 83 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 2: and other community groups, but particularly the retailers to sort 84 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 2: of like make sure that it was not so easy 85 00:04:57,360 --> 00:04:59,839 Speaker 2: to get your hands on that stuff. And some of 86 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 2: the retailers have even found forms of spray paints that 87 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 2: weren't intoxicating when you sniffed it. So so we yeah, 88 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 2: we and we we're pretty much like it was an 89 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,960 Speaker 2: epidemic in the beginning, but we've we've got we've narrowed 90 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 2: it right down and now there's just isolated outbreaks. I've 91 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 2: a few kids here and there, and we've got we've 92 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 2: got capacity to deal with a few kids here and there, 93 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:25,039 Speaker 2: whereas in the battle those when there were five hundred 94 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 2: kids spread out over five hundred thousand square kilometers, it 95 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 2: was just beyond what we could deal with. 96 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, and Blair, we know that some of the youth 97 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:37,240 Speaker 1: issues that we have got around the Northern Territory, they've 98 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:40,800 Speaker 1: made national headlines throughout this year and and you know 99 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 1: throughout over the years as well. It is something that 100 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: we constantly grapple with in the territory. But this is 101 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:50,360 Speaker 1: something that you work on, you know, every single day, 102 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 1: and and I'm sure that there are different areas where 103 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 1: you do see that we could be making some improvements. 104 00:05:57,520 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 1: Is you know, is that something that you're hoping to 105 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 1: bring through the four over the next year as the 106 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 1: Northern Territories Australian of the Year. 107 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:09,840 Speaker 2: That's absolutely spot on, Katie. And the thing that I 108 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 2: have and I'm no genius, but I've just been around 109 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 2: a long time and over that time I've seen programs 110 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 2: roll up that really work, you know, that really actually 111 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 2: reduced crime and make kids happier and make them go 112 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 2: to school more and reduce substance abuse and these programs. 113 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 2: But the programs come and go, you know, the government changes, 114 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 2: the funding runs out, it's no longer you know, the 115 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:36,560 Speaker 2: thing that everybody supports, and so these programs that actually 116 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 2: work and have been seen to work just disappear. And 117 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 2: it's only old timers like me so even remember that 118 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 2: they existed. So one of the things I have to 119 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 2: do is to sort of, you know, provide a sort 120 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:51,799 Speaker 2: of like long term view that is sort of lacking, 121 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:54,360 Speaker 2: because I think you're probably aware of how transient most 122 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 2: territorians are. You know, people turn up, they spend a 123 00:06:57,640 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 2: few years here, and they go I think I've read 124 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:04,119 Speaker 2: it thirty percent turnover every three years. So like I guess, 125 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 2: I'm no genius, but I remember and I was there, 126 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:11,440 Speaker 2: and I hope to bring that knowledge back into the mix. 127 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: I reckon, that is such a good point, Blair, and 128 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 1: you know, even myself in the media, I see it. 129 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: Over the years that I've been doing this show. You know, 130 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:22,160 Speaker 1: people come up with these ideas and they think that 131 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: their brand new ideas and you go, hang on a second, 132 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:26,960 Speaker 1: didn't we do that about five years ago and there 133 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 1: was a reason why it was discontinued or something that's 134 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: working really well, and then all of a sudden somebody 135 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 1: comes out with this new idea and they think that 136 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 1: it's groundbreaking, when the way that things have been happening, 137 00:07:38,720 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 1: you know, I've been quite successful. So I reckon, that's 138 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: such a good point that you make, and I wish 139 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:46,240 Speaker 1: you all the very best over the next year as 140 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 1: the Northern Territories Australian of the Year. I'm really pleased 141 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 1: to see that your name and that you have come 142 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 1: up as Australian of the Year. And make no doubt 143 00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 1: we'll be able to talk to you a little bit more, 144 00:07:58,520 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: hopefully over the next year. 145 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:03,679 Speaker 2: Okay, thanks Eddie. Enjoyed the crocodile race, and be careful 146 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 2: and mean little buggers. I will good on you. 147 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 1: Blair, thanks so much for your time this morning. I 148 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 1: really appreciate it.