1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,560 Speaker 1: You're listening to Mix one O four nine's three sixty now. 2 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 1: Earlier in the week, it was announced that the Environment 3 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:10,319 Speaker 1: and Communications Reference Committee of the Federal Senate are going 4 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: to undertake an inquiry to examine the NT government's proposed 5 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 1: Middle Arm Industrial Precinct, which is indeed located in Darwin Harbor. 6 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: The Independent member Farra Lun Robin Lamley, has welcomed the 7 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: news and joins me on the line. 8 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Robin, Good morning Katie. 9 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: Now Robin, the Northern Territory government has said that the 10 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:36,839 Speaker 1: proposed Middle Arm precinct is a renewable energy hub. What 11 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 1: are your concerns with this precinct? 12 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:45,520 Speaker 2: Well, I don't necessarily have any concerns about what they're proposing, 13 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:50,199 Speaker 2: but I sense that there's been a number of backflips 14 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 2: and misinformation provided by the government on exactly what they 15 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 2: intend to this Middle Arm industrial estate, and I think 16 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:03,640 Speaker 2: that we're not being told the full truth. And the 17 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 2: main piece of information that they've backflipped on is the 18 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 2: inclusion of a petrochemical factory. We know from an SOOI 19 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 2: a freedom of information request put through by the ABC 20 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 2: in April that the Chief Minister and Cabinets Department was 21 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 2: asked to remove the term petrochemical from all the government 22 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:31,759 Speaker 2: websites late last year and I just see this as 23 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 2: a rat Katie, and I welcome this inquiry to reveal 24 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 2: exactly what the government intends for this site. If they 25 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 2: want to build a petrochemical plant on that site, well 26 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 2: and good, but own it and be honest about it 27 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 2: and don't lie to territorium. 28 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 1: Yeah. I think that that point that you make is 29 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 1: a really good one. If you're going to do it, 30 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 1: just be honest and upfront about it, no need to 31 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 1: hide it, and then Territorians can make their own decisions 32 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 1: about whether they think it's a good idea or not, 33 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: because I mean, at the end of the day, we 34 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: know that the economy is filing, it has been for 35 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: quite some time. We know that we need to sort 36 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:14,080 Speaker 1: of find our own own ways to be sustainable financially 37 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: and also environmentally, and you know when it comes to 38 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:19,679 Speaker 1: the power. But I think you've just got to be 39 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:20,519 Speaker 1: honest about it. 40 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 2: Well, this government has an appalling record when it comes 41 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 2: to managing environmental issues and I would lay claim that 42 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:32,800 Speaker 2: it's been the worst Northern Territory government in the history 43 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,799 Speaker 2: of the place. In terms of their environmental credentials, they 44 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 2: said they wouldn't frack. They're fracking the Beterloo. They have 45 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 2: given out the largest water license in the history of 46 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:46,919 Speaker 2: the Northern Territory to Singleton Station in the Barklay area, 47 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 2: and yet they still claim that their environmental warriors. And 48 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 2: it just doesn't stack up. Katie. And now we know 49 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 2: that they're lying about their intention to allow petroical plan 50 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 2: to operate at Middle Arm. We know that because Andrew 51 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 2: Liveris has been very upfront for many years. He was 52 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:13,640 Speaker 2: the co chair of the Territory Economic Recovery Committee. He 53 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 2: was the former chair of Dow Industries, a petrochemical manufacturer, 54 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:24,960 Speaker 2: for fourteen years. He's been very upfront in pushing successive 55 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:30,359 Speaker 2: Northern Territory governments to go into the petrochemical industry sector. 56 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 2: And we know that he has been embraced by this government. 57 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 2: He was embraced by Henderson, he certainly had contact with 58 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:41,120 Speaker 2: the former Colp government and now he's been embraced by 59 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 2: the Gunner government and the Files government. We know that 60 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 2: that's on the agenda. It is absolutely it has absolutely 61 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 2: been considered and the door is open for that to happen. 62 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 1: So, Robin, are you opposed to that being the case, 63 00:03:54,240 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: because I mean, I guess we're always giving the government 64 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:00,120 Speaker 1: stick about not getting the economy moving. I mean, we've 65 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 1: got a project that they say is going to create 66 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: an enormous volume of jobs. So are you opposed to 67 00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: the project actually happening or are you just concerned that 68 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 1: they're not opening up front so you don't really believe 69 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 1: what they're saying. 70 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 2: I'm not opposed to it. I think you know, it's 71 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:20,839 Speaker 2: been over ten years since this was first put to 72 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 2: the Northern Territory government in the Hendison era, and I 73 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 2: know that the environmental requirements of petrochemical industries around the 74 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,159 Speaker 2: world have tightened up, have improved. I think it could 75 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:37,159 Speaker 2: work with a lot of scrutiny and regulation. What I'm 76 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 2: opposed to, Katie, is the hypocrisy and the lies that 77 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:43,919 Speaker 2: are coming out of this government when it comes to 78 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 2: environmental issues. I've not opposed to anything realistic that we 79 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 2: need to generate economic growth with the Northern Territory. I 80 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:57,599 Speaker 2: get it. We need gas, we need industries, we need jobs. 81 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 2: I'm absolutely behind that. But when you have a government 82 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:07,560 Speaker 2: that is courting the idea of a petrochemical plant in 83 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 2: Middle Arm that've had it all over at multiple websites. 