Project Pathfinder
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 (people chattering)
00:03 - What are we doing, two questions or is it split?
00:14 - Just a little spiel, everyone's gonna give
00:15 a bit of a kicker, a start off.
00:18 We'll rotate through that and then we'll take questions.
00:20 - Morning everyone, what a great occasion for our Shire.
00:26 I'm very proud to be Mayor of the Morey Plains
00:28 Shire Council on a great day.
00:30 Whilst this project wasn't part of the Premier's
00:34 bucket of initiatives that he announced
00:35 a couple of weeks ago, it certainly goes to the intent
00:37 of that program in trying to get our youth
00:40 in a much more positive frame of mind
00:42 and making life itself a positive deterrent for them.
00:44 As Mayor, I couldn't be prouder of our community
00:47 that have turned out today.
00:48 I am so humbled for the Premier's support,
00:51 Adam's support, the police, the NRL.
00:54 As Mayor, it's just absolutely incredible
00:56 and I'm hoping that you will all come back
00:58 in six and 12 months time and see what success we've had.
01:01 Thank you.
01:02 - You go, no it's fine.
01:05 Please.
01:07 Look, this is a magnificent day for the Morey community
01:15 and our whole region.
01:16 The Mayor said it best, we are incredibly proud
01:18 and incredibly thankful for the focus
01:21 that's being placed by the Premier personally
01:24 and his very sincere and generous approach
01:27 to addressing some of the issues that we have in our region.
01:31 The ministers that are here today,
01:33 it's great to have them back, the Commissioner,
01:35 but particularly to Peter Volandi's and the NRL.
01:38 As you can see, the NRL is a wonderful vehicle
01:41 that taps into children's aspirations,
01:45 their hopes, their dreams, and it's such a magnificent
01:48 vehicle to get that next generation of young people
01:51 and show them that pathway and that they can achieve
01:56 their goals and their aspirations and divert them
02:00 from a potential pathway of down that
02:03 criminal justice slippery slope.
02:05 So again, so appreciative.
02:08 Can I just say before I hand over to the Premier
02:10 that there's been a lot of public commentary
02:12 about the government's approach to the issues in Morey.
02:16 As the local member and someone who is
02:19 of a different political stripe,
02:21 all I can say is how thankful and grateful I am
02:26 to the government, to the Premier leading this government
02:29 for his approach, his non-partisan approach
02:32 to dealing with these issues.
02:34 We do have some very serious issues in our community,
02:37 but we won't fix them by sniping from the sidelines,
02:41 by being overtly political and partisan.
02:44 We fix them by putting that to one side
02:47 and focusing on the people of this community,
02:49 the real issues and working on real practical solutions.
02:53 The announcement today in this program
02:55 is one part of a broader suite of measures
02:58 that will really turn this community around,
03:01 this great community, this proud community
03:03 that has such a bright future.
03:05 And again, I wanna place on the public record
03:07 my appreciation for the Premier's approach,
03:10 his government's approach.
03:11 And again, we are so grateful and very proud
03:14 to partner with him, his government,
03:16 as we take our community forward.
03:18 And this community does have a great future
03:20 and it's initiatives like this
03:22 that will help us achieve that.
03:23 So again, thank you, Premier.
03:24 - Thanks, Adam.
03:25 It's great to be here in Moree.
03:28 Thanks so much to Mark and Adam, local MP
03:31 and the local mayor for warmly welcoming,
03:33 not just me, but the NRL and New South Wales Police
03:36 to what is a wonderful country town.
03:38 And I know that there's been a lot of media about Moree,
03:40 but trust me, this is a great community
03:43 with a wonderful future, a community that's united,
03:46 that's focused on the future and notwithstanding
03:49 the challenges that have faced this town,
03:51 it's hopeful and optimistic about what comes next.
03:54 And I think that comes from the political leadership
03:56 from the mayor and the local MP,
03:58 really genuinely appreciate you rolling out
04:00 the red carpet for all of us
04:02 and generously inviting everyone into your community.
04:05 Wanna speak a little bit about Project Pathfinder.
04:07 Thank the NRL for creating this initiative
04:11 with New South Wales Police.
