1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,360 Speaker 1: Joining us on the line is the colp's member for Namajira, 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: Bill Yang. 3 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:05,080 Speaker 2: Good morning to you. 4 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:06,240 Speaker 3: Bill Mare and Katie. 5 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 4: How are you? 6 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:08,719 Speaker 1: Yeah, well mate, I'm not sure what happened with our 7 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:12,559 Speaker 1: phone lines before, but I was just talking about and 8 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: certainly letting our listeners know that you'd spoken a couple 9 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:17,800 Speaker 1: of weeks ago in Parliament about some of the issues 10 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:19,760 Speaker 1: that we've got with crime in Alice Springs. 11 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 2: Now you spoke about a restaurant. 12 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:24,280 Speaker 1: Owner who was concerned that they were on the verge 13 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: of needing to put on a security guard to protect 14 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:32,240 Speaker 1: patrons and staff. I understand though, that that same business 15 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:34,640 Speaker 1: owner was assaulted last week. 16 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 2: Tell us what happened. 17 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, okay, it's pretty sad when you think about it. 18 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 4: I spoke about this in parliament as a matter of 19 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:45,879 Speaker 4: public importance around the issues we're phacing here in All 20 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,879 Speaker 4: Springs and had the restaurant he who was at the 21 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:50,839 Speaker 4: point in time where you thought he might have to 22 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:52,839 Speaker 4: put on a security guard, which is pretty bad. 23 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 3: And of course, yeah, last week there was someone there 24 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 3: that was on the beam because they've caused trouble before 25 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 3: and when fuse service, he'd got violent and. 26 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 4: The owner of the restaurant ended up being sold in 27 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 4: trying to protect one of the other staff members. 28 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:10,919 Speaker 2: Goodness me, is that is that owner? 29 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 3: Okay, Well, he's got a hell of a show on 30 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:15,760 Speaker 3: or I can tell you. 31 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 4: And he went into the hospital to get checked out. 32 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 3: He seems to be okay. Of course, as you imagine, 33 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,479 Speaker 3: pretty shaken up. It's not something you expect to happen. 34 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:28,040 Speaker 3: But yeah, he's doing okay at the moment. But yeah, 35 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:29,319 Speaker 3: certainly worrying. 36 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 2: Just talk us through, Bill. 37 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 1: I mean, we've spoken about the issues with anti social 38 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: behavior and crime in Alice Springs on numerous occasions. From 39 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:41,479 Speaker 1: what I can gather and certainly what I've heard from 40 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 1: the police, they've amped up their numbers down there and 41 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 1: had their they've they've got the task force that are 42 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: certainly concentrating on this kind of thing. 43 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 2: Has it made much of a difference. 44 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 3: I think in some areas there's been some difference. We've 45 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 3: got viper happening down here, which is specifically targeting I 46 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 3: suppose younger offenders and properly type crime, but we're still 47 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 3: seeing some other bits and pieces taking place. And you 48 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 3: would have seen some of the stuff on it's been 49 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:13,680 Speaker 3: report on social media and then made it onto mainstream 50 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 3: meeting where people being assaulted in the streets and assaulted 51 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 3: inside restaurants. That sort of stuff still carrying on. So 52 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 3: I don't know that the police are doing that. I 53 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 3: suppose the best they can, but we need to be 54 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 3: a little bit proactive in how we tackle some of 55 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 3: this stuff, and maybe a more visual police presence in 56 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 3: the CBD at night might be the only way to 57 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 3: do it. 58 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:37,639 Speaker 1: But what a business owners saying to you as the 59 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: local member? You know, what are they saying to you? 60 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: And what are residents saying to you right now? 61 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 4: Well? 62 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:45,639 Speaker 3: There at their which end, k they don't know what 63 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:49,959 Speaker 3: to do. And just in this one restaurant, yeah they've 64 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,800 Speaker 3: had to put on a security guard. But I've seen 65 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 3: some of the visuals of fights and assaults inside restaurants 66 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 3: and you can see the business owners cow in the background. 67 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 3: They shouldn't have to put up with this that they 68 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 3: don't need. They need to know how to run their business, 69 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 3: they don't need to know how to break up fights 70 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 3: and protect their patrons. So yeah, it's quite bad and 71 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 3: they just don't know what to do anymore. 72 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 2: And it makes you wonder as well. 73 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 1: You know, for some of those business owners if they're 74 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 1: going to get to the point where they think, well, 75 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 1: we don't we just don't want to operate anymore. 