1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,360 Speaker 1: Last month, we know the Northern territories newest administrator was 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: sworn in and as we've extensively discussed, the appointment wasn't 3 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: without controversy, but the administrator said that his actions would 4 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: speak louder than his words. Now his honor joins me 5 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: on the show. Good morning to your administrator. 6 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 2: Good morning Katie Wolf, Good morning Northern Territory and all 7 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:19,759 Speaker 2: your listeners. 8 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: Good to have you on the show. Now. I know 9 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: it's been well, unfortunately a pretty extraordinary time for the 10 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 1: wrong reasons, with all of the flooding that's been happening 11 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: around the Top End and indeed Central Australia as well 12 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:35,280 Speaker 1: in the Barclay. But Cyclone Norell of course was causing 13 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:36,879 Speaker 1: well she's still a bit of a menace now to 14 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 1: Western Australia unfortunately. But I know last time we spoke 15 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 1: you'd said that the Daily Region is where you consider home. 16 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: Have you been out there or have you been talking 17 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: to the locals? What are they telling you? 18 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:51,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, I've certainly been talking to the locals, Katie. Look 19 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 2: in my almost twenty years of living in the Northern Territory, 20 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 2: which I know is not as long as some, but 21 00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 2: twenty years is long enough to see weather conditions. It's 22 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 2: been the biggest wet the most the longest duration of 23 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 2: high rainfall as a wet season that I've seen in 24 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:10,399 Speaker 2: those twenty years, and it's the events have just come 25 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 2: one after the other after the other. And yes, look, 26 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 2: I've been talking to the community. We've visited a lot 27 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 2: of communities. You know, there's a lot of people displaced, 28 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 2: there's a lot of people hurt. I can tell you though, Katie, 29 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:23,880 Speaker 2: the one thing that's common in all of this is 30 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 2: that the territory and spirit is alive and well. People 31 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:30,319 Speaker 2: are banding together and helping out. And it's not just 32 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,119 Speaker 2: the people who are paid to get into these sort 33 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 2: of situations and help out. They've well gone above and 34 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 2: beyond their duty and what they're being paid for, but 35 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 2: the people that aren't even paid for it, that are 36 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:44,039 Speaker 2: just volunteers. The volunteer Army in the Northern Territory has 37 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 2: been absolutely fantastic, and I've spent a lot of time 38 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 2: going and seeing those volunteers and those people that are 39 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 2: helping out. Our visits bring some happiness to those people. 40 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 2: They're talking to an administrator that knows the country, knows 41 00:01:56,200 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 2: those rivers that's worked well. This is today is a 42 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:04,520 Speaker 2: month since I was sworn in as administrator, and we've 43 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 2: had some sixty six community engagements in that time, so 44 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 2: we've certainly been putting. The work in My office is 45 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 2: run off its feet. I said to the official secretary 46 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 2: that I'm a busy person. I like being busy. Let's 47 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:18,640 Speaker 2: be busy, and goodness Grace as he's kept me busy. 48 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 2: But it's mostly I think because of these unprecedented this 49 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:23,920 Speaker 2: unprecedented wet season. 50 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,680 Speaker 1: Yeah it is, and you know, it's just been unbelievable, 51 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: and so many people sort of out of their homes 52 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,680 Speaker 1: now as well. I understand that you have sort of 53 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:36,360 Speaker 1: you've been out to the different evacuee centers also, I 54 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: think you've been to some pop up schools and that 55 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:40,959 Speaker 1: kind of thing as well. What like, what are people 56 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 1: saying to you, you know, particularly those that have been 57 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 1: out of their home for an extended period now, and 58 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,239 Speaker 1: you know they're facing real hardship when they go back 59 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:52,320 Speaker 1: to their homes as well. They don't even know how 60 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 1: badly damaged they are. 61 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:55,920 Speaker 2: I think there's a range of emotions which is just 62 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:59,239 Speaker 2: human people are people are ranging from oh, well, it's happened, 63 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:01,239 Speaker 2: and it's happened to before for and it probably happen again, 64 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 2: and people will be worse off than us, So you know, 65 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 2: we'll be right, we'll get along. And then other people 66 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 2: are