Minister for Indigenous Australians
Subject: Cyclone Narelle
LEE HEWITT, HOST: A big cheerio to everyone tuning in on the TEABBA network. As always, it's a pleasure to be yarning with our 29 remote communities. We do welcome on the program Senator Malarndirri McCarthy. Welcome.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY, MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS: Good morning, Lee. And good morning to all your listeners wherever you are. Just thinking of you all today.
HOST: Now, why we have you on the program today is to talk about the location and what's happening with Cyclone Narelle.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Sure, Lee. Well, this is an exceptionally large cyclone system. It's something that the Weather Bureau has briefed me on yesterday and again today, we will get continued briefings. We are very aware of the severity that this cyclone can cause and bring. In itself, it's quite large and there is an expectation that once it comes across Lee from Queensland into that Gulf region, which is near, all my family's in the Booroloola region, that Gulf country there, and Groote and Numbulwar, that's where it really does regather strength again. And we are conscious Lee that we've seen cyclones over many, many wet seasons but this one is one to really be very careful of more than ever, I think, because of the large size of it and the intensity of it.
HOST: Now, Senator, in talking of the largeness, do we know on the ground what's in place or has there been any talks with Defence in preparing countrymen on Country right now?
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Certainly, families in Numbulwar are being evacuated. Some were evacuated late yesterday afternoon. Today, the Defence Force will be in Numbulwar evacuating the remainder of families in Numbulwar. It's expected around 500 residents will be relocated here to Darwin. And my understanding is that the Nightcliff High School will be a staging point where they will be assessed and no doubt names taken down. All the usual sort of protocols you need to know in terms of being in the care of the Northern Territory Government. And then of course they'll be supplied with a place to go to in terms of shelters, and I think that's underway today. I did hear Commissioner Martin Dole speaking about that this morning and I'm hoping to meet with him this afternoon to get more of an understanding of what those processes look like for families. And not just Numbulwar mob too, Lee. Obviously, we still have the Daly River mob here, Palumpa mob, and then you've got families from Jilkminggan and Wugularr area, who are still around, the Mataranka region. So, there's a lot of countrymen and women really displaced. I've never seen such a continued weather system where we have thousands of people displaced all at once. This is quite extraordinary, really.
HOST: You're absolutely right, Senator. I haven't in my whole life either seen anything as close as it has and reoccurring with the rainfall that we've had. And obviously a lot of our mob are flooded in and like you said, a lot have been coming through to town in a lot of communities. A lot more people and a lot of movement and traffic in that sense to keeping everybody safe and just being prepared and having that readiness and that plan, ready ahead of anything that might come through.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: That's right. And we certainly have been alerted by the Bureau of Meteorology that all the river systems are expected to be impacted in the Top End. So, it won't just be the Katherine River or the Wilton or Roper, it'll go as far as the Vic, into the Kimberleys as well and over to our east, in terms of the Adelaide River here and Darwin River. This is an unusual cyclone and its intensity and size is cause for sort of concern. I don't think it's about people being overly anxious but just being aware that make sure you've stocked up. For those of you who are at home and have cyclone shelters or in cyclone proof buildings, make sure you just stock up and look out for one another. I think this is a time when everyone's just got to really care, care for one another and make sure we're all okay.
HOST: Thank you so much for that, Senator. And also giving us the update on what's happening with the action plan and obviously the movements and a bit of an update for our communities that are tuning in today.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: No worries, Lee. And please, if I can just say to your listeners, if there is anyone listening who's not sure of what's going on, you should have a local emergency committee in your area. And my understanding is those local emergency committees should be providing information. If they're not Lee and people reach out to you, by all means let me and my office know.
HOST: I will do that. Thank you so much for your time today.
MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY: Ok, take care everyone. Stay safe.