04:13 I think Peter's willingness to think outside the box
04:17 and approach what have been perennial issues
04:20 from a new perspective has been refreshing,
04:22 whether it's in racing or rugby league
04:24 or in regional communities.
04:25 And when this initiative was bowled up
04:28 to the New South Wales Police Commissioner,
04:30 everybody jumped on board because I think
04:31 there's a genuine sense of goodwill
04:34 that a brand new initiative can break through
04:37 where others have failed.
04:39 And as the Minister for Juvenile Justice said earlier,
04:41 we can never give up, we have to keep trying.
04:44 There's been obviously major problems in this community.
04:47 We know that we need a major intervention,
04:50 but initiatives like this one offer hope and an alternative
04:53 because by Latrell and Cody and the other NRLW players
04:58 coming here, devoting their time and their effort
05:00 and their energy to this wonderful community,
05:02 it will have a lasting and positive impact,
05:05 particularly on young people.
05:06 You can't be what you can't see.
05:08 And if young people in Moree in particular,
05:12 see an NRL player at the peak of his or her game,
05:15 then they can imagine what's possible for them.
05:17 And there's probably no government program
05:20 or justice initiative that's more powerful
05:22 than that simple image.
05:24 We want to project hope to the young people in this town
05:27 and this community.
05:28 We know that the Indigenous leadership and community
05:30 in Moree and in other regional communities
05:32 are as committed as we are
05:35 to breaking the cycle of crime at the moment.
05:38 And we want to work with them about a brighter future.
05:40 And I'm very confident, as you can see
05:42 by all of the enthusiasm on the young faces of the kids
05:45 that are playing in this park, that it is possible.
05:48 It is possible to have a breakthrough.
05:50 So it's wonderful to be here in Moree.
05:52 My job is to now hand over to Peter Blatty.
05:55 -Thank you, Premier.
05:56 As I said earlier in the formalities,
05:58 this initiative is so important to us.
06:00 If we can use our great game of rugby league
06:02 to give the youth of this community some hope,
06:05 we will throw every resource at it.
06:07 If only one succeeds in life from this initiative,
06:12 it's reward enough.
06:14 The beauty about rugby league, it allows you to assimilate.
06:17 I know when I was a kid, I had troubles assimilating,
06:20 and it was the game of rugby league
06:21 that allowed me to assimilate.
06:23 And it made me a part of a team.
06:25 The team culture is so important in life
06:28 that you're not an individual, that you do form part of a team.
06:32 And this is what the great game of rugby league does,
06:34 is it makes you part of a team.
06:36 And it gives you a path in life.
06:37 It gives you a better path in life.
06:39 It gives you a reward.
06:40 You don't want to go down that other path,
06:42 which has no reward.
06:44 It has consequences that aren't pleasant,
06:46 that don't give you a quality of life.
06:48 So if we can get the youth here to play rugby league,
06:51 to be in a team, to aspire
06:54 and have a light at the end of the tunnel,
06:56 well, then we'll be very, very happy.
06:58 And as I said, thank you to Andrew Abdo
07:01 and all the NRL team for all the work
07:04 they've done so far in the pilot.
07:06 We will continue this work and we will expand it.
07:08 We'll bring our rugby league players
07:10 to these communities on a regular basis.
07:12 We'll take some of these youth and take them down
07:14 and do training with the rugby league clubs
07:17 so they can see what success looks like
07:19 and why you should aspire to being successful.
07:23 So thank you very much, everyone, for being here today.
07:25 - Thank you, everyone.
07:30 What a great day for Moree.
07:31 So we're here in Moree to launch Project Pathfinder,
07:35 which is a partnership between the New South Wales Police
07:38 and the NRL, where we bring young people
07:41 into the NRL environment, where they're mentored
07:45 and coached and involved in football.
07:47 Sport is such an important tool
07:50 in the connection for young people in any society.
07:53 And I want to thank the NRL and Peter Valandies in particular
07:56 for being open to the suggestion.
07:59 Police approached Peter with this idea not so long ago
08:02 and he jumped on it.
08:04 And I think today is just the start
08:07 of the potential for this program,
08:09 where NRL and the New South Wales Police
08:12 will continue to partner for towns
08:15 right across New South Wales.
08:16 And we know police officers are already in those towns.