very frustrated by it and upset that they're out 67 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 2: of their homes. And I think the one common is 68 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 2: when people are unsure of what's going on back home 69 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 2: or with their house or with their community, then that 70 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,240 Speaker 2: leads to a frustration and certainly a heightened level of 71 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 2: their emotions. But I think the people involved have done 72 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 2: a good job of trying to keep the communication high. 73 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 2: We've done plenty of those evacuee centers. We've done it 74 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 2: without bells and whistles, because that's my way. It might 75 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 2: not be the officer's way, but it's certainly my way 76 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:38,839 Speaker 2: to poke about and go and see people and talk 77 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 2: to people. So you know, there hasn't been a whole 78 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 2: lot of publicity around our visits. I've gone to see 79 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 2: people and looking both in the centers I've been to, 80 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 2: I've seen people I know and been able to talk 81 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 2: to them. It's fantastic to be able to talk to them. 82 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 2: It's fantastic. Those people have been. You know, they just 83 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 2: come straight over and start talking to me. So we 84 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 2: have had a great cammunity engagement on those evacuee centers. 85 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 2: You know, they're trying centers. It's very trying time. But 86 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 2: I think the people involved in those centers are doing 87 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 2: a fantastic job. You know, we met one lady there 88 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 2: called Jenny that was pulling a double shift. I think 89 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 2: she kept she might have only told us about one 90 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 2: double shift. I think she was doing plenty and those 91 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 2: people and herself and her team, they're plenty tired, and 92 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:24,719 Speaker 2: they're plenty emotional about it all. They're just doing a 93 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 2: fantastic job. Katie. 94 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, this is the thing. You know, people like 95 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: Jenny who you've just spoken about. We spoke on the 96 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 1: radio a couple of weeks ago to one of the 97 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:35,920 Speaker 1: police officers, you know, who'd been collected by a chopper 98 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: pilot outside of Catherine. You probably saw the vision, did 99 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: you know? Then they were hovering over the top of 100 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 1: this vehicle. He had to save the save the people 101 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 1: that were there in the flooded water, and then save 102 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 1: the German shepherd. I mean administrative, very early call. You're 103 00:04:50,279 --> 00:04:52,239 Speaker 1: only a month into the job. But can we organize 104 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 1: some honorary sort of awards you reckon for some of 105 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 1: these people. 106 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 2: Well, I think I think, whether early into the job 107 00:04:58,480 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 2: or not, Katie, you've hit the nail on the head. 108 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 2: I'm actually on my way to Catherine on Saturday. 109 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: Now. 110 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 2: I've wanted to get to Catherine weeks ago. But wherever 111 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 2: I go, I have an entourage and it creates a kerfuffle, 112 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 2: if that's the right word. So I've taken it and 113 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 2: I've given my office advice that let's not do that. 114 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:17,840 Speaker 2: Let's wait till things just settle down a little bit 115 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:20,040 Speaker 2: so that people aren't having to put themselves out for 116 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 2: my visit. And we're going down to see the community 117 00:05:22,360 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 2: on Saturday. We're off straight after your show. Now, we're 118 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:26,840 Speaker 2: going to Adelaide River. I know a lot of people 119 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 2: in that Adelaide River area. That was the town for 120 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 2: when I lived at Tipperary Station. That was our local 121 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 2: community and say and then we're going to Lichfield and Camali. 122 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:37,600 Speaker 2: So we've got a very busy day ahead, but I 123 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:39,600 Speaker 2: am very much looking forward to getting down to Catherine. 124 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:40,600 Speaker 2: They have copped a bit of a. 125 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: Beating, yeah, they certainly have. I mean so many communities 126 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 1: have administrator, you know, four weeks in sixty six community engagement. 127 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 1: She told me just a couple of minutes ago, what 128 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 1: are you hoping to achieve as the administrator as the 129 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 1: weeks go by, because as we said, you know, right 130 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:58,160 Speaker 1: from the get go, and you know, we can't sort 131 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 1: of skirt around it. There was that controversy. Of course. 132 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: You know, what are you hoping as you travel around? 133 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: I know you know plenty of people out in the communities, 134 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: but are you hoping to you know, to maybe with 135 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: those people that weren't happy with you, to win them 136 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: over with your actions. 