1
00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:04,920
Speaker 1: On Friday, we spoke about Alice Springs assault data demonstrating

2
00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:09,039
Speaker 1: evidence of effectiveness of alcohol restrictions. That was according to

3
00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:12,640
Speaker 1: doctor John Boffer. Now those restrictions are due to end

4
00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:15,760
Speaker 1: well this week end. And joining me on the line

5
00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,079
Speaker 1: is the mayor of Alice Springs, Matt Patterson. Good morning, Matt.

6
00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:21,720
Speaker 2: Well then, Katie, thanks for having me.

7
00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:24,560
Speaker 1: Yes, thank you so much for your time that firstly,

8
00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:27,760
Speaker 1: how are things going in Alice right now since those

9
00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:29,840
Speaker 1: alcohol restrictions were introduced?

10
00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:35,720
Speaker 2: Look, God, those things have calmed down. Certainly have calmed down.

11
00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:38,879
Speaker 2: I think obviously stats have gone down. It's because we

12
00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:42,960
Speaker 2: were at the ceiling in the summer. So I think

13
00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:45,519
Speaker 2: what also we need to remember is this time of year,

14
00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:48,239
Speaker 2: our crime always dips because of the weather, and we

15
00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:51,279
Speaker 2: just need to take that into consideration. However, in saying that,

16
00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:57,280
Speaker 2: the level of public drunkenness and just obstructiveness from members

17
00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:58,960
Speaker 2: of the public is certainly lower, and I think that

18
00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:01,640
Speaker 2: that is greatly appreciated by other members of the community

19
00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:02,279
Speaker 2: doing the right thing.

20
00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:04,480
Speaker 1: Yeah, I reckon it would be. I mean, you had

21
00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:09,319
Speaker 1: such a tough time that honestly everyone was thinking to themselves, Look,

22
00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:11,399
Speaker 1: can I only get better. I'm glad that it's gotten better,

23
00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:13,640
Speaker 1: but as you said, you know, you were looking at

24
00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:17,000
Speaker 1: stats that were sky high, so the only way really

25
00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:17,840
Speaker 1: to go was down.

26
00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:22,040
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's right. And remembering it is it's pretty cold

27
00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:24,840
Speaker 2: at the moment, Katie, and we always know that this

28
00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:26,680
Speaker 2: time of year we get a bit of a breather

29
00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:29,280
Speaker 2: as a town, and so we just, you know, we

30
00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:31,039
Speaker 2: just want to make sure that the government are putting

31
00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:34,280
Speaker 2: things in place for the summer school holidays now so

32
00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:36,360
Speaker 2: that that ball is rolling by the time summer comes

33
00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:39,679
Speaker 2: around and we're not caught flat footed again. Because I said,

34
00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:43,040
Speaker 2: we do appreciate the breather. The restrictions are obviously making

35
00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:46,399
Speaker 2: somewhat of a difference, and we'll just see how it

36
00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:47,000
Speaker 2: goes from here.

37
00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:49,440
Speaker 1: Now, Matt, my understanding is that the date of eden

38
00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:52,760
Speaker 1: of those restrictions is the first of July. What do

39
00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:54,880
Speaker 1: you think is going to happen and what do you

40
00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:55,639
Speaker 1: want to happen?

41
00:01:57,800 --> 00:01:59,920
Speaker 2: My gut tells and catered that they will be extended.

42
00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:03,240
Speaker 2: But I say that with you know, I say that

43
00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:05,800
Speaker 2: there's an uneducated opinion on this medicaid. I think that

44
00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:09,000
Speaker 2: they'll extend it through it's hard to understand, because if

45
00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:12,280
Speaker 2: this a raft of changes, it's hard to know which

46
00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:14,440
Speaker 2: one works. And I've said to you many times that

47
00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:17,000
Speaker 2: they can't take away the one transaction per person per

48
00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:20,320
Speaker 2: day that needs to stay in regardless of other changes

49
00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:22,960
Speaker 2: they make. They need to keep that one in, regardless

50
00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:27,840
Speaker 2: of any other restrictions that they wish to remove. Whenever

51
00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:29,680
Speaker 2: they do that, they need to keep one transaction per

52
00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:30,359
Speaker 2: person per day.

