1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,520 Speaker 1: Now joining us on the line. 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,920 Speaker 2: As I said, we have got Christina Jones and Christina's 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 2: got Cooler Bar Station and also the Vick River Roadhouse. 4 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: Good morning, Christina, good morning. 5 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:12,160 Speaker 3: How are you? Yeah? 6 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 1: Really good? Thank you for your time this morning. 7 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 2: Now, we just caught up with Potter out at Timber 8 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,960 Speaker 2: Creek and heard about the situation that they're in Christina. 9 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:23,479 Speaker 1: How are things going for you guys at Cooler Bar Station? 10 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 3: Oh? Not really very well at all. Went for another 11 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 3: fly this morning. We're missing a lot of cattle. They've 12 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:35,559 Speaker 3: been standing sort of on islands and washed off the 13 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 3: islands because there was nowhere to go. Hundreds and hundreds 14 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 3: of kilometers of fencing to be done, and Milton's I'm 15 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 3: here trying to pull fences up. Melton's down at Vick 16 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 3: River with a mumb of road people and trying to 17 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 3: get the road open so people can pass through and 18 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 3: we can supply a service down there as well. 19 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 2: Goodness mate, you know I just finished saying that for 20 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 2: a lot of us, a lot of US townies, we 21 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:03,720 Speaker 2: can't even imagine what it's like for you guys out 22 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 2: there at the moment. Can you paint a bit of 23 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:09,680 Speaker 2: a picture for me in terms of just how flooded 24 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:10,839 Speaker 2: the area has been. 25 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:14,119 Speaker 3: Yeah, well it was sort of water as far as 26 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 3: the eye could see, even in the air. It was 27 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 3: heartbreaking actually this morning to go and actually have a 28 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 3: look at it all. I guess you know, we've lost 29 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:30,680 Speaker 3: cattle horses. My son's just come back from the World Finals. 30 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 3: He's thirteen, and he wrote in the minibals over there 31 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 3: half he's heard gone, which he works for as well. 32 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 3: You know what I mean to buy? Yeah, and yeah, 33 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 3: it's extremely, extremely heartbreaking, and it's extremely disappointing that I 34 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 3: haven't had the anti government reach out at all, and 35 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 3: they should be ashamed of themselves. I've been to Senator 36 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 3: Van in Victoria and he and his staff have helped 37 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:01,720 Speaker 3: get this out there. I mean understand what's going on 38 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 3: up here. 39 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, to be honest, but so no one from the 40 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 2: Northern Territory government has reached out to you. I mean, 41 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:11,359 Speaker 2: you own cooler bar station, you've got the Vick River roadhouse. 42 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 2: No one's tried to make contact with you. 43 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:19,080 Speaker 3: The Food Health Inspectors did and told me not to 44 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 3: open the pub until they tested the water. At that stage, 45 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 3: the pub was still the water was still running through 46 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 3: the pub and it was a little bit of an 47 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 3: insult to my intelligence. But anyway, yeah, it's no nobody 48 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 3: had contacted me at all. And it's frustrating to see 49 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 3: fellow community members around here being supported and we got nothing. 50 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 3: We didn't even get a phone call. So yeah, it 51 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 3: is very very disappointing because you do vote in good 52 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 3: faith whichever party gets in, yeah, that you will be supported, 53 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:50,639 Speaker 3: and there has been no support at all. 54 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,399 Speaker 2: And we're all Territorians, right, like, it doesn't matter where 55 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:55,799 Speaker 2: you come from, We're all Territorians. You've got to look 56 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 2: after each other, you know. I think that's it's actually 57 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 2: sad that that they haven't called to at the very least. 58 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 1: So if you guys are okay. 59 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, and that's that's the thing. And I mean we 60 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:09,519 Speaker 3: give a lot to the community as well and charities 61 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 3: around the place, and yeah, it is it is very disappointing. 62 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 3: I can't express that enough. You know, the losses, the 63 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 3: financial losses or whatever, you know, you and Kur you 64 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 3: still think that humanity would have come through and we 65 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:26,519 Speaker 3: would have been supported to get through it. But yeah, 66 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 3: it's pretty poor. 67 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:32,400 Speaker 1: Christina. What do you need? Do you need any support? 68 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 2: From the you know, from the Northern Territory government, or 69 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 2: from the from the federal government, Like where are you 70 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 2: at with things? 71 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 3: Well, I've gone federal obviously because I was struggling here. 72 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 3: I've got hundreds of hundreds of kilometers of fencing to do. 73 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 3: I've got horses just roaming everywhere. I watched half of 74 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 3: them from down. I don't know whether they went back 75 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 3: to high ground, but they were swimming videos of all 76 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 3: of that. You know, it's just you fancy, you know 77 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 3: down at the roadhouse. I haven't actually been there. Milton's 78 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 3: been handling that, but you know, there's massive, massive roadworks 79 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 3: to be done there and room cleanups and all of 80 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 3: that sort of stuff. There's no insurance because we can't 81 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 3: get flood insurance. So yeah, it's all on our back. 82 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 3: So I am trying to reach out for some sort 83 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 3: of assistance, whether or not I end up getting a 84 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 3: phone call from the anti government at all. NTCA have 85 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:30,080 Speaker 3: been good, but yeah, they're working with the government now, 86 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 3: but it's I started making calls well over a week ago. Yeah, 87 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:37,479 Speaker 3: and we're just at this point now and frustration levels 88 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 3: are high. 89 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:40,920 Speaker 2: I guess, well, look we will we will try and 90 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 2: see whether we can get any kind of response from 91 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 2: the Northern Territory government. I can't make any promises, but 92 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 2: I would hope that by us at least speaking to 93 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 2: you today and also to Potter, that it you know, 94 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:54,479 Speaker 2: that it highlights the issues that you guys are up 95 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 2: against right now. Yeah, talk me through in terms of 96 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 2: the road house, like, talk me through where things are 97 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 2: at for you now, in terms of trying to get supplies, 98 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 2: trying to clean things out, trying to recover. 