08:19 We already partner with PCYCs and other agencies,
08:23 but NRL is a key to many communities,
08:26 particularly in regional New South Wales.
08:29 And I look forward to seeing the progress
08:30 of this partnership.
08:32 And I can ask Assistant Commissioner Gavin Wood
08:35 to step forward.
08:36 And he's the architect of this.
08:37 He's the brains behind this.
08:39 And he's the person that conceived this
08:41 and he's brought it to life.
08:42 And I want to thank Gavin for doing that,
08:44 because I think this is a real step change
08:46 for the young people of regional New South Wales
08:49 in particular.
08:51 And certainly welcome Gavin to talk about
08:54 what the program actually entails.
08:55 So you know what Pathfinder is all about.
08:58 But it is a great day to be here
08:59 and thank all those stakeholders,
09:01 but particularly the NRL and the support of government
09:03 for this program.
09:04 Thank you.
09:05 - Thanks, Commissioner.
09:09 I'll just start by saying,
09:10 obviously there's so many special people here today.
09:13 And what I see is special about everyone here today
09:18 is everyone cares.
09:20 Otherwise they wouldn't be sitting here
09:21 or standing here today.
09:22 And that's what underpins Operation Pathfinder.
09:24 We care and we generally care.
09:26 We care about our communities
09:28 and we care about indigenous youth
09:30 and making the world better for them.
09:33 So the Project Pathfinder concept
09:35 was developed in Peter Valani's office.
09:36 Again, I significantly acknowledge Peter.
09:40 We went to him and said, "We need a hand."
09:41 And he said, "Where do I sign?"
09:43 From the moment we met him.
09:44 So we came up with this concept literally in his office.
09:47 It's a joint initiative with Youth Justice
09:52 and the NRL and the New South Wales Police.
09:53 So I again acknowledge Commissioner Webb.
09:56 The concept was briefed up with the Commissioner
09:58 and straight away endorsed it.
09:59 So we're very, very, very thankful.
10:01 We've got a great, great team in the New South Wales Police
10:04 who believe in this.
10:05 And we have a great team in the NRL who also agree on it
10:08 'cause it genuinely works.
10:10 So across regional New South Wales,
10:13 we have young kids who are referred to us.
10:15 It's done formally through a proper triage process.
10:18 And we look at who we can identify
10:20 to bring into the Project Pathfinder cohort.
10:23 We bring them down to Sydney
10:25 with their chaperones and their family.
10:26 Again, to create that culture
10:28 and have everyone buying into that journey,
10:30 which we're creating.
10:32 And then the NRL appoint mentors,
10:34 the New South Wales Police Force appoint mentors,
10:37 and they're not sugar hits.
10:38 Importantly, it's not a sugar hit.
10:40 These mentors are with these kids for a long, long time.
10:43 And they're accessible on a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week basis.
10:47 So they see the operations of the NRL.
10:49 They see how the functionality of policing,
10:52 with youth justice, the programs, et cetera.
10:56 And it's an ongoing process for seven months,
10:58 and they actually graduate.
11:00 So what we hope to see throughout that seven months
11:03 is the kids go back to community,
11:04 they go back to their homes,
11:05 and they say, "How good is this?"
11:08 This is what happens when you behave well
11:10 and you're on board.
11:12 So as simplistic as it is, it works.
11:14 But it doesn't work, again, without that bottom line,
11:16 people caring and our genuine partners.
11:18 So I thank everyone again for their attendance.
11:21 - Thanks, Gav.
11:22 And we're all happy to take questions.
11:25 - Might actually be a question for Gavin,
11:26 just on how many, sorry, yeah,
11:29 how many participants are we talking about
11:31 in the program from Moray?
11:34 - At the moment, we have three.
11:35 That's the initial cohort.
11:38 Mr. Volandis and Mr. Abdo have kindly suggested
11:41 we're gonna ramp that up significantly.
11:43 Our plan is to go every three months with a cohort.
11:46 The initial cohort was three.
11:47 So we can really look at how we're doing our business,
11:50 evaluate the process,
11:52 take our feedback from all our stakeholders.
11:55 But it's three.
11:56 One person's from Moray, and he's loving it.
11:59 So it's been a success, as I said, from the infancy.
