1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,160 Speaker 1: And if you're listening to the show earlier in the week, 2 00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:05,360 Speaker 1: you would have heard. I think everybody was so concerned 3 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:07,720 Speaker 1: that we're in a situation where territory kids who are 4 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:10,880 Speaker 1: at boarding school and also at university were looking like 5 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: they weren't going to be able to get home for Christmas, 6 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: despite the fact that their families in a lot of 7 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: these cases live on stations or properties. 8 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 2: That are very regional and remote. 9 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:23,239 Speaker 1: And joining me on the line to give us a 10 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 1: bit of an update on how things are looking now 11 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,319 Speaker 1: that those rules changed, is Sarah Cook, the president of 12 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:33,519 Speaker 1: the Isolated Children's or Isolated Children's Parents Association. Good morning 13 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: to you, Sarah, Good morning Katie. 14 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:39,839 Speaker 3: We call ourselves ICPA. Oh that's easy much of a mouthful. 15 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:42,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, I was going to say that sounds easier, Sarah. 16 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 2: Let's go with that, mate. 17 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:47,960 Speaker 1: How are things looking after the government came out just 18 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:49,599 Speaker 1: a couple of days ago and said that they were 19 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 1: going to change those rules? 20 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 3: Well bloody great. Well I can't swear on radio, but 21 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 3: it is. It is bloody great. And tell you what, 22 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:04,919 Speaker 3: the mood and the feeling around for that five days 23 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:07,399 Speaker 3: was just ANXS. Yeah. I tried to find a better 24 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 3: word to describe it, but I really can't because we're 25 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:12,959 Speaker 3: all wringing our hands. And this big wave of relief 26 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 3: and celebration came over us when Minister Madison announced the 27 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:21,400 Speaker 3: changes and yet Bloody Grave. 28 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:25,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, it must have been such a relief for all 29 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:25,479 Speaker 1: of you. 30 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 2: What was it like. 31 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:28,960 Speaker 1: What's the reaction been from the kids as well, who 32 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:30,720 Speaker 1: are worried about whether they're going to be able to 33 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: get home. 34 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 3: Oh, Katie, we have been on their seat, Our families 35 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:36,400 Speaker 3: and children have been on their seesaw for the last 36 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 3: you know, twenty one months, and their children really don't 37 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 3: know whether they're coming or going, or Arthur or Martha 38 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:45,679 Speaker 3: with respect to going back to school and coming back 39 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 3: home again, whether they can get home without having to quarantine, 40 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 3: whether they have to go through a range of tests. 41 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 3: I think I recounted the story of a family who've 42 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 3: had three children sleeping on the floor of a house 43 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 3: that was a quarantine house. They were they had taken 44 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 3: six COVID tests in a very short number of days, 45 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 3: and the children just wanted to go home. And of 46 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 3: course that property was geographically isolated, so the parents had 47 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 3: every ability to make sure that those children were not 48 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 3: in contact with the broader community. Anyway, it was a 49 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 3: big celebration. They announcement was made. Everybody harah, the children 50 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 3: went home and we're all ready now to enjoy our 51 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:24,559 Speaker 3: nice hot summer. 52 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 2: All good stuff. I mean, are all the kids sort 53 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:28,959 Speaker 2: of booked to come back? When do they all do 54 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 2: to get back? 55 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 3: Well, you know we'd that five days when there was 56 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 3: so much uncertainty. Everybody just made alternate plans. So it 57 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 3: really has I think, stuff to the broader community around 58 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 3: in the territory, you know, regional on remote towns. It 59 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 3: wasn't just cattle station people who were affected. It was 60 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 3: you know, Jabaru or Elliott, Tenant Creek, some pretty major centers, Yolara. 