99 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:11,359 Speaker 3: Yeah, well it's not so much supplies because once that 100 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:13,600 Speaker 3: road opens and we can possibly get a permit, I 101 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,040 Speaker 3: would say to get supplies there, but we do have 102 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 3: to obviously go through the health inspectors and pass all 103 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 3: the tests before it can be opened. I've had people 104 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,479 Speaker 3: constantly messaging wondering when the road's open, but that's actually 105 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 3: not my department. I can't answer that question because I'm 106 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 3: not the roads department exactly. And some people are wanting 107 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 3: to book a room this Saturday night, and yeah, yeah, 108 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 3: that's just probably not going to happen, I wouldn't think. 109 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 3: But yeah, there's a lot to do. I mean, there's 110 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:45,559 Speaker 3: there's everything sort of it went through the motel rooms 111 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 3: as well, so that there is a lot to do 112 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:50,919 Speaker 3: and huge expenses there as well, but we do have 113 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 3: to just keep moving forward with all about them. But 114 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 3: we do actually need the assistance. So there's a lot 115 00:05:58,880 --> 00:05:59,360 Speaker 3: going on. 116 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:04,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, and realistically there has been no emergency assistance for 117 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 2: you guys. No, no, no, Christina, I'm really sorry to 118 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 2: hear that that is the case. And you know, I think, 119 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:15,799 Speaker 2: like I reckon, a lot of people listening this morning 120 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 2: are going to feel exactly the same way that you know, 121 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 2: you guys have. 122 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:20,279 Speaker 1: Been left high and dry. 123 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 2: Will not dry unfortunately, but you know, I left out 124 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 2: there and and feeling very isolated and without support, and 125 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 2: it actually makes me feel pretty upset as a territory 126 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 2: and that you guys have felt like that. 127 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:38,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, well it's really it has actually, especially today hit 128 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:41,040 Speaker 3: home and it is upsetting because you think of all 129 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 3: the things you do do to help the community out 130 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 3: and yeah, there's not much in return. So Christina, people 131 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 3: out there will be yeah, there are. 132 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 1: Well, look let us see. 133 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 2: I don't know whether it'll help, but I'll do my 134 00:06:57,120 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 2: best to see whether we can get some kind of 135 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 2: response from the North Than territory government. I bloody hope 136 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 2: that after you and I have spoken this morning, and 137 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 2: after Potter and I have spoken this morning, that at 138 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:08,920 Speaker 2: the very least you're going to end up with some 139 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 2: politicians scrambling to try and talk to you to see 140 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 2: whether you're okay. You know, that'd be the right human response. 141 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 2: I would think we'll also be bad that. 142 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 3: I had to go to Victoria up the ladder to 143 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 3: actually get any response at all. And as I said 144 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 3: Senator Van, his staff have been amazing, but that's not 145 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 3: really how it should have rolled. No, that's exactly right, 146 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 3: Victoria when the territory. 147 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 1: That's exactly right. 148 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:35,840 Speaker 3: They're helping me out. 149 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 2: Exactly right, Christina. I'm keen to stay in contact with 150 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 2: you if I can. I know that you are incredibly busy. 151 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:45,960 Speaker 2: I know that you know it's tough going for you guys, 152 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:48,120 Speaker 2: but I reckon people are going to want to hear 153 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 2: how you guys are tracking. If that's okay, we'd be 154 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:52,920 Speaker 2: really keen to stay in contact with you and and 155 00:07:53,000 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 2: let people know when you are able to, you know, 156 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 2: to reopen the roadhouse and and just how things are going, 157 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:00,160 Speaker 2: but hopefully be able to help in some way. 158 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:03,119 Speaker 3: Yeah, okay, well that sounds great. 159 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: Thank you, Christina. 160 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 2: I really appreciate you having a chat with us this morning. 161 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 2: And hey, your son sounds like an awesome young bloke. 162 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 2: So ride in the mini balls over in America. 163 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:15,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, he did in December there. 164 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, what a legend. How did he go over there? 165 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 3: He got said in the first round and got bucked 166 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 3: off in the second round and ended up eleventh in 167 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 3: the world. Oh wow, I'm pretty proud of him. 168 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 1: That is incredible. 169 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:32,200 Speaker 2: I tell you what, next time he goes away, if 170 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:34,080 Speaker 2: he goes away to compete again, we'd love to have 171 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 2: him on the show. 172 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: That sounds absolutely incredible. Yeah, yeah, thank you. 173 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 3: You've got to get some more practice balls under his 174 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:43,000 Speaker 3: belt before he can yeah. 175 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 2: Oh, good on him. What a legend. Christina, thank you 176 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 2: so much for your time this morning. I really appreciate it. 177 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:50,679 Speaker 1: No problem, thank you.