1
00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,000
Speaker 1: You've just heard from Hospitality about some of the concerns

2
00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,480
Speaker 1: around any changes when it comes to the BDR for

3
00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:10,080
Speaker 1: licensed premises. But residents in Catherine are concerned about what

4
00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:13,200
Speaker 1: they've described as an escalation of crime and just bad behavior.

5
00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:15,800
Speaker 1: Now joining me on the show is the Member for Catherine.

6
00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,239
Speaker 1: She's also the Minister for Education and Public Employment, Joe Hersey.

7
00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:20,439
Speaker 1: Good morning to your minister.

8
00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:23,680
Speaker 2: Good morning Katy, and good morning listeners.

9
00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:26,279
Speaker 1: Now Joe. On Friday, we spoke to Trent de with

10
00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:29,160
Speaker 1: He told us of kids running around trying to steal

11
00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:33,120
Speaker 1: people's property, running and marking Catherine. He said that they

12
00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:37,680
Speaker 1: are catching a bus in from community unsupervised and causing trouble.

13
00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,560
Speaker 1: He did say that you and he have spoken about

14
00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,040
Speaker 1: it and you are doing lots of work to try

15
00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,120
Speaker 1: and stop this kind of behavior. But what is that

16
00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:49,040
Speaker 1: go with this situation, Joe? How are kids coming into

17
00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,280
Speaker 1: town from community unsupervised.

18
00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:55,040
Speaker 2: Well, that's a very good question, Katie. And this week

19
00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:57,560
Speaker 2: for the next fortnight in Catherine, there is a bit

20
00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,160
Speaker 2: of a blitz on the Attendant's offices as well, so

21
00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:04,000
Speaker 2: the school Attendant's officers are out across Catherine to make

22
00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,360
Speaker 2: sure that kids are at school talking to parents, wonder

23
00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:11,199
Speaker 2: if they're in there with their children from community. Yeah,

24
00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:14,240
Speaker 2: this has been a problem ongoing for quite some time

25
00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:17,119
Speaker 2: where people are getting the bus and coming into town,

26
00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,840
Speaker 2: but getting the bus and coming into town unsupervised as

27
00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:23,959
Speaker 2: a child. You know, questions have to be asked to

28
00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:27,080
Speaker 2: the bus company. And I'm in Darwin for Parliament at

29
00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:28,759
Speaker 2: the moment, but I've got a whole heap of things

30
00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:31,039
Speaker 2: I need to follow up on when I get back home,

31
00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:33,759
Speaker 2: and that's certainly one of them. But I know that,

32
00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,960
Speaker 2: you know, the buses. There's some areas that are flooded

33
00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,920
Speaker 2: at the moment where the buses can't get to but

34
00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:45,640
Speaker 2: I know that there are definitely buses still bringing kids

35
00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:50,200
Speaker 2: into town or just people into town from community. Well,

36
00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:55,240
Speaker 2: you know, they pay, whether it's through their centerlink or

37
00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:58,280
Speaker 2: whatever they pay, and you know, I suppose it's no

38
00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:01,720
Speaker 2: different to anyone getting the bus from into Darwin. They're

39
00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:04,200
Speaker 2: coming in for appointments or coming in for shopping, or

40
00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:07,680
Speaker 2: coming in for whatever it is that they are doing.

41
00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:12,280
Speaker 2: But yeah, for adults.

42
00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:13,639
Speaker 1: And that's fine if you're coming in and you're doing

43
00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:16,079
Speaker 1: the right thing. But when you're talking about teenagers who

44
00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:19,040
Speaker 1: should be at school. It's a whole other matter.

45
00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:23,200
Speaker 2: Right absolutely, And you know, as a Minister for Education,

46
00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,840
Speaker 2: we are all about getting kids back in school. And

47
00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:28,640
Speaker 2: at the end of the day, Katie, it is a

48
00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:32,480
Speaker 2: parent's responsibility to make sure that their child is at school.

49
00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:36,120
Speaker 2: And so if their child isn't school, isn't at school,

50
00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,239
Speaker 2: you know, they can either get a compliance notice or

51
00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:41,800
Speaker 2: if they don't comply with that, they'll get a three

52
00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:45,519
Speaker 2: hundred and seventy dollars fine. So you know, the attendance

53
00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:48,600
Speaker 2: officers are out there, you know, across the community, as

54
00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:50,880
Speaker 2: I said, but every day of the week they're out

55
00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:53,200
Speaker 2: whether it be in Bora Lula or a Tenant Creek

56
00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,040
Speaker 2: or Olla Springs or up here in Darwin, they're out

57
00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:58,880
Speaker 2: on the ground making sure that kids are going to school.

