1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,760 Speaker 1: Joining me on the line right now is Louise Belato, 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: the chief executive of the Northern Territory Transport Association. Good 3 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: morning to you, Louise. How are you. 4 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:10,520 Speaker 2: Good morning Katie. 5 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: Thank you, thanks so much for your time again this morning, Louise. 6 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,600 Speaker 1: How are things going on the Stuart Highway at the moment. 7 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: Is there any sort of end in sight when we 8 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:22,480 Speaker 1: talk about the rain and flooding. 9 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 2: Well, certainly the rain events in South Australia have eased 10 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 2: up dramatically and we are hoping that all the efforts 11 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,559 Speaker 2: that the South Australian Government are making to ensure that 12 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:41,480 Speaker 2: the road at Glen Dambo is passable. Will know very soon, 13 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 2: you know, in the next coming days whether it is 14 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:48,880 Speaker 2: going to be opened at least one lane to heavy 15 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 2: air goal traffic. We're urging obviously the South Australian government 16 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 2: to look at every contingency in terms of traffic management, 17 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 2: whether it's singles, lighter loads across that one kilometer section 18 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 2: of five culvits that have been potentially compromised, although we're 19 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 2: hoping that they aren't, but that we'll do. The road 20 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 2: transport industry will take whatever we can efforts to get 21 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 2: the trucks moving, and if those measures have to be 22 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,319 Speaker 2: put in place for a week or two until it 23 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 2: drives out further or until some other contingencies can be 24 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 2: put in place, we will do so. But in the 25 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 2: meantime everything's still coming via New South Wales and Queensland. 26 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: And Louise can you talk us through. I know on 27 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 1: Monday when you and I spoke, he gave us some 28 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 1: numbers of you know, how many, like how many freight 29 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: vehicles we would usually have coming into the Northern Territory 30 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 1: delivering things like our groceries a week, and the numbers 31 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 1: that we're at sort of at the moment. Can you 32 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: talk us through those numbers now? On Friday a few 33 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 1: days later? 34 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, well right now, Darwin, the essentials are at 35 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 2: eighty percent capacity. So whilst you might see some gaps 36 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 2: on the supermarket shelves, there is a bulk of the 37 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 2: food stuffs that come through. There are more dry goods 38 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 2: that are coming up. So initially with the closure, obviously 39 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:27,839 Speaker 2: the perishables and the frozen foods were prioritized, and now 40 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 2: the dry goods that would normally come up via rail 41 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 2: freight also coming up on trailers from Adelaide. So as 42 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 2: soon as I said, the East Jeet Highway reopens, we'll 43 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 2: see a lot more of that dry goods freight being moved. Obviously, 44 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 2: the rail is still telling us that they are expecting 45 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 2: to open by the seventeenth and there will be some 46 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 2: restrictions there and it could be up to six or 47 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 2: eight weeks before they are able to clear backlogs on 48 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 2: the rail. So there will be a lot more freight 49 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 2: coming up through the center as soon as the Glen 50 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 2: Danbo section of road is opened. 51 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:13,920 Speaker 1: And Louise talk us through, you know the route now 52 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:15,920 Speaker 1: that they are having to take. So they're having to 53 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: go up through Queensland, now, are they. 54 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 2: Well, the route from South Australia is up towards Burg 55 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 2: in New South Wales and then you know normally through 56 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 2: long Reach and Mount Isa into the Northern Territory through 57 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 2: the Berkley and again you know earlier in the week 58 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 2: when we were seeing all those weather events through Queensland 59 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 2: and into the territory. We're very concerned about the Barkley 60 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 2: Highway holding up at this moment. It's good, but what 61 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 2: we know is that there are no other alternative sealed 62 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 2: routes that those road trains can take through New South 63 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 2: Wales and Queensland easily, you know, the detours, some of 64 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 2: them are unsealed or they're not triple road train rated. 65 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 2: So it's really important that that alternative route that they 66 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:16,280 Speaker 2: are taking at the moment stays open if the Stuart 67 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 2: Highway isn't reopened. Our highest priority is to get the 68 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 2: Stuart Highway opened again as quickly as possible. 