1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: Yesterday, as we understand it, the inaugural meeting of the 2 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 1: Northern Territory Logistics Advisory Council was held. Now it was 3 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: established to provide some expert advice to the Northern Territory 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: government on maximizing the effectiveness of the territory's supply chains. 5 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 1: It is an area which has no doubt been tested 6 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: over recent years, not only with COVID, but also floods 7 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:22,760 Speaker 1: at the beginning of the year and also that damage 8 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: to the Stuart Highway. I think most of us can 9 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 1: recall going into supermarkets not actually being able to sort 10 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 1: of purchase what you usually would. So while we may 11 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:34,640 Speaker 1: not be experiencing those shortages right now, I do think 12 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: that it is a good thing for us to go 13 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: through this process and make sure that we obviously have 14 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: that food and fuel security now. According to the government, 15 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:47,519 Speaker 1: it's also about supporting the territory's industry and economic growth 16 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 1: as well as increasing capacity and reducing risk. Now joining 17 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: me on the line to tell us more about the 18 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:56,639 Speaker 1: council and the first meeting. One of the members of 19 00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: the council is Will Evans, the CEO of the Northern 20 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: Territory Sttleman's Association. Good morning to you. 21 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 2: Will morning Katie, thanks for having me on. 22 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 1: You're good to have you on the show. Now tell 23 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: me a little bit more about from your perspective, why 24 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: this Logistics Advisory Council was established. 25 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 2: It's obviously been a recommendation to government that this group 26 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 2: of people be brought together. It's certainly welcomes by us, 27 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 2: and I think it's welcomed by a number of the 28 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 2: industry sectors around the territory. We have managed to attract 29 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 2: some experson around the country as well who can assist 30 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 2: us in the prioritizing what we need to be doing. 31 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:32,840 Speaker 2: And look, I would like to say I think the 32 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:35,400 Speaker 2: government's done well in pulling this together and I thought 33 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 2: the group of people was a good start. 34 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 1: And how did that first meeting go yesterday, Will, And 35 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: what are some of the some of the concerns that 36 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 1: were discussed. 37 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 2: Well, I think that the biggest challenge for all of 38 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 2: us is that regional infrastructure is so important to the territory. 39 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 2: The reality is infrastructure spending is normally decided. This is 40 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 2: a very simplistic explanation. It's normally decided on the greatest 41 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 2: spending to the greatest group of people and because there 42 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 2: aren't a lot of people who live in the regions, 43 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 2: it's quite challenging to prioritize regional spending. So for all 44 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 2: of us, I think it was really important that we 45 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:12,639 Speaker 2: have a strategic approach to how we do tackle these 46 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:16,920 Speaker 2: sorts of issues, and certainly something that the industry associations 47 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 2: share a view on, and it's something that we're talking 48 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:19,920 Speaker 2: about yesterday, and. 49 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: I know that you know, we sort of experienced it, 50 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: as I mentioned in the opener earlier in the year, 51 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: with the infrastructure well, with the roads being cut and 52 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 1: damage to the roads following on from some of that flooding. 53 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 1: How big an impact did those incidents have on us 54 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:39,239 Speaker 1: being able to transport and get things in and out 55 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: of the Northern Territory. 56 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 2: I think it shows how fragile supply changes can be. 57 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:46,679 Speaker 2: I mean, the reality is, you know, we've got one 58 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 2: really big road that's really important and then a lot 59 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 2: of other roads that are important to have, but we 60 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 2: often don't appreciate it until something like that happened. I mean, 61 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 2: the Barkley Highway became the lifeline for the Northern Territory. 62 00:02:57,040 --> 00:02:59,799 Speaker 2: We had to reroute trucks from South Australia all the 63 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 2: way through New South Wales and up into Queensland to 64 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 2: get things to the territory, so people were able to 65 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 2: have that sort of security. So it shows that we 66 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 2: are quite exposed, but it's something you'd expect for an 67 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 2: area of the size of the territory. It's very hard 68 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 2: to I guess, have a multitude of really important supply chains. 69 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:17,520 Speaker 1: We need to focus on the ones that we have 70 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: and well, what is the charter of the Advisory Council 71 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 1: and what sort of work I guess is the Council 72 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,920 Speaker 1: hoping to do to try to future proof ourselves. 73 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 2: Well, I think it's important that we have. I think 74 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 2: what we're looking at is how do we make the 75 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:35,120 Speaker 2: most out of advocating for funding from a federal level 76 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 2: and how do we make sure everyone's on the same 77 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 2: page in terms of what our strategic priority is. Now, 78 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 2: there's always going to be a little bit of tilling 79 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 2: and going between different industries around what's the most important thing. 