Subjects: Low-Cost Essentials Subsidy Scheme, Palm Island Spring Festival.
ADAM STEPHEN, HOST: Well, after decades of concern around sky-high grocery prices on the Great Barrier Reef island, Palm Island, the locals are finally going to see some relief with the rollout of the Low-Cost Essentials Subsidy Scheme, which is slashing the cost of 30 everyday items by up to 50 per cent. But it's not just the good news around the cheaper checkouts that will be putting smiles on the dials of Palm Islanders today. They are very much the island alive with music and colour as the annual Spring Festival brings First Nations stars like Jessica Mauboy to Palm Island. And someone on the ground to celebrate, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, and the Senator is with us this afternoon on Drive. Thanks for joining us.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Good afternoon, Adam, and a big hello to all your listeners. It's great to be here.
ADAM STEPHEN: So, Palm Island residents have faced grocery prices that are sometimes three times higher than the mainland and often for foods that are pretty essential for good health. So, it's really difficult to actually try and be healthy in a remote Indigenous community like Palm Island, because you're paying more generally than those in the bigger cities or towns. How big a difference will this Low-Cost Essentials Subsidy Scheme be?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Well, it will make up to 50 per cent difference, actually Adam, when you're looking at essential items. And it is only on essential items, which I really want to emphasise, we needed to make sure that tinned vegies, canned fruit, pasta and rice and everyday things like nappies and soap and toilet paper, they are essential items and they are exorbitantly priced and have been right across Australia, not just on Palm Island, in our remote regions. And I'm really pleased to say that Palm Island store has certainly taken on the task of wanting to reduce prices there. And that's been done as a result of co-ordination with so many on Palm Island itself, but also across Far North Queensland. I mean, this has been a really important strategy, and there are at least 30 stores, including in the Torres Strait and Cape York, over as far as Doomadgee. We've got today, Palm Island is our 100th store, actually Adam, that signed up to this.
ADAM STEPHEN: The program is currently capped at 152 stores nationwide, so you're already nearly two-thirds of the way there. Do you think there is scope to expand it further if the results prove promising?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Well, that will certainly be put to a review once we do reach the target of 152 stores. It is important that stores do sign up to a code of agreement in relation to it. They do take on those responsibilities. So, we want to do this in partnership. It's important for this to be sustainable and long-standing, not something that just happens for a little while and then disappears. And I'm very determined by working with states and territories as well, in terms of governments, but also the stores, and the Food Security Working Group that I've been working with to enable this to happen, that it's done in partnership.
ADAM STEPHEN: Given the amount of chronic disease in remote Indigenous communities, yes, this will help with cost of living, but what flow-on effects could there be to health?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Well, you're right. I mean, we're trying to close the gap on so many levels, in particular, health. The high rates of kidney disease, cardiovascular, the fact that nutrition in itself is a real concern. So, part of rolling out this food strategy, Adam, is also about rolling out 100 nutrition workers. I want to see nutrition workers as part of this rollout, so it can assist with healthy choices, good food choices for healthy living. So, there's a fair way to go, but we're on the right track, I think. And this was a really good start at Palm Island for families there and residents, and it was good to walk through the store and actually have a look and meet with the people involved with assisting me on this.
ADAM STEPHEN: You're on Palm Island today, where Spring Festival is underway. Is this your first Spring Festival?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: It certainly is my first Spring Festival. And I have to say how beautiful it is after all the challenges that the people of Palm Island, and here in Townsville as well, and the coast with regards to the weather that you went through earlier this year in February and the absolute damage and mayhem it caused, Adam. So, it was really nice to actually be on island and have a look at the work that's happened to bring things back to a place where people can feel happy, feel good. We've certainly invested, from a Commonwealth level, into the rehabilitation of some of the areas that needed support after the damage from the weather cycle this year. But the other things we've invested in, too, is the night patrol. We wanted to make sure there was assistance with our youth and our young people. I'm conscious I'm hearing those concerns. But also, the Telstra centre that we have there, the digital call centre, we're able to see more jobs. I've been able to roll out a number of jobs on Palm Island as a part of the 3,000 jobs we're trying to roll out, and it was wonderful to see that today.
ADAM STEPHEN: Hearing here from Indigenous Australians Minister, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy on Palm Island, where Palm Island will now become the 100th store nationwide to be involved in this Low-Cost Essentials Subsidy Scheme which will slash the cost of 30 essential items by up to 50 per cent. Senator, thanks for joining us.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: No worries, my absolute pleasure.