61 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 3: So everybody scrambled to make new plans, and now we're 62 00:02:56,760 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 3: scrambling to reverse the new plans back to the old plan. 63 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 3: But you know, the best thing is is that the 64 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:07,360 Speaker 3: changes are really sensible. I think they've been well considered, 65 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 3: despite the fact that the first announcement was not very 66 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:14,519 Speaker 3: well considered. The second announcement, the modified changes are pretty 67 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:16,919 Speaker 3: good actually, and they make a lot of sense to us. 68 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 3: We're used to following rules. Nobody wants to be the 69 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 3: first person to take COVID into the bush or into 70 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,960 Speaker 3: the region. So we're going to follow the rules to 71 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 3: the latter, but gosh, they're much easier this time. 72 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 2: I reckon, Sarah, do you have you got kids that 73 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 2: are away? 74 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 3: I have a boarding school son actually, and he's on 75 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 3: his way home the on well actually was going to 76 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 3: be you know before now, but anyway, so we've changed 77 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 3: it around and he's managed to get some time with 78 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 3: his mates in the lead up to Christmas. So he'll 79 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 3: be on his way home in the next week or sorry, 80 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 3: but he's got a bit of extra time over there now. 81 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 2: All good stuff. I mean, you must be happy that 82 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 2: he's coming home. 83 00:03:56,880 --> 00:04:00,280 Speaker 3: Though, Katie. You know what I'm most happy about that 84 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 3: he's coming home, but that, for the first time in 85 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 3: six years, will be able to have a family Christmas. 86 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 3: Because I'll tell you what's happening in the bush. We've 87 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 3: had rain. Our cattle prices are strong at the moment. 88 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 3: Our biggest dilemma, of course, is staff. But we've all 89 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 3: worked really hard to try and get some stuff in place. 90 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:21,160 Speaker 3: We've got anybody relying on surface water has got service water. 91 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:23,599 Speaker 3: I shouldn't say anybody, because there's still people that miss out. 92 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:26,840 Speaker 3: But I think above all we're not in the horrid 93 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 3: situation we were a couple of years ago, and people 94 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 3: like my husband and myself are just really puffed out. 95 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 3: We want to break. So yeah, so that's the best 96 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 3: bit is we can have a break and we can 97 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:36,480 Speaker 3: have a break together. 98 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, you must be so relieved. And I 99 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:45,800 Speaker 1: tell you what it is like. Absolutely, it's absolute resilience. 100 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: You know that people who live on the land and 101 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:51,920 Speaker 1: work on the land really demonstrate each and every day 102 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 1: and what you've just said there, you know what the 103 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 1: ups and downs that you go through, it would be 104 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:59,160 Speaker 1: really tough, and a lot of stuff that many of 105 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 1: us don't even rea lies so we take for granted. 106 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 1: And then when you were looking like you weren't going 107 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 1: to be able to have family home, would have just 108 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:06,679 Speaker 1: been a real kick in the guts. 109 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:09,000 Speaker 2: So I'm so glad that it's turned around. 110 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:12,919 Speaker 3: It was a big kick in the guts. But you know, Katie, 111 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:16,720 Speaker 3: the regions and the Bush we're all united. I tell 112 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 3: you what. There was a strong feeling of unity. I 113 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 3: was speaking to some high level stakeholders and MLAs out 114 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 3: in the Bush. We all just banded together and we 115 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:28,479 Speaker 3: came respectfully, hat in hand to the government and said 116 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:31,600 Speaker 3: this just cannot work for us. We had some really 117 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:36,480 Speaker 3: great senior executives in governments that worked with our stakeholders. 118 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 3: The people got right behind her and sent letters to 119 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:45,919 Speaker 3: the Chief and other ministers and we just were able 120 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:47,839 Speaker 3: to get that message through. And it was a really 121 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:52,559 Speaker 3: fresh feeling working together on a united front to help 122 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 3: change these directions. So now look, people in Tennant Creek 123 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:01,359 Speaker 3: are happy, people in Jabru and go even all around. 124 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 3: You know, we're all happy. So it's not just us 125 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:06,040 Speaker 3: on cattle stations. We're all big group out here. 126 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 2: Good on you. I bloody love Regional Australia. I just 127 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:15,280 Speaker 2: love it than Olivia. Good on you. 128 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: I just think you know, it's I'm really glad that 129 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: this common sense has prevailed. And I'm so glad that 130 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:25,040 Speaker 1: all of you parents who've got kids that are at 131 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:27,720 Speaker 1: boarding school or at university that you're going to get 132 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 1: to see them for Christmas. 133 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, big from here. Good on you. 134 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:34,919 Speaker 1: Thank you, Sarah, Thanks so much for your time throughout 135 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 1: the week as well. 136 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:37,640 Speaker 2: Have a lovely Christmas with your family. 137 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 3: Cheer. 138 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 2: Thank you you too.