1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,080 Speaker 1: And there's been quite a bit of discussion about the 2 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: change of date when it comes to Territory Day and 3 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: letting off fireworks. But one of the people we've not 4 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: heard from is fireworks retailer, and joining us on the 5 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: line right now is the owner of Fusion Fireworks. 6 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 2: Luke Kariti, Good morning to you. 7 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 3: Luke, Good morning Katie. How are you? 8 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, really well, Thank you so much for your time 9 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:21,600 Speaker 1: this morning. 10 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:21,919 Speaker 3: Luke. 11 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 1: You and I spoke a few weeks back when we 12 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: found out that Territory Day was going to be postponed. 13 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 2: At that stage, we didn't know what date it was 14 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:32,239 Speaker 2: going to be. 15 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,199 Speaker 1: How the plan's going from your perspective in terms of 16 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: still selling fireworks on August twenty nine. 17 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:44,480 Speaker 3: Well, look, we're all ready to go. It's been quite 18 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 3: difficult because we've had shops that we've had to remain 19 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 3: set up for seven weeks. We've got product that's been 20 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 3: in the warehouse, some packs, we've got one hundred and 21 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 3: fifty ton of fireworks where we've had to maintain twenty 22 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 3: four hour security. I had to fly back to New 23 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:06,679 Speaker 3: South Wales YEP for family commandments, and now I've had 24 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 3: to fly back to Northern territory and I'm currently doing 25 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 3: my fourteen days quarantine at Howard's Rings, so it's been very, 26 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 3: very difficult to make sure it still goes ahead. From Alan, Yeah. 27 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:25,320 Speaker 1: And Louke, what do you make of and have you well, 28 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:28,680 Speaker 1: have you really heard much of the discussion about August 29 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: twenty nine and the concerns from our volunteer firefighters and 30 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: others about the fire risk and the possibility that a 31 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:39,479 Speaker 1: fireban could indeed be declared on that date. 32 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:43,480 Speaker 3: Look, I've heard, I've heard about it, and is it 33 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 3: proorly from an outside of Katie yep, and not from 34 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 3: a profit point of view from my from my from 35 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:53,640 Speaker 3: people might think I've got an agenda here because I 36 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 3: profit from it. Yeah, but I've already I've lost a 37 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,919 Speaker 3: lot of money too. But I can understand their concern. 38 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 3: But it's already been four weeks now, and it's like, 39 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 3: I really like where government's passing the bat into the 40 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 3: fieries and it's like, Okay, they're not working or consulting together. 41 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 3: I would say, from my point of view, I understand 42 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 3: the concern in those regional areas one hundred percent, but 43 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:22,640 Speaker 3: there's been no education that I've heard, like cut down 44 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:26,679 Speaker 3: grass around your house, wet the ground down, minimize the risk. 45 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 3: But hey, if the risk is too great, why instead 46 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:36,519 Speaker 3: of waiting till the day and confusing everyone, Well, why 47 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 3: don't they say regional areas from you know, company do 48 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 3: or how it springs onwards? It's too risky because there's 49 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 3: no different risks. Sure if you're if you're a resume 50 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 3: in short pass or Perrap or Milner buying and letting 51 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 3: off fire if the risk is no different all year round. 52 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:58,840 Speaker 3: So yeah, I guess the different areas of concerns. 53 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: The difficulty is going be though I suppose Luke is 54 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: is you know, obviously the fire is consult with the 55 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:08,119 Speaker 1: Bureau of Meteorology in the days prior, and for example, 56 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 1: last week we had on Thursday and Friday there was 57 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 1: a full fireban in place and it included you know, 58 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:19,239 Speaker 1: Darwin and surrounds all the way down the track as well. 59 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:22,079 Speaker 2: So I wonder what that would mean for. 60 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:25,360 Speaker 1: You guys as retailers if we get to two or 61 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:27,839 Speaker 1: three days out or you know, even a week out 62 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: and you find out that there's going to be a 63 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: full fireban in place and that fireworks aren't going to 64 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 1: be allowed. 65 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 2: What kind of impact that would have. 66 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 3: Okay, it virtually sort of close to wipe us out 67 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 3: because you know, we we we've lost a lot of 68 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 3: money to day and then that would just mean it'd 69 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 3: be like pack it up and stow it away, you know, 70 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 3: until next year. And you know, this could have been avoided. 71 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 3: We would have we would have thought that this would 72 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 3: have been thought out with the different apartments involved. 73 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, look, has been Look has there been any consultation 74 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 1: with like with the fireworks retailers in terms of you know, 75 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:18,160 Speaker 1: some of those some of those possibilities. You know, I 76 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:19,720 Speaker 1: don't want to scare you or I don't want to 77 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:20,680 Speaker 1: scare the retailers. 