69 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,599 Speaker 1: And I understand, and please correct me if I'm wrong. 70 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: I thought i'd read somewhere that there is actually some 71 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 1: you know, some work sort of happening there at the 72 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:37,720 Speaker 1: moment at the Stuart Highway that they're doing. They're actually 73 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:40,840 Speaker 1: looking at options to pump water away and things like that. 74 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:45,840 Speaker 2: I think there was that there's been plenty of road 75 00:04:45,880 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 2: engineers out there doing the inspections. One of the things 76 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:52,919 Speaker 2: that they are doing, I think right now today is 77 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 2: looking at a drainage solutions by digging some trenches. So 78 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 2: they weren't able to get heavier moving equipment on site 79 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 2: to actually do that until the water levels reduced further. 80 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 2: But what we're asking for is even whilst those you know, 81 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 2: remedial road works are occurring, if it's possible to move 82 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:23,360 Speaker 2: road trains or trucks through whatever, you know, reduce configurations 83 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 2: and weight limits. Please allow that to happen. So as 84 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:31,360 Speaker 2: soon as the road is able to take you know, 85 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 2: vehicles through you know, five kilometers an hour with lots 86 00:05:36,839 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 2: of traffic controls, We're very happy to have all of 87 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:44,480 Speaker 2: those things applied. But it will make a huge difference 88 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 2: to the time that you know, the freight can be 89 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:52,839 Speaker 2: delivered into the territory, and also the the impact on 90 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 2: the workforce because you know, this is a huge additional 91 00:05:56,600 --> 00:06:01,840 Speaker 2: time burden. And also then the equipment is freed up 92 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:03,839 Speaker 2: more quickly to be able to move more freight. 93 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,159 Speaker 1: Yeah, and we did talk just a short time ago 94 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 1: as well to one of the supermarkets who said that 95 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 1: obviously their freight costs are going up, as you would 96 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 1: imagine at this point in time, while these different measures 97 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:19,719 Speaker 1: have been being taken. Louise, how are our truckes going 98 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:21,520 Speaker 1: you know, those people that are out on the roads 99 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 1: having to deal with this, I know it must be 100 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 1: a pretty tough time at the moment. 101 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:30,039 Speaker 2: Well, yes, absolutely, Katie. And it's exactually making me really 102 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:34,120 Speaker 2: furious to hear these suggestions that the road transport industry 103 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 2: is taking advantage and putting their freight prices up. Fuel, 104 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 2: as I understand today, has gone up six cents a 105 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 2: liter between the second and the fourth of February and 106 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 2: is likely to go up another six cents a liter 107 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 2: before the eleventh of February. That's across the board, but 108 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 2: it's particularly impactful on the road transport industry. The road 109 00:06:55,880 --> 00:07:00,120 Speaker 2: transport industries add blue costs are an additional three one 110 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:03,240 Speaker 2: hundred and fifty percent over what they are paying in 111 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 2: the first week in December, and none of those prices 112 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 2: have been pushed have been able to be pushed back 113 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 2: onto the customer at all. We've had major costs with 114 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 2: COVID in terms of administration rat tests now PCR test 115 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 2: time that truck drivers have been doing it for the 116 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 2: last two years. And so this suggestion that the road 117 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 2: transport industry is hiking up prices, I mean, I just 118 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:34,720 Speaker 2: find that really deeply offensive because they have pivoted so 119 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 2: quickly to ensure that supermarket shelves are filled, and yet 120 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 2: people aren't at home when they normally would be because 121 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 2: they're on the road delivering strate. 122 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:47,239 Speaker 1: But has there I guess, has there been an increase 123 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:50,120 Speaker 1: so in the freight prices just as a result of 124 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:54,240 Speaker 1: people having to work longer hours and those delivery you know, 125 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: like the delivery routes changing. 126 00:07:56,960 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 2: Absolutely there has because as we're saying there, the truck 127 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 2: drivers are on the road. So where as something that 128 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 2: would have normally taken five days, it's taking seven days. 129 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 2: You know that that's time that those drivers are needing 130 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 2: to be paid. Absolutely, that's you know, a significant impost. 