58
00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:01,640
Speaker 1: So, Joe, from your active as the education minister, you

59
00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:05,480
Speaker 1: are actually you've sort of advised the department. I'm assuming

60
00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:06,760
Speaker 1: that you want there to be a bit of a

61
00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:10,440
Speaker 1: blitz with these you know, with these truancy officers to

62
00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:12,800
Speaker 1: make sure that these kids are not coming into town

63
00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:14,640
Speaker 1: and are actually at school.

64
00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,679
Speaker 2: Yeah. So last week when I was home on Friday,

65
00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,079
Speaker 2: I caught up with the attendance offices in the Woolworths

66
00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:26,519
Speaker 2: shopping complex, and you know that they are all local people.

67
00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:29,960
Speaker 2: And that's the great thing about those attendants offices in Katherine.

68
00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:33,200
Speaker 2: They're locals. They know the people on the ground. They're

69
00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,840
Speaker 2: like they're born and bred staff members that that are

70
00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:39,720
Speaker 2: from Katherine, and so they have a really good relationship

71
00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:42,720
Speaker 2: with people in the community or to follow up. So

72
00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:45,520
Speaker 2: if those kids aren't going to school there, or they

73
00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:47,960
Speaker 2: see them in the street, they're following up, following up

74
00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:51,360
Speaker 2: with the school, following up with families. And you know,

75
00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:53,600
Speaker 2: so this week and next week, yes, they are doing

76
00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:55,560
Speaker 2: a bit of a blitz in Catherine, Joe.

77
00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:57,520
Speaker 1: I mean it sounds to me though as well, that

78
00:03:57,560 --> 00:03:59,800
Speaker 1: there needs to be a broader discussion correct me if

79
00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,000
Speaker 1: i'm but maybe with the I don't know whether it's

80
00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:05,080
Speaker 1: with the land councils or whether it's with the traditional

81
00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:07,760
Speaker 1: owners of some of the different communities or the leaders

82
00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:10,440
Speaker 1: in different communities, not just in the Catherine region, but

83
00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:13,320
Speaker 1: even up here on the top end and in Alice Springs.

84
00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:16,400
Speaker 1: Some discussions where you know, if people are traveling in

85
00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:19,040
Speaker 1: from community, they can't come into town and be breaking

86
00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:21,640
Speaker 1: the law, correct.

87
00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:24,400
Speaker 2: And I have those conversations in Katherine with Kolano and

88
00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:29,320
Speaker 2: Jarwin to large organizations there and have spoken to them

89
00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,640
Speaker 2: about you know, the responsibility of you know, what they

90
00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:35,880
Speaker 2: do in the community. And again I've got I'm following

91
00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:37,680
Speaker 2: up with that again when I go home. I've just

92
00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:41,599
Speaker 2: spoken to them. Well there was there. I spoke with Jowen,

93
00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:43,760
Speaker 2: I think it was a couple of weeks ago. I've

94
00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:46,400
Speaker 2: spoken with Kolano this morning, and I'll catch up with

95
00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:50,599
Speaker 2: Kate from the Family Center when I get home tomorrow.

96
00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:53,440
Speaker 2: Because again, you know, when those kids are coming into

97
00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:56,279
Speaker 2: those centers or when they're known to them, you know,

98
00:04:56,360 --> 00:05:00,000
Speaker 2: the reporting should go to education. That's you know, that's

99
00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:04,080
Speaker 2: that's what the that's what they do. So I want

100
00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:06,440
Speaker 2: to know, well, you know, what's happening with those kids

101
00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:09,440
Speaker 2: and why are they not at school? And you know

102
00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,200
Speaker 2: it can be for a various amount of reasons, Katie,

103
00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:13,919
Speaker 2: but at the end of the day, we want to

104
00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:16,600
Speaker 2: make sure that kids are going to school and that

105
00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:20,800
Speaker 2: they you know, have the appropriate support in place to

106
00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:22,080
Speaker 2: get them to school as.

107
00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:25,719
Speaker 1: Well, absolutely, and that there's then if they're not at school,

108
00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:28,560
Speaker 1: that they're not targeting women on the street and trying

109
00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:33,520
Speaker 1: to steal their bloody handbags or knocking over seniors and allegedly.

