JAMES ELTON, HOST: You've just landed in Katherine this morning, and you've been touring our evacuation centres. What have you found? How are people holding up, who've been in there for a few days now?
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: It's important to be here in Katherine. Firstly, to give thanks to the emergency personnel and all of those volunteers, all of those local residents who've come in and supported, not just at the evacuation centres, but also in the shelters. There are three here, and some are called evacuation centres, some are shelters, and I want to say a huge thank you to them. It is a really, really important time that the community comes together and it is beautiful to see that happening here. In talking to the residents and the families in the centres, clearly there's anxiety about how their homes are, how their animals are, many would like to know if the river's gone down enough to be able to get home. So, there are some fairly obvious questions people are asking and of course there are questions around just wanting a bit more extra food. This is a pretty big one that keeps coming up. I'm conscious that Katherine township itself is getting to the stage where we need to ensure that there's plenty of food more broadly, not just obviously for the evacuation centres and shelters, and our government stands with the Northern Territory Government to assist in any way possible.
JAMES ELTON: The advice to residents in flood affected areas or flood prone areas is always to have 72 hours' worth of food and water available and I think people did a pretty good job at getting that sort of stuff together, but Woolworths closed at about 1PM on Friday, so we're just about hitting that 72 hour mark now. What's your latest advice from agencies about the food security situation in Katherine?
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: I received a brief from the Northern Territory Police and Northern Territory Government in terms of Katherine, and the local Woolworths is obviously an important area for food for the residents of Katherine and the region. It's been cleaned today. I know that workers are back in Woolworths or starting to go back. Let's remember these workers were also people who were perhaps victims of the flood in their personal life. Their houses may have been under and have struggled with that. So, everything will take a little bit more time, a little bit more patience is required here. But the Northern Territory Police and emergency services are well and truly aware of the need to have Woolies opened.
JAMES ELTON: Even once it opens with all this floodwater around, I imagine that could pose logistical challenges for stock. Katherine Woolworths is the only major supermarket in such a large area of land. Going forward is there anything that we could be doing to really strengthen that food supply corridor up and down the NT, do you think?
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: Well, I know that food security is essential in major flooding and emergencies and cyclones, but also in ordinary, everyday life for remote and regional residents. It is something I focus on all the time when trying to get food out to our communities. In a situation such as this, where you've had an emergency disaster called, it does show the impact that when Katherine is cut off and the Stuart Highway is cut off it's actually not just Katherine and Mataranka and the surroundings. Now it means Darwin is also an area that we have to be aware of because the food supplies come straight through Katherine to get to Darwin.
JAMES ELTON: The NT Government has announced flood disaster relief payments to inundated households in the Katherine local government area. I understand there's a federal contribution to those payments. The last that I checked the advice this morning it said that they were still working out the application and eligibility particulars for those payments. Do you have any advice about when people will actually be able to apply for those payments?
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: I'm just saying to people here as I listen to them, that we are still in an emergency situation. It's very, very important to recognise that we're still watching the weather system. We still have to be sure that it's safe to return home. Power is still not restored in so many parts of the Katherine area. So, we are still in an emergency situation. In terms of the payments that people will receive at the appropriate time, that will be available, but just not right now.
JAMES ELTON: Understood. When the Chief Minister and other NT officials were asked about this yesterday, it sounded as though those payments will be activated for the Katherine local government area. But at this stage, that's not been done for some of the other flood affected communities out Daly River way, and I'm pretty sure not even for Beswick or Jilkminggan here in the Big Rivers region. I think the Chief Minister said something along the lines of, there'll be different responses for different communities. What do you make of that?
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: Every state and territory needs to reach out to the Commonwealth when they require assistance. In this instance, the assistance has been requested for Katherine in particular. So, it will be down to the Northern Territory Government to continue to ask for assistance in places like Daly River and Palumpa, and any other area that is outside of Katherine region.
JAMES ELTON: If they do, would the federal government be inclined to support those?
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: Well, I've never known a situation that we've not been able to assist a state or territory request. The issue is really that we have to wait until the request comes through.
JAMES ELTON: Is there anything else you can tell us about other sorts of support that are coming from the Commonwealth level?
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: I'm also here to speak with the defence force at Tindal RAAF base. I will be having a briefing with them today as well. Obviously, defence has always been giving support in these sort of circumstances. So, it'll be nice to have some time with them but also see how their families are. They have families right here in Katherine, as well, and are part of the residential community. So, this is an important care and comfort visit to just check in on people and see how they're going. The other area is the Aboriginal hostels with Corroboree. I'd like to see how the hostels are going and how they've handled the situation, how are the patients and clients going, who are suffering from dialysis and other concerns. I am very, very thankful for the Katherine Hospital being evacuated when it was, especially for our women who are about to give birth, but also those who are so sick that they needed to be transported out. A huge congratulations to Care Flight and all of those in the health sector involved with the transit of all of those people through the Katherine Airport late on Friday, that was just an incredibly awesome achievement.
JAMES ELTON: If I may, do you have any update on the status of Katherine Hospital?
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: At this point in time, I have no update on the Katherine Hospital. I think like most areas there are people from police and Northern Territory emergency services starting to go around and gauge what's safe and what's still unsafe.
JAMES ELTON: The Katherine flood levee was constructed a few years ago, I think at a cost of some $10 million. It's something people are talking about a lot in Katherine at the moment. Did it work? Did it buy us time? It certainly seemed to hold the floodwater back for a long time, and then eventually, it was sort of overwhelmed. But there were still a lot of places where the water seemed higher on the other side of the levee. Do you have any assessment of whether the levee was effective?
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: In my visits and discussions so far with families the levee just hasn't come up. I think it's basic day-to-day needs of what's going on with the river? When can I go home? Is there going to be enough food? Is there going to be more rain? This is the constant theme that's coming through, as I'm going around listening to people.
JAMES ELTON: Maybe just lastly, on the food. The advice is, you need to be self-sufficient when you come to the evacuation centres and you need to bring your own food but also, you're not allowed to cook. I was here a couple of days ago, there was a little bit of disquiet about that. I think some people weren't really expecting that or found that messaging a little bit confusing and I understand these guys have done an amazing job at providing meals. But what's your read on how that has been managed in terms of food at the evac centres?
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: I've had different opinions come forward and different experiences from some of the residents. There are families who are saying that they need to look at the food situation, they’d like more food. I am conscious that that is a very real issue that's coming through, but I'm also aware that those who've been around long enough are also comparing it to 20 years ago and to 1998. So, memories go back far, so I'm listening to everyone and making sure that I pass on that information to the appropriate authorities.
JAMES ELTON: Very lastly, will you get a chance… I understand that the Chief Minister may be in Katherine later on. Will you be meeting her?
MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY: I spoke with the Chief Minister yesterday. We had a very, very important discussion about Katherine. Like I said, I'm here to assist on behalf of the Commonwealth with the Northern Territory Government and the Chief Minister and I are certainly keeping in touch with what's going on in the region.
JAMES ELTON: Thank you very much.