12:01 - How do you decide who becomes a candidate?
12:04 - So on the ground, we have our youth justice workers,
12:07 we have our police, our youth engagement officers.
12:10 They provide the feedback and the formal applications.
12:13 It goes before a steering committee,
12:15 which is chaired by Acting Deputy Commissioner
12:16 Pertt of McKenna.
12:18 With youth justice and the NRL,
12:19 we go over the applications and the processes,
12:22 and we make an objective decision based on that.
12:24 - Are those kids at risk, or what's the profile?
12:29 - It's a good question.
12:30 So I think it's fair to say,
12:31 when we look at our youth strategy,
12:33 which is something we brought in recently
12:34 on the Commissioner Web,
12:35 we have our tier one kids who are kids who are at risk.
12:39 That's a fair way to put it.
12:41 Our tier two kids who we say, again,
12:43 simplistically are committing offences.
12:45 We don't utilise or we don't look at those kids
12:48 who are actively involved in crime,
12:50 'cause again, I suppose in some respects,
12:53 we can't be seen rewarding children or kids
12:56 who are actively involved in crime.
12:57 So our at risk kids are evaluated by the steering committee,
13:01 and then they're discussed and the decision's made
13:03 who progresses.
13:04 And I think it's fair to say the kids that miss out,
13:06 we give them the feedback,
13:07 so it's contemporary feedback on how they're going,
13:10 what they need to do to get to be in a position
13:12 to be an allocated member of the cohort.
13:14 And again, that comes back to growing the culture.
13:16 So when kids go back to their communities,
13:18 they know what the expectations are
13:21 and how much, how genuine we are,
13:23 and hopefully that grows the momentum.
13:25 - But the clinics, the NRL's gonna run,
13:27 you made this question, Peter,
13:28 that's more generally, not just members of this cohort,
13:31 that would be more generally for the community?
13:34 - Yes, absolutely.
13:35 We wanna reach a much greater sample of the youth here.
13:40 So we'll be bringing rugby league players up here
13:42 to do programmes like we're doing today,
13:44 just doing drills and training
13:46 and just spending time around these players.
13:48 And the benefit that has is immense.
13:50 I know from a kid, if you see your hero,
13:54 it changes your life.
13:55 And we're hoping that that's what it does here.
13:57 If they see Latrelle Mitchell or Nick O'Hines
14:00 or James Tedesco, it'll be a variety of rugby league players
14:03 that'll be coming up here.
14:04 If they can change the way people look at life,
14:08 it'll be successful.
14:09 And it's more than just doing the mentors.
14:11 This has just laid the foundation down today.
14:15 We will see what's successful
14:17 and we'll expand that area of it,
14:20 but we'll continue to improve it
14:22 by bringing the players out here,
14:23 doing the drills, doing the training,
14:25 attending speech nights,
14:26 also going to those country players
14:28 to go back to the town that they came from.
14:30 Tyrone Munro today is a perfect example of that.
14:34 He's an absolute pop star here
14:35 and he's a future superstar in our game.
14:38 And he'll certainly be an inspiration
14:40 for a lot of the kids here today.
14:41 - So you see this as really the starting point
14:43 for the bouncing board to something much greater?
14:47 - Absolutely.
14:47 This is just a small part, a foundation,
14:50 and we'll build the house from here.
14:52 That's how we look at it.
14:53 Exactly what we're doing with Vegas
14:54 is we've laid the foundation
14:56 and we'll continue to expand it.
14:58 And this is what we're gonna do with this program.
15:00 This initiative, to me, is one of the most important
15:02 that the commission will undertake.
15:05 We wanna put everything into it.
15:06 We wanna make sure it's successful.
15:08 So as I said, this is a very, very small part
15:12 and I'm sure Gab Wood's gonna extract
15:13 a lot more out of us yet, so don't worry about that.
15:16 He's better than the tax office.
15:17 (audience member speaking faintly)
15:21 That's right.
15:24 As I said, a small part of the program is the mentoring
15:29 and taking the kids down to Sydney
15:31 and taking them to the clubs
15:32 and spending some time around their players.
15:34 But we wanna expand that by bringing the players out here
15:37 direct to these communities
15:39 to talk to the kids and give them hope.
15:42 That's the whole idea.