137 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 2: Well, I'm not trying to win anybody over. What I'm 138 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:17,920 Speaker 2: trying to do, Curdie's just talk to people. I actually 139 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 2: invited some of the people that made their views no one. 140 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 2: I invited them to come and see me. And I've 141 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:27,040 Speaker 2: had those engagements so with you, yeah, absolutely, I've sat 142 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 2: and talked to those people. That's my way. I'm direct. 143 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 2: I like to talk to people. I like people to 144 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 2: be direct with me and talk to me. And some 145 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 2: of the people who weren't happy with me, I asked 146 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:40,480 Speaker 2: them to come and see them. Actually, I tried to 147 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:43,560 Speaker 2: invite all of them right, but it's got to be 148 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 2: within what I'm able to do given them. I'm busy 149 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:49,600 Speaker 2: doing other things as well, some civil and some ceremonial. Ye, no, 150 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 2: I've engaged with those people. I'll tell you to answer 151 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 2: the question. What I'm hoping to do is to bring 152 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 2: a bit of recognition to those people. You know that 153 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 2: the trends and the bends at Catherine, people filling sin bags, 154 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:03,600 Speaker 2: people doing blogs saying this is where the river is. 155 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 2: Just I want to bring some recognition to those people 156 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:08,680 Speaker 2: that are doing things because they're just helping the community 157 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 2: and they're very community minded and my office can absolutely 158 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 2: bring that recognition. As a matter of fact, Katie, it 159 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:19,880 Speaker 2: has amazed me as someone of putting simple means. I'm 160 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 2: quite amazed at just how much joy the Administrator of 161 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 2: the Northern Territory can bring to people when we turn 162 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:29,720 Speaker 2: up and we bring that recognition and we talk to 163 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:32,640 Speaker 2: people and we're able to award some of our ceremonial 164 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 2: medals or medallions and some of our challenge medallions and 165 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 2: things to people because what it shows them is, you 166 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 2: know what you're being recognized here. We understand this and 167 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 2: on behalf of all the territory. We're able to bring 168 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 2: that bit of recognition for people. 169 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 1: Administrator. I know you're in a hurry and we've got 170 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:51,160 Speaker 1: to get to the ten o'clock news, but just very quickly, 171 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 1: you said that you, you know, you'd invited some of 172 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:55,600 Speaker 1: those people who maybe hadn't been happy with your the 173 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 1: views that you'd expressed online. You'd invited them to come 174 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:01,160 Speaker 1: and meet with you. You may not want to say 175 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: who did it actually end up coming and having a 176 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 1: discussion with you? But you know, do you feel as 177 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 1: I once you'd spoken to them, you know that things 178 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 1: have changed a little bit. 179 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 2: It's interesting, Katie. The common thread has been, oh, now 180 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 2: that we know you, maybe you're not the person we 181 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 2: thought you were. And that's just not me saying it. 182 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 2: That's the people who've come to see me. Some of 183 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 2: those people have had absolutely the correct things to say. 184 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 2: There's no problem with that, no swaying away from it. 185 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:33,320 Speaker 2: What we have, what I've been able to do, is 186 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:36,800 Speaker 2: a great learning. But what has been a common thread 187 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 2: is people are saying, you know, you're pretty busy, Felly, 188 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:44,440 Speaker 2: you're pretty direct, fellow. You're in a pretty special position, 189 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:47,079 Speaker 2: and now that we've met you things just might be 190 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:49,439 Speaker 2: a little bit different. And I'll say again as I 191 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 2: leave you, ye my actions will speak loud on the words. 192 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 2: Sixty six engagements in four weeks. I think it's not 193 00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 2: been too bad an effort, and we've got a very 194 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:02,440 Speaker 2: full end of this week and Saturday and sundayheadabus well. 195 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 1: David Connolly, the Administrator of the Northern Territory, good to 196 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:07,840 Speaker 1: speak with you this morning. Thanks so much for your time. 197 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 2: Thanks Katie. I hope we can come back again and 198 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 2: tell you what we've been doing and what we're doing 199 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:12,680 Speaker 2: in the future. 200 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:15,240 Speaker 1: Again, no doubt. Thank you, appreciate your time.