110
00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:36,240
Speaker 2: No, that's right, and we have had we have had

111
00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:38,960
Speaker 2: our fair share of that recently. And it's interesting because

112
00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:41,760
Speaker 2: I did even hear the opposition leader last week talking

113
00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:44,159
Speaker 2: on the radio and she was talking about you know,

114
00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:46,680
Speaker 2: because I say it's probably in about the last eight weeks.

115
00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:49,520
Speaker 2: Things were going really well for a while and then

116
00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:52,640
Speaker 2: the last eight weeks there's been a switch of something.

117
00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:54,400
Speaker 2: But I just can't put my finger on it. She

118
00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:57,760
Speaker 2: said the same thing. We've had discussions like what's changed.

119
00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:02,240
Speaker 2: I'm not sure, but you know, the police do a

120
00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:04,440
Speaker 2: great job in Catherine. At the moment. They have a

121
00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:08,279
Speaker 2: patrollers meeting in the evenings, and that patrollers meeting meets

122
00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:13,680
Speaker 2: on three Thursday to Sunday. That involves the Kalano, the police,

123
00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:17,240
Speaker 2: the housing safety officers and also the circuit breaker team

124
00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:19,400
Speaker 2: and so they have a bit of a meeting. It

125
00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:22,240
Speaker 2: was in the town square, but with the anti social

126
00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:24,960
Speaker 2: behavior that's been happening in Woolies, they've moved across to

127
00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:27,400
Speaker 2: the Woolies complex just to have a better presence, a

128
00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:31,680
Speaker 2: bigger presence, and that's working really well. And the circuit

129
00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:35,000
Speaker 2: breaker team is doing really well with the follow up

130
00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:38,159
Speaker 2: work with families or housing or health or whatever it

131
00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:40,320
Speaker 2: is that they need to do when they're coming across

132
00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:41,839
Speaker 2: youth in the evening as well.

133
00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:44,760
Speaker 1: A quick question from Pete, a Catherine resident. He says,

134
00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:47,440
Speaker 1: for the Member for Catherine, what exactly is the government

135
00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:50,960
Speaker 1: doing for Catherine to make us safer and prosperous. Our

136
00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:54,560
Speaker 1: only supermarket is now operating from seven am until seven pm.

137
00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:57,360
Speaker 1: It's a clear sign that life has got more dangerous

138
00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:01,240
Speaker 1: in Catherine and the government is failing the people of Catherine. Joe,

139
00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:04,000
Speaker 1: is that right that the Willworths has had to restrict

140
00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:04,640
Speaker 1: their hours.

141
00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:09,920
Speaker 2: Wolwors has made a decision to cut their hours back

142
00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:12,480
Speaker 2: and they're closing at seven o'clock at night. That is

143
00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:16,160
Speaker 2: absolutely a decision for wol Wors. I've had conversations with

144
00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:18,960
Speaker 2: members in the community about this. I've got a meeting

145
00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:23,560
Speaker 2: with Woolworths on Monday morning with the manager there and

146
00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:29,120
Speaker 2: this has been not only just an economic decision for them,

147
00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:32,720
Speaker 2: but also a staffing issue but also a safety issue. Katie,

148
00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:37,880
Speaker 2: and that's not acceptable that people in our town we

149
00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:41,400
Speaker 2: have one supermarket and the only supermarket we go to

150
00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:44,480
Speaker 2: you just about sometimes have to fight your way through.

151
00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:48,760
Speaker 2: So there is the police go through there, walk through

152
00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:52,320
Speaker 2: there during the day. They've got security. I've heard that

153
00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:56,200
Speaker 2: Wolworves have put on more security yet to have that

154
00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:59,920
Speaker 2: confirmed with them. But as a government we are We've

155
00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:02,760
Speaker 2: We've put school attendance offices out in the street. We've

156
00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:05,920
Speaker 2: got the patrollers meeting happening in the evening. There's a

157
00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:08,760
Speaker 2: lot of things that you know, we've strengthened the law.

158
00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:11,320
Speaker 2: We've strengthened the bail laws so that those youth that

159
00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:13,360
Speaker 2: actually have done the wrong thing and the one that

160
00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:19,520
Speaker 2: actually a lady was attacked and robbed out the back

161
00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:21,240
Speaker 2: of the am Z bank a couple of weeks ago

162
00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:26,120
Speaker 2: and fractured her pelvis, that youth they were on bail

163
00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:30,040
Speaker 2: and they have not been given bail again. So you know,

164
00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:33,800
Speaker 2: the new laws that we came back and strengthened. When

165
00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:36,520
Speaker 2: we recall Parliament for the day, they are working Katie.