53
00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:34,160
Speaker 1: What do you think though, Like, do you reckon that? Realistically?

54
00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:36,919
Speaker 1: You do need to continue to have those couple of

55
00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:39,839
Speaker 1: days a week where alcohol can't be accessed. It does

56
00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:42,239
Speaker 1: seem to be creating a bit of a repeat, a

57
00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:46,360
Speaker 1: reprieve for the police, you know, for everybody at this

58
00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:47,120
Speaker 1: point in time.

59
00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:50,920
Speaker 2: Yeah, but I think at some stage it will go

60
00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:54,040
Speaker 2: back to normality. I mean, probably doesn't work. We know that.

61
00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:57,480
Speaker 2: And I think if it was working then, and with

62
00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:00,679
Speaker 2: all due respect, Tenant Creek would be, you know, the

63
00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:04,760
Speaker 2: the Golden Arching have. Look, this works, it's not working there.

64
00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:07,480
Speaker 2: I think it was the immediate circuit backer that we

65
00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:09,640
Speaker 2: all needed, But I don't think that it's going to

66
00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:11,799
Speaker 2: be the answer to all things moving forward.

67
00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:15,040
Speaker 1: Matt, talk me through some of the changes which you've seen,

68
00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:18,040
Speaker 1: which you do think are having a great impact.

69
00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:20,680
Speaker 2: In regards to the Ocho re sytem.

70
00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,079
Speaker 1: Yeah, well, no knowing in regards to everything, I guess

71
00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:26,160
Speaker 1: it's been happening. We've spoken before about the Lura Tipper

72
00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:29,320
Speaker 1: patrols and also spoken about that surge in place too.

73
00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:33,240
Speaker 2: Yeah. I think that that is such a low hanging

74
00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:35,680
Speaker 2: fruit that's been really well received by the public. Is

75
00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:39,040
Speaker 2: just the passive surveillance of people in uniform, whether that

76
00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:43,480
Speaker 2: is police I'm now doing proactive patrolling or static patrolling,

77
00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:46,240
Speaker 2: and as well as Lura tip of being out and

78
00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:50,280
Speaker 2: I think that when people see someone in uniform, there

79
00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,560
Speaker 2: is a sense of safety and I think that that's

80
00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:57,040
Speaker 2: having a very positive impact. And I think if you

81
00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:59,800
Speaker 2: speak to CBD traders in the Todd Mole, they also

82
00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:02,320
Speaker 2: are seeing the impact. And I mean that's first hand.

83
00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:04,880
Speaker 2: People live in the Todd Mall. They're also seeing the

84
00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:06,560
Speaker 2: impact of it. So we need to make sure that

85
00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:11,080
Speaker 2: that continues on. I think the other pieces. We're seeing

86
00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:14,800
Speaker 2: less DV and that can be down to the alcohol restrictions.

87
00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,279
Speaker 2: It means that we're seeing more police as well on

88
00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:19,520
Speaker 2: the street, and I think that that's a positive impact.

89
00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:22,719
Speaker 2: We're not having place off the street with DV cases.

90
00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:25,880
Speaker 1: Now, what are your plans sort of this week? Are

91
00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:28,599
Speaker 1: you going to be speaking to the government. Are you

92
00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:30,920
Speaker 1: going to be having meetings to sort of work out

93
00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:33,840
Speaker 1: where to in terms of those restrictions as they do

94
00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:36,479
Speaker 1: look like they're well, you know, hopefully going to be extended,

95
00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:39,080
Speaker 1: I guess is what many people are looking at or

96
00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:42,120
Speaker 1: hoping for. But what's the plan this week?

97
00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:46,080
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean we'll reach I'll reach out to the

98
00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:48,640
Speaker 2: government and you know, obviously met with the government through

99
00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:52,880
Speaker 2: the game last week. We'll keep those those lines open

100
00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:55,120
Speaker 2: as we always always do as a council, and just

101
00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:59,560
Speaker 2: you know, I try to understand they're thinking and moving forward.

102
00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:02,919
Speaker 2: But look, I think that it's just a balance, you know,

103
00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:06,240
Speaker 2: let's not remove them all at the same time. Let's

104
00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:08,159
Speaker 2: just make sure we remove the ones that we think

105
00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:10,480
Speaker 2: are working, that keep the ones in that are working.