76 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 3: Well, and that's part of the problem, Katie, is that 77 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 3: businesses are already doing it really tough during COVID and everything else, 78 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 3: and they're struggling to stay of flight. They're struggling to 79 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 3: keep the doors open, let alone putting some of these 80 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 3: crime issues on top of that to compound it. There's 81 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 3: lots of businesses at that point where do we really 82 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 3: want to stay open? Do we close the doors? We 83 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 3: had businesses here in our Springs in the mall we're 84 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 3: actually keeping their doors locked to keep people out and 85 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 3: waiting for people to come and knock on the door 86 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 3: who wanted to come in. 87 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: That's how bad it got it one stay wow, Bill, 88 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: I read on social media as well, and please correct. 89 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 2: Me if this is the case or isn't the. 90 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: Case That Fiery is that also had some of their 91 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 1: stuff stolen as well when they're out on a job. 92 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, I've seen that on social media. I can't confirm 93 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,039 Speaker 3: if it's true or not. Go buy reports. Is that 94 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 3: is while so out on a job, some people got 95 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:24,440 Speaker 3: into the station and got into their personal view. So 96 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 3: you go to wonder sometimes what hope have we got well? 97 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: And you just wonder, you know, I really just wonder 98 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:34,280 Speaker 1: what the answer is. I've lived in Alice Springs. It's 99 00:04:34,320 --> 00:04:36,799 Speaker 1: a lovely place. I think we all, you know, everybody 100 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:39,839 Speaker 1: knows what a great place it is. But if it 101 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 1: gets to the point where residents aren't feeling safe and 102 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 1: they're feeling really worried about this type of thing happening, 103 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 1: you just sort of wonder what the answer is. 104 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 2: I keep saying, I think we all need. 105 00:04:50,440 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 1: To put our politics aside and just try to sort 106 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 1: something out to get the community back to the way 107 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: it needs to be. 108 00:04:59,680 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 4: Well. 109 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,480 Speaker 3: I said, I love ol Springs two k. It's thirty 110 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 3: years here now, and I've been stating in parliament that 111 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 3: we need to have a bit of a bipart as 112 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:09,159 Speaker 3: it approach on how to tackle some of these things. 113 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 3: There needs to be some community led solutions around this. 114 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 3: Some people are going to have to make some hard 115 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 3: decisions on how we might tackle it. The elders and 116 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 3: the traditional loaners in and around the place need to 117 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:24,240 Speaker 3: be involved in any solutions that we come up with. 118 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 3: But we can't keep going down this road. Our springs 119 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 3: a beautiful and wonderful place and it really hurts to 120 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:32,279 Speaker 3: see it like this. 121 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, I bet well, Bill Yan, I really appreciate your 122 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:36,719 Speaker 1: time this morning. 123 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 3: You know. 124 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:40,040 Speaker 1: I pass on our well wishes please to that business 125 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:43,359 Speaker 1: owner who was assaulted. You know, it's so upsetting to 126 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: hear that kind of thing happening in the Northern Territory, 127 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 1: So please pass on our well wishes well. 128 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 3: Dokay, Thanks you, Tom, and you have a great Christmas. 129 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 2: You too, mate, Thank you, thanks for having a chat 130 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 2: with us here. 131 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:57,160 Speaker 4: Katie, thank you. 132 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 1: That is the member Foranamajira there, Bill. Yeah, and gee, 133 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 1: I'll tell you what it is a terrible situation, you know, 134 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 1: where you've got a business owner who's being assaulted while 135 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:09,960 Speaker 1: they're at work, trying to protect their staff, and then 136 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:11,680 Speaker 1: having to put on private security. 137 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:13,680 Speaker 2: It seems pretty unbelievable. I know. 138 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 1: We got to the point even in Darwin City a 139 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 1: while back. You'll remember at I think it was at 140 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:22,040 Speaker 1: Frankies that used to be there at the end of 141 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:24,720 Speaker 1: Raintree Park. They got to the point where they'd had 142 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:27,159 Speaker 1: to hire their own private security as well at one 143 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 1: point because the anti social behavior was quite bad. I mean, 144 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:34,360 Speaker 1: you've just got to question how we get to that point. 145 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:37,599 Speaker 1: And I know that the police are obviously incredibly busy, 146 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:40,840 Speaker 1: they're out managing a lot of different things. But you 147 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:43,640 Speaker 1: just wonder, as a community, how have we come to 148 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 1: just accept that that sort of behavior is happening and 149 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 1: we turn a blind eye to it. I don't think 150 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:52,480 Speaker 1: we can, particularly in Alice Springs. You know, we've got 151 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 1: a town there that is screaming out for help, and 152 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 1: I think that, like I said to Bill, our politicians 153 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 1: need to sort of put their differences aside here and 154 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 1: try their best to come to some sort of resolution 155 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 1: for the town.