166
00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:40,880
Speaker 2: So you know things aren't going to turn overnight, but

167
00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:43,079
Speaker 2: we are certainly working hard. And as I said to

168
00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:45,080
Speaker 2: someone the other day, I've lived in that community for

169
00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:48,400
Speaker 2: thirty five years. In Catherine it's my town as well,

170
00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:51,600
Speaker 2: and I will not let our town that we live in,

171
00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:55,679
Speaker 2: you know, get to get any worse. And we are

172
00:08:55,679 --> 00:08:57,200
Speaker 2: going through a hard time at the moment.

173
00:08:57,320 --> 00:08:58,880
Speaker 1: I know you've got to rush into Parliament. I just

174
00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:01,000
Speaker 1: want to ask you quickly. I mean, does they need

175
00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:04,280
Speaker 1: to be further alcohol restrictions? Does there need to be

176
00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:08,520
Speaker 1: I don't know some like other palis on bottle shops.

177
00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:11,080
Speaker 1: What else can be done here as a short term

178
00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:14,120
Speaker 1: measure to really try to you know, to stem this

179
00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:18,360
Speaker 1: immediately before some of those longer term measures may be clicking.

180
00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,040
Speaker 2: So the palis on bottle shop Katie was that was

181
00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:26,600
Speaker 2: something that was removed under the previous government. Those palis

182
00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:31,400
Speaker 2: were went in to be constables. And so that's an

183
00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:34,960
Speaker 2: operational decision for police. Whether you now have constables on

184
00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:38,760
Speaker 2: bottle shops. They will when they have the police, when

185
00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:43,440
Speaker 2: they have the bodies there that they can use. But

186
00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:46,080
Speaker 2: if they don't and they're out doing social order response

187
00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:49,079
Speaker 2: and doing the prevention work, you know, it's a fine

188
00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:52,200
Speaker 2: line and that's an operational thing that they have to

189
00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:55,000
Speaker 2: make decisions on each and every day. But also there

190
00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:57,240
Speaker 2: is a liquor record meeting coming up and it was

191
00:09:57,360 --> 00:09:59,079
Speaker 2: at the end of June, but I think it's now

192
00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:01,840
Speaker 2: the third of June. It's been brought forward and that's

193
00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:04,040
Speaker 2: something that I hope to be able to get to

194
00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:08,120
Speaker 2: and just have a conversation with, you know, all those

195
00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:10,920
Speaker 2: members that are in Catherine to work for a better

196
00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:13,200
Speaker 2: solution for all of us that live in the town.

197
00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:16,040
Speaker 1: Just very quickly. Is there any update on the police

198
00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:20,760
Speaker 1: paid dispute. I mean, they are certainly wanting to make

199
00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:22,960
Speaker 1: sure that officers, the union want to make sure that

200
00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,880
Speaker 1: officers are paid adequately and get that pay rise. Where

201
00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:27,920
Speaker 1: are things at.

202
00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:34,120
Speaker 2: Yeah, so those police pay deals go. The Commissioner meets

203
00:10:34,679 --> 00:10:39,320
Speaker 2: with the Police Association that we continue to act in

204
00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:42,559
Speaker 2: good faith in bargaining with the Northern Territory Police Association.

205
00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:45,280
Speaker 2: We think there's been a really good offer put on

206
00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:50,040
Speaker 2: the table. There is another meeting that's actually happening next

207
00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:55,800
Speaker 2: week with the Commissioner and the Northern Police Association, and

208
00:10:56,800 --> 00:10:59,559
Speaker 2: you know, we'll see what comes out of that meeting.

209
00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:03,960
Speaker 2: Are ongoing meetings that happen until we reach an agreement.

210
00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:07,520
Speaker 1: All right, Well, I'm sure we will receive an update

211
00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:09,079
Speaker 1: on that at some point in time.

212
00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:09,400
Speaker 2: Joe.

213
00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:10,719
Speaker 1: We are going to let you go because I know

214
00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:13,000
Speaker 1: you've got to get into into Parliament. Thank you, as

215
00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:14,599
Speaker 1: always for your time this morning.

216
00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:17,720
Speaker 2: No worries Katie. Thanks and have a great day you too,