84 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:15,159 Speaker 2: Then they're instructing their bureaucrats to take that word out 85 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 2: of anywhere related to the Northern Territory government. You know 86 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 2: you've got a problem. You know that you're not being 87 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 2: told the truth that they're trying to play both sides. 88 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 2: They're trying to schmooz up to the environmental environmentalists and 89 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 2: the greenies as well as the industrialists and people that 90 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:36,920 Speaker 2: are trying to grow the economy. You can't have it 91 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 2: both ways, Katie, and this government tries to do it 92 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 2: through blatant hypocrisy and lying. And that's why I support 93 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 2: this inquiry. I don't necessarily share the same as generas 94 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 2: of others that might be supporting this inquiry, but I 95 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:57,599 Speaker 2: support it because it's an opportunity to really scrutinize what 96 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:01,360 Speaker 2: this government is really on about. And this government is 97 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 2: it hates scrutiny. It shuts down parliamentary inquiries, shuts down 98 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:10,040 Speaker 2: all mechanisms to scrutinize it. And here we have a 99 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 2: federal Senate inquiry that's going to be asking a lot 100 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 2: of uncomfortable questions of this government, and I hope that 101 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 2: they tell them the truth. 102 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:21,480 Speaker 1: Robin. Are you concerned though, that the inquiry could stifle 103 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:22,200 Speaker 1: the project? 104 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:29,479 Speaker 2: Look, I not really, because I think it's probably a 105 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 2: long way off anyway. This is the federal Government's put 106 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:36,239 Speaker 2: almost two billion dollars on the table for the Middle 107 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 2: Arm precinct. These things take a long time to evolve 108 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:43,680 Speaker 2: and happen. Look at how long the INPEX project took 109 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 2: to even come about, so I think it's good timing. Actually, 110 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 2: this hasn't even started really, it's just in the planning stage, 111 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:54,599 Speaker 2: so it's a perfect time to do it. I think 112 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:57,240 Speaker 2: if it was sort of well Underwagh and all of 113 00:06:57,279 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 2: a sudden you've got to send an inquiry trying to 114 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 2: pull the brake, that's a different story. But I think 115 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:06,600 Speaker 2: this should be okay, and the outcome of this inquiries 116 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 2: due to be tabled in the Federal Senate in February. 117 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 2: I think, so the time frames tied. I don't think 118 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:17,520 Speaker 2: it will delay or postpone or have a negative impact 119 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 2: on anything apart from the government because they will be 120 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:25,680 Speaker 2: uncovered as being liars. I think I think it's just 121 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 2: going to reveal how much crap that this government has 122 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 2: been feeding us when it comes to what's really happening 123 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:34,240 Speaker 2: within this precinct. 124 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 1: Robin, before I let you go, we have been talking 125 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: this morning about the police review that is now underway. 126 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 1: What are you hoping that this police review does. 127 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 2: Look, we've been calling the independence and the opposition have 128 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 2: been calling on a review into the police service for 129 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 2: many years now. The last review was done by the 130 00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:01,559 Speaker 2: Henderson government in two thousand and I think so I'd 131 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 2: like a broad ranging review. I think that there's been 132 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 2: a huge amount of problems within our police service, particularly 133 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:14,680 Speaker 2: as a result of the Zach Rohlfs case and the 134 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 2: Chalker business. You know, I think what I would welcome 135 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 2: is some honesty again around what the impact of those 136 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 2: two things have been on the police force, the Chalker 137 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 2: debacle and the Zach Rolf case, and look at reflecting 138 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 2: on how things could have been done better, and of 139 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:38,679 Speaker 2: course you know police recruitment and retention. We just don't 140 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:42,080 Speaker 2: have people on the ground to fill all the positions. 141 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 2: So a broad ranging inquiry well over due. It's been 142 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 2: over ten years since we've had a proper independent review 143 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 2: into the police and I welcome that also. 144 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:55,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree, Look, I think the more we can 145 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:58,560 Speaker 1: find out and if we can work out exactly, you know, 146 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 1: how many police officers we need in the Northern Territory 147 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:04,440 Speaker 1: or how short we are, and also try to help 148 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 1: them to be able to do their jobs to the 149 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:11,080 Speaker 1: standard that they are wanting to do with the resources 150 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 1: that they require. 151 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:17,959 Speaker 2: Absolutely, I think that they've felt very marginalized and misunderstood 152 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 2: for a long time, the rank and file police in 153 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,320 Speaker 2: the Northern Territory. They've been very hurt by what's gone on, 154 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 2: as have a lot of other territorians. So we need 155 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 2: to dignify them with a decent and honest appraisal of 156 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 2: what's been going on and give them some direction, some 157 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 2: positive direction going forward. 158 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:39,200 Speaker 1: Well, Robin Lamley, the Independent member for Oura Lun, We 159 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 1: always appreciate your time. Thanks for having a chat this morning. 160 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:43,960 Speaker 2: My pleasure, Katie. 161 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:46,559 Speaker 1: Thank you you are listening to Mix one O four 162 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:48,120 Speaker 1: nine now. If you do want to send us a 163 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 1: message or give us a call, we'd love to hear 164 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:50,680 Speaker 1: from you.