Subjects: Fuel and food security in remote First Nations communities, First Nations microgrid projects.
ALLAN NEILSON: Minister McCarthy, thanks for joining us and our listeners. How are you?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: I'm very well, thanks, Allan and a big hello to all your listeners.
ALLAN NEILSON: Look, can you give our listeners a quick picture of what fuel, energy and food security looks like right now in our remote First Nations communities?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Well, the Prime Minister just gave a press conference this afternoon, having met with the state and territory premiers around the country for National Cabinet and in his response he said that our country has enough fuel, we are doing well. He's been overseas in Asia, in particular Singapore and Malaysia, and so we are quite certain we've got good supply. And what I've done as Minister for Indigenous Australians is set up – along with Donnella Mills, my co-chair on the Joint Council on Closing the Gap – both Donnella and I have set up a Clause 64 Working Group, to actually get remote information, just to make sure that we're hearing directly from remote communities and organisations, Allan. We're not going to just assume we're okay. We know that there is uncertainty with what's happening in the Middle East. It's really important to have our own lines of communication directly to the task force that's been set up at the Commonwealth level.
ALLAN NEILSON: I know that you just mentioned that we have a good supply of fuel and as you know, most of our remote communities, especially here in the NT, actually run off diesel. So, how is that going to affect them? And the fact that they could run out of diesel in communities also due to the fact that trucks need to get it out there.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Part of the Working Group that we've convened have already relayed information around the rising cost of diesel in our communities and also those communities that are island communities, the Torres Strait Islands, for example, and Milingimbi, those around the coastline that rely on barges are concerned about what diesel and diesel costs will do to barges and also for air freight with Avgas. So, we've taken on board all of these concerns and relaying that through to Anthea Harris, who's the head of the task force that's been established by the Prime Minister. And I'm also relaying it directly to my Cabinet colleagues.
ALLAN NEILSON: I mean, that's a positive thing for the listeners out there to know that you and the government are on top of it. Is it going to affect prices of food and that in the community? Look, as we know, food prices in community are already over the top. But is this going to impact community stores even more?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: It's important to get the feedback from our communities. Allan, you're right, people always raise the queries around costs of food. One of the things that I've been doing over the last 12 months has been to reduce the cost of 30 essential items in our remote stores. And 117 stores across Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia have signed up to the food security subsidy scheme where 30 of their items are at 50 per cent. My concern of course is that we have to watch that those prices don't increase as a result of other factors like what's happening in the Middle East. So, if your listeners tuned in and they want to give any feedback, by all means, I'm more than happy to take that feedback from your listeners through you.
ALLAN NEILSON: Yeah, that's important to hear from the people on the ground. Okay, look, that's really positive and that's really good news, especially like I said for the remote communities. In talking about remote communities, how they do rely on diesel, I'm moving into something else here. The fact that renewable energies and solar, is that a big option that the government are looking at to sort of not eliminate the diesel power, but is there as a backup more than the essential service provider?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Absolutely. You're spot on, Allan. We definitely are looking at renewables. Today we made a really important announcement that we're funding First Nations-led microgrid projects. $11 million, we're funding projects at Borroloola in the Northern Territory and also Santa Teresa or Ltyentye Apurte in language, which is southeast of Alice Springs. And this is really important to do this because those communities are leading the way, in particular, Borroloola has about seven young men from Borroloola who are now trainees looking at this. I joined our Special Envoy for Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience, Kate Thwaites, who made the announcement in Darwin today. And we met the trainees at Charles Darwin University, Allan, and they're acquiring skills in connection with the Borroloola microgrid project.
ALLAN NEILSON: So, that's going to be creating job opportunities for mob in the communities that you just talked about?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Absolutely. The projects will use solar and batteries to help reduce that reliance on diesel and just demonstrate how community-led clean energy just delivers practical benefits in our remote communities.
ALLAN NEILSON: It's something we have plenty of, isn't it? The sun?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Oh, big time. You know, it's huge. It's wonderful. And you know, it's the same with SunCable near Elliott there. The mob in Elliott and Tennant Creek/Barkly Region are certainly looking and working in that space. I was over on Northeast Arnhem Land and seeing how they're going and the communities there, the same in the Kimberleys. Our mob are really innovative, very creative and very resilient and I'm really proud of what people are doing.
ALLAN NEILSON: Yeah, that's so true. Now is this, two projects in those two communities, Borroloola and Ltyentye Apurte, is that like a basis for taking it to other communities once it's up and running? And you can see that it's, it's a viable option.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: A hundred per cent. At the announcement today, Allan, Karrina Nolan who spoke there talked about how in Canada they have 300 of these projects and today we just announced our first two. So, I certainly want to see our First Nations communities right across the country become world leaders in this space and I'm confident that we can be.
ALLAN NEILSON: That's fantastic. Look, two good, important messaging from you today. Two great stories. The fact that remote communities are being looked after with the fuel crisis that the world is experiencing at the moment, and also about that renewable energies there, project that the Labor Government are taking on. And I just think it's fantastic the job that the Labor Government is doing and especially for remote Australians, Indigenous Australians, especially here in the NT and like I said across the board as well. But look, I just want to thank you for your time today and is there anything that you want to share with our listeners before you finish up today?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Look, the only thing I'd say to your listeners is whatever the issues are, reach out and also through you Allan, if that's okay? I always try to be available as best I can and I've got terrific staff who try to reach out as well. So, whatever's going on in your place and in your space, don't feel alone, we're here, so just reach out.
ALLAN NEILSON: No, that's good advice there and that is it. They can reach out to us to get through to you as well. We're happy to do that. Thank you very much for sharing that good news with us. And like I said, it's going to put a lot of people in community at ease knowing that the government is working for them.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Absolutely. Stay safe everyone. Yo, bauji barra.