15:44 (audience member speaking faintly)
15:48 Well, I'm an impatient person,
15:50 so I wanna see it done yesterday.
15:51 So it'll be done pretty quickly.
15:53 We'll put the resources in.
15:54 In order to get success and get the outcomes you want,
15:58 you gotta do the hard work
15:59 and you gotta do the preparation.
16:01 And we've done all that now,
16:02 so it's all systems go from here.
16:04 Premier, you're gonna meet some community groups
16:06 this afternoon.
16:07 Obviously, it's your first visit
16:08 since you announced that package a couple of weeks ago
16:10 because the bail laws have gone through Parliament.
16:13 What do you think the reaction you're gonna get
16:14 is getting some people on the ground?
16:16 Yeah, look, I'll answer that question.
16:17 But before I get to that,
16:18 I just wanna say big thank you to the NRL.
16:20 I mean, they didn't have to do this.
16:22 Ultimately, they could have focused on jersey sales
16:25 or ratings on TV,
16:26 but they thought they could do some good in the community
16:28 and they acted, which is fantastic.
16:30 And it shows this is the community game.
16:33 It's genuinely grassroots.
16:34 I think rugby league is for the underdog
16:37 and they're showing that in Moray today.
16:39 I look in relation to the other meetings
16:40 that I'm having along with my colleagues,
16:42 I don't wanna prejudge them.
16:43 I'm not sure what the community
16:45 will come to the government with,
16:46 but we're ready to listen
16:48 and we are prepared to take action
16:50 after we listen to the local community.
16:51 The last time I came up here,
16:53 spent the day with both Mark and Adam,
16:56 learned firsthand what the problems were in this community
17:00 and that action needed to be taken.
17:01 So we're not closing the door on any potential changes.
17:05 We recognise this is a community that needs help
17:07 and they may need the deeper resources or pockets
17:10 or focus of the New South Wales government.
17:11 That's exactly what we'll do.
17:13 - Part of your package was new bail accommodation.
17:15 Do you get any update on how that may be addressing
17:18 in terms of site location, anything along those lines?
17:20 - No, there's several sites that we're in discussions
17:23 with the council about.
17:24 We have to be careful about where that's located,
17:27 but I know the mayor's got a view, so does Adam.
17:30 I think we'll find a way through.
17:31 - Back on to the program, is there any evidence
17:33 to suggest that something like this works?
17:35 - Well, look, I don't have an academic longitudinal study,
17:39 but I'd invite you to go out and see some of the kids
17:42 in the park right now.
17:43 And you'll see on their faces, there's real hope.
17:46 There's opportunity for the future.
17:48 It's just an amazing opportunity to meet your hero.
17:51 And I think for Latrell and Cody and Tyrone
17:54 to take some time out from the NRL season,
17:57 give back to the community shows their good character
18:01 and the fact that they genuinely care
18:03 about both the game and these communities.
18:06 - Would you consider a Northern Territory style curfew
18:08 if things don't get curved here in Moorhead?
18:10 - Look, I'm not gonna prejudge
18:12 or talk about potential changes.
18:14 We've enacted a whole range of both law changes
18:19 as well as an increase in funding,
18:23 particularly for this community
18:24 to stand up a pilot program.
18:25 I wanna see how that goes before anything else is announced.
18:28 - You've talked about the benefits
18:32 of diverting more young people away from the justice system.
18:35 Meanwhile, the bail laws broadly experts have said
18:39 will push more young people, particularly indigenous people,
18:42 further into the justice system
18:44 that make them more likely to commit more crime in the future.
18:47 Do you acknowledge that that policy
18:49 will undo a lot of the good work?
18:51 - Look, no, I don't.
18:52 There's quite a few suppositions in that question.
18:54 I just wanna make the point that it's been finely calibrated.
18:57 We haven't just introduced a law and order response.
18:59 We're also looking at the amount of money we spent
19:02 in pre-crime diversion programs,
19:04 particularly for adolescents,
19:06 particularly for regional communities,
19:08 particularly for indigenous communities.
19:10 And I'm convinced that if we get that balance right,
19:12 we can reduce the rate of re-offending and crime
19:16 before it even is committed.