131 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:20,080 Speaker 2: But more than that, it's it's in this perfect storm 132 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 2: of all these other expenses, and the problem is that 133 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 2: we just don't have an easily accessible workforce to allow 134 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:31,239 Speaker 2: people to have you know, there's their time off easily 135 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:33,440 Speaker 2: as well. It's it's just not there. 136 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, No, Look, the supermarket wasn't critical of the fact 137 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:38,840 Speaker 1: that those freight prices were going up. They were just 138 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,079 Speaker 1: saying that it is like that, you know, it's going 139 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 1: to be passed on obviously at the like when people 140 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:49,360 Speaker 1: go to buy their their their goods in some ways, Yeah. 141 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 2: I understand that, and certainly I know that there are 142 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 2: you know a lot of additional vehicles that don't normally 143 00:08:57,320 --> 00:09:02,840 Speaker 2: move supermarket food stuff that and have long term contracts 144 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 2: with those you know, whether it's I g A or 145 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 2: Independent Grosses or you know some of the other food 146 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 2: chains that potentially are putting the corrects traits rates to 147 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:20,080 Speaker 2: them during this period of time. And if you've got 148 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 2: a longer term contract in place, you can negotiate prices 149 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:26,199 Speaker 2: because you've got confidence that you're going to be getting 150 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 2: the work ongoing. And so these are exceptional times and 151 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:34,240 Speaker 2: exceptional circumstances. But that's also why we're desperate to see 152 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:39,559 Speaker 2: that the National Highway network is treated like a national 153 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:44,320 Speaker 2: highway network in the Territory and South Australia for flood mitigation, 154 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 2: because well, it could be a once in a two 155 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:50,680 Speaker 2: hundred year flood at Glendambo, but it could happen again 156 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 2: next year. So that's what we're urging ye done long term. 157 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:58,679 Speaker 1: Well and Louise, you know, as a federal election approaches, 158 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 1: we know that there's always plenty promises from political parties, 159 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:04,680 Speaker 1: but is that something that you know from your perspective 160 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:07,120 Speaker 1: that realistically we need to look at doing. I know 161 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:08,960 Speaker 1: I spoke to you about this on Monday as well, 162 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:12,040 Speaker 1: but there does need to be that floodproofing happens there 163 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:14,560 Speaker 1: so that we don't wind up when We're in a 164 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 1: situation where a capital of Australia here in Darwin, you know, 165 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:21,640 Speaker 1: I mean of the Northern Territory, one of our Australia's 166 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: capital cities doesn't have food on the supermarket. 167 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:28,959 Speaker 2: Shelves exactly, Kagie, And I mean I made the point 168 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:33,680 Speaker 2: to someone else that's the one Hercules that dropped twenty 169 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 2: tons of freight into Cooper pet That's one pantech or 170 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:42,680 Speaker 2: one freezer van of a truck that would have been 171 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 2: in excess of one hundred thousand dollars that little exercise 172 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 2: has cost the federal government. So if you think of 173 00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:54,000 Speaker 2: what is needed here throughout the territory to deliver freight 174 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 2: at the moment, it's very substantial. So we must have 175 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 2: a national highway network that is robust and that can 176 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 2: withstand flood events well. 177 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 1: Louise Belato, the chief executive of the Northern Territory Transport Association. 178 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:12,559 Speaker 1: Before I let you go, someone's text through, and this 179 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 1: is on a very different note. I know that your 180 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 1: evil lawless sister, but someone's text through and said that 181 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:20,080 Speaker 1: you're her twin sister and they went to school with 182 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,439 Speaker 1: you at Darwin, at a Darwin High school in nineteen 183 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:25,079 Speaker 1: seventy five, Is that right. 184 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:29,559 Speaker 2: Louise, Yes, after cyclone, Tracy, we were there. And yes, 185 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:32,320 Speaker 2: see the Laula is my twin sister, and we both 186 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:36,360 Speaker 2: do the disclose that relationship because we sound alike. You. 187 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, no, I know. I definitely knew you were sisters, 188 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:41,640 Speaker 1: but I didn't realize you were twins. So there you go, 189 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,160 Speaker 1: and obviously one of your old schoolmates listening to the 190 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 1: show there as well. 191 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:48,040 Speaker 2: Hello aol mate. 192 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:50,880 Speaker 1: Good on your Louise. Thanks for your time this morning, 193 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 1: No doubt we'll talk again very soon. 194 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:55,000 Speaker 2: Thank you very much, Katie, thank you