106
00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:12,719
Speaker 1: Matt, Before I let you go, we are due to

107
00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:15,760
Speaker 1: catch up with Daniel Rochford in Alice Springs as well.

108
00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:17,719
Speaker 1: But a little earlier on the show, we were talking

109
00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:21,600
Speaker 1: about these revelations by the Quanta's boss or these discussions.

110
00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:23,839
Speaker 1: I guess you would say that he's had over the weekend,

111
00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:26,880
Speaker 1: saying that you know that top end flights had returned

112
00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:29,920
Speaker 1: to pre COVID levels, but Alice Springs was lagging because

113
00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:33,080
Speaker 1: of crime. It's in contrast to what we've sort of

114
00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:36,039
Speaker 1: heard from the government at this point. We know that

115
00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:38,919
Speaker 1: crime has had an impact in Alice Springs, but just

116
00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:41,159
Speaker 1: how big an impact do you think it is having

117
00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:43,720
Speaker 1: when it comes to people traveling from other locations.

118
00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:48,120
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that is. You know, people have read

119
00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:50,200
Speaker 2: about Alice Springs on the front page of the paper

120
00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:53,680
Speaker 2: and have been used as a political football, and perception

121
00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:58,359
Speaker 2: in turn becomes reality for many people. I urge listeners,

122
00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:00,719
Speaker 2: you know, from across the country to come to our springs.

123
00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:03,960
Speaker 2: I don't think that it's very beneficial for the CEO

124
00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:08,000
Speaker 2: of a organization such as Quantas to sort of throw

125
00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:09,760
Speaker 2: us under the bus. But we'll have those I'll have

126
00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:13,680
Speaker 2: those conversations privately with Quantus and I won't air Dirtyandrey

127
00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:16,840
Speaker 2: with Quantus, you know, on radio. But I think that

128
00:06:17,480 --> 00:06:19,360
Speaker 2: you know, obviously, we need assistance, We need a systems

129
00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,240
Speaker 2: from the government to rebound. We've had a tough time

130
00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:25,160
Speaker 2: of it. We just need all the help we can get.

131
00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:27,720
Speaker 2: And I don't think it's beneficial when Alan Joyce is

132
00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:31,279
Speaker 2: saying that it's all everyone else's fault because in fact

133
00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:35,719
Speaker 2: that you know, we know how expensive prices are to

134
00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:38,479
Speaker 2: fly into our springs and that's been around long, long,

135
00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:43,479
Speaker 2: long before this crime crisis was on the front page

136
00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:44,839
Speaker 2: of every newspaper in the country.

137
00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:46,920
Speaker 1: Well, this is the thing. And I mean every time

138
00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,720
Speaker 1: that you guys in Alice Springs have spoken out is

139
00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:53,080
Speaker 1: because you've actually needed that help. You've actually needed you know,

140
00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:55,760
Speaker 1: the government to step up, the federal government to step up.

141
00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:59,279
Speaker 1: You've needed that assistance to make sure that Alice Springs

142
00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:01,599
Speaker 1: is the bus place that it deserves to be.

143
00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:04,880
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's right, Katie. I don't wake up on Monday

144
00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:07,240
Speaker 2: morning and go who can I upset this week and

145
00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:09,240
Speaker 2: I'm feeling a bit bored. I want to talk about this.

146
00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,559
Speaker 2: It's just the reality that people were you know, people

147
00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:16,760
Speaker 2: felt unsafe and we needed help. But we also need

148
00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:20,560
Speaker 2: help with promoting our tourism market in Central Australia because

149
00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:24,000
Speaker 2: we are a tourism destination. So it's just one of

150
00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:25,320
Speaker 2: the things that we all sort of need to work

151
00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:27,960
Speaker 2: together for Alic Springs's future to make sure we can

152
00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,200
Speaker 2: address it. And I look forward to working with QUANTAS

153
00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:31,520
Speaker 2: to address those concerns.

154
00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:35,320
Speaker 1: Well Mayor of Alice Springs, Matt Patterson. Always good to

155
00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:37,320
Speaker 1: catch up with you. Thanks so much for your time today.

156
00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:39,920
Speaker 2: Good don you, Katie, Thanks, thank you,