80 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 2: But I think this is a good first step in 81 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 2: trying to address some common challenges for. 82 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: All of us now. Well, on one of the topics 83 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: that you and I spoke about last time, You're on 84 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 1: petrol prices. How big an impact of those having on 85 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: you guys right now? 86 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 2: It's huge. It's really it's a massive challenge to the industry, 87 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 2: and I think petial prices are something that is going 88 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 2: to be a challenge for everybody. The reality is we're 89 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 2: seeing those prices translated into what we're able to buy 90 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 2: on the shelves and how expensive the things on the 91 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 2: shelves are. So for us on stations, it's very challenging 92 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 2: because we obviously run a lot of things off generators, 93 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 2: including the stations themselves. So for us, it's having quite 94 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 2: a big impact. But it's not something we see a 95 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 2: resolution to anytime soon. 96 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 1: No, it certainly feels that way. I mean, has there 97 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 1: been much of a change from your perspective or from 98 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: the Cattleman's Associations perspective following on from the ending of 99 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: that exercise. 100 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, Look, it's something that's certainly bitten us. We've 101 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 2: been talking at a federal level around trying to see 102 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:45,919 Speaker 2: it reinstated or a version of a reinstated, but I 103 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 2: think there's competing priorities in the budget at the moment, 104 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 2: and obviously we're probably not in the stronger decision as 105 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 2: we would like to be, So those sorts of things 106 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:55,599 Speaker 2: are going to be on the agenda now. 107 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:58,039 Speaker 1: We were just speaking to the opposition leader Leaf andoki 108 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 1: Are and you may not have heard it, but they're 109 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: obviously trying to push for this fuel disclosure bill to 110 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:07,479 Speaker 1: go forward in the Northern Territory Parliament next week. I'm 111 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 1: not sure do you think that that would have much 112 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:12,719 Speaker 1: of an impact when it comes to industry groups such 113 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 1: as the Cattleman's Association or is it sort of too 114 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 1: early to tell. 115 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 2: It's probably too early to tell. I'd want to see 116 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 2: the detail of it. It's something that I think people 117 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:26,160 Speaker 2: in urban areas would potentially appreciate. I'm not sure. But 118 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:29,359 Speaker 2: for us, I mean, we're such big buyers of fuel, 119 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 2: I'm not sure it'll do much to address our sort 120 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 2: of issues. Yeah. 121 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:35,800 Speaker 1: Hey, well, foot and Mouth. I mean last time and 122 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:38,680 Speaker 1: you were on air with us, we spoke extensively about this. 123 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 1: How are things tracking in this space? 124 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 2: Look, we've been able to get a couple of million 125 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 2: of doses now into Indonesia. We're at the Australian government's 126 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 2: giving them some really good support in terms of delivering 127 00:05:51,800 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 2: those doses to regional areas. From a domestic setting, we've 128 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:00,240 Speaker 2: gone through a long process of I guess policy development 129 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:03,600 Speaker 2: around what our response looks like. We're now emerging out 130 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:05,520 Speaker 2: of that and we're finally getting into the point in 131 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 2: time we were able to go out to industry and 132 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 2: say this is what the plant looks like. But it's 133 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 2: been a very involved process. You know, we have to 134 00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 2: get the endorsement and support of all of the states 135 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:17,640 Speaker 2: and territories, plus all of the different industry groups that 136 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 2: would be affected by an outbreak. So it's taken us 137 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 2: quite a lot of time. But as of this week, 138 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 2: we're going to have our staff on the roads, going 139 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 2: out of the stations and starting to do extension materials. 140 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 2: So we finally got to that point where we're going 141 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:33,039 Speaker 2: to be able to actually get on the properties and 142 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 2: say this is exactly what the plant looks like. It's 143 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 2: been a very long road. 144 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:41,119 Speaker 1: Yeah right, it sounds like it's been quite a complicated process. 145 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:46,279 Speaker 2: Yeah, we don't all agree. I think is probably the 146 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 2: way I term it. But a lot of the power, 147 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:52,040 Speaker 2: similar to COVID and the way that government handed the 148 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:54,920 Speaker 2: outbreaks in different ways, a lot of the power remain 149 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:57,120 Speaker 2: invested in the states and territories, which is something that 150 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 2: we were very supportive of. Yeah, I think we've got 151 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 2: to that point now where we can see a pathway through. 152 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 1: Yeah. Right, And well, what about those sort of biosecurity 153 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 1: measures that were at the airports and you know when 154 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 1: you arrive from the lights of Balley. I know that 155 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: you and I had been speaking about that a few 156 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 1: months back. Are they still in place and are they working? 157 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 1: From your perspective, I think that they are still. 158 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:23,240 Speaker 2: In place, and I think there is a height and 159 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 2: understanding of people around the importance of this. It's certainly 160 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 2: something that made its way into the general public and 161 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 2: it's something that needs to stay there. The reality is 162 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 2: this threat is going to be a threat for quite 163 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 2: a pretty long period until we're able to get the 164 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 2: situation under control in Indonesia. But yeah, I think we did. 165 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 2: Down south, there was some orders to the airports to 166 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 2: check by security metrics and measures, and I think they 167 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 2: went quite well. We're obviously very supportive of the same 168 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 2: thing happening in the territory and they continued to focus 169 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 2: on biosecurity for all travelers. 170 00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, NT Cattleman's Association Will Evans always good to 171 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:04,120 Speaker 1: catch up with you mate. We appreciate your time this morning. 172 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 2: Not a problem, Thanks Catie, thank you.