78 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 3: But you know, like that, there hasn't been any any whatsoever, 79 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:27,840 Speaker 3: And just just from a risk point of view, like 80 00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 3: we understand the risk, but it's like educating people with 81 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 3: the risk. Like if you're gonna, for instance, just hypothetically, 82 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,480 Speaker 3: say you live in Stewart Park, you're gonna let off 83 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 3: fireworks on your front yard, well, wet the ground down, 84 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:47,159 Speaker 3: so it's a bit moist. If you've got any long grass, 85 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 3: chop it down. You've got to educate people with the risk. 86 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 3: But you can't have people I understand you can't have 87 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 3: people lightning fireworks next door to two hundreds of thousands 88 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 3: of hextres of bushland. Understand that. 89 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, we. 90 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:07,599 Speaker 3: Need to try and come to a solution. Now, make 91 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:10,920 Speaker 3: it and try and make a call rather than two 92 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:15,160 Speaker 3: days out, because there's already there's already thirty kind of 93 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:20,160 Speaker 3: fireworks out in rural communities ready to go. You know, 94 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 3: we've got fifty kind of fireworks down in Alice Spring yep. 95 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 3: And I know Alice Springs hasmo will Risks down there 96 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:32,360 Speaker 3: from a feedback I've been getting there. So Look, it's 97 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 3: scary from my point of view because I've phrown back 98 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 3: up here. I'm currently in quarantine and and you know, 99 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:45,720 Speaker 3: to hear it in the media, Yeah, that's alarming. 100 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:49,600 Speaker 1: Look, if you could, I mean, if if anyone from 101 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 1: government is listening right now, and if you could kind 102 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 1: of you know, say one thing to them, what what 103 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: would you say in terms of, you know, the risk 104 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:00,599 Speaker 1: that you that you guys are currently on taking, in 105 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: terms of well the financial risk of it. As you said, 106 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: you know, you've had you've had different retail outlets rent 107 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: it out for seven weeks. You've got one hundred and 108 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: fifty ton of fireworks obviously in storage. You've been having 109 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:15,920 Speaker 1: to keep that I would imagine, you know, safe and 110 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:18,719 Speaker 1: making sure that it stays safe. What is your message 111 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: for government today when you sort of think about the 112 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: risk then of a potential fireban. 113 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:32,120 Speaker 3: My main message would be, let's try your night and 114 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:35,360 Speaker 3: control and come up with a sensible plan of attack. 115 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 3: We've still got two and a half weeks out, that's 116 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 3: already been four weeks gone. Do we start talking to 117 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:47,479 Speaker 3: the fires and do they start putting suburbs where like 118 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 3: green zones and we put red zones in place until 119 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:54,679 Speaker 3: two days out they might open up those red zones. 120 00:06:56,040 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 3: Time messages, Let's work together and let's find a solution. 121 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:04,200 Speaker 1: Luke, it's always good to talk to you. I really 122 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:06,920 Speaker 1: appreciate your time this morning. I hope it's all going okay. 123 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: In quarantine, I got. 124 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 3: To say one thing I will say. I've read in 125 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 3: the media that the food is now called in quarantine. 126 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:20,120 Speaker 3: I can assure anyone and everyone I'm as precious as 127 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 3: they come. I've stayed in a lot of good hotels 128 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 3: and the food in here is second to none. 129 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 2: Oh good to heat. 130 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 3: Is doing a very good job. 131 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 1: Oh good to hear Luke mate, I really appreciate you 132 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 1: having a chat with us. 133 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 2: We will talk to you again soon. 134 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 1: Let us know if the government does contact you for 135 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 1: any consultational or if you hear anything. 136 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 2: Keep us up to date, nories. Have a great day 137 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 2: you too, Thanks Luke. 138 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 1: That's Luke Karedi there, the owner of Fusion Fireworks. What 139 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: do you think of his idea that you know, maybe 140 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 1: there are certain areas that are safe zones and some 141 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:56,760 Speaker 1: of those other areas that we are quite concerned about, 142 00:07:56,840 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: i e. The rural area and where there is you know, 143 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: where there are vacant blocks, there areas where you're not 144 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,480 Speaker 1: actually able to let the fireworks off. I guess the 145 00:08:06,520 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: only concern that I would have with that is wondering 146 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 1: how we're going to police it, how we're going to 147 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 1: make sure that people are only letting them off in 148 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 1: those green zones. There are a lot of you jumping 149 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 1: online to have your say on the Mixed one oh 150 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 1: four nine facebook page.