19:17 As the Minister for Juvenile Justice says,
19:20 the game here or the aim here
19:22 is to ensure that we're not seeing young people
19:24 commit crimes in the first place.
19:25 And that's, as a result, we think,
19:28 as a result of a government program
19:30 that ropes in education, healthcare,
19:34 as well as juvenile justice, we'll see a breakthrough.
19:36 But we're not gonna give up.
19:38 We're gonna have to keep going.
19:38 - But do you acknowledge that those policies,
19:41 that's one side of it,
19:42 behind the other side is the bail law adjustments,
19:45 which have broadly been said by experts
19:48 will incarcerate more young people,
19:51 while some will come out of men's torture programs?
19:54 - Well, look, in relation to that question,
19:55 I've answered it many times.
19:57 My great fear is that we'll see a young person
20:00 commit an offence, particularly in a motor vehicle,
20:03 where they kill themselves or their family members
20:05 or their friends, or they take out
20:08 or they kill a member of the public.
20:09 Now, that would be absolutely terrible.
20:11 I don't want that to happen.
20:12 And I genuinely don't believe
20:14 that's in the interest of the young person either.
20:16 - Premier, the Assistant Commissioner earlier
20:17 said that everyone is here today because they care.
20:20 What other parts of public life, civil society,
20:23 do you think need to care a little bit more
20:25 about the youth justice challenges?
20:27 - Well, look, I mean, I think,
20:30 particularly if you come to a regional community like Moree,
20:33 and I was struck, having met the civic leadership
20:37 of this town, how they genuinely are focused
20:40 on an outcome here.
20:41 And there is a sense of hope and opportunity.
20:44 Look, I start from the premise or the supposition
20:47 that everybody cares.
20:48 We want to do good, particularly in public life.
20:50 You wouldn't enter it if you didn't anticipate
20:52 or see a better future in the days ahead.
20:55 So we want to give that a go.
20:57 I think innovative programs like this will work,
21:00 but we've got to put resources, time,
21:03 effort and energy into it.
21:04 - Just in terms of resources,
21:05 that was the question from the Commissioner,
21:07 if I can, are you satisfied with the resources
21:09 that you've got on the ground now,
21:11 or do you foresee that you may require
21:12 any additional resources?
21:14 - We've got, we're well resourced,
21:16 and we've got youth engagement officers
21:18 right across this state, and they're ready
21:20 to act on this and move on this now.
21:22 So we're already working in partnership
21:24 with PCYC, with schools, with other groups,
21:29 with other agencies, so we're already working
21:31 in that space, and this is another avenue
21:34 for us to partner with someone outside of government
21:37 who's willing to work with us to help us on this.
21:40 - What more generally, though, do you think
21:41 you might need other officers,
21:43 not just obviously working in the youth section?
21:46 - I mean, we'll have to wait and see how it goes,
21:48 but certainly wherever we can prevent
21:51 and engage people before it ends up
21:52 in a criminal justice system, that will pay us benefits.
21:55 - Commissioner, do you acknowledge it was a mistake
21:57 to hire Steve Jackson?
21:58 - I'm not gonna answer, I've answered questions
22:00 about this before.
22:01 - They're not that particular question.
22:02 - Well, I can't talk about an employment matter,
22:05 so that's not, I'm not gonna answer that today,
22:07 but thanks for the question.
22:09 - Commissioner, will you say how much
22:10 it's paid to Steve Jackson if that's what you're paying?
22:13 - No, it's an employment issue,
22:14 so I'm not gonna talk about that.
22:17 - Peter, if I can, I hope to speak to Mr. Lone Cody,
22:21 but were they very open in coming after being on board?
22:25 - Oh, absolutely, every Indigenous player in the NRL
22:27 wants to volunteer to this program.
22:29 It's very, very important to them.
22:31 I remember Cody saying that he looked up to John Simon
22:34 when he visited his town and gave him inspiration
22:37 and gave him wanting to go to that next level in rugby league
22:41 and I heard someone say, "Will this program be successful?"
22:44 Well, I'm a walking example of how it's successful
22:46 because I was in a similar situation as a youth,
22:49 a migrant kid that found it hard to assimilate
22:52 and it was rugby league that made me assimilate.
22:54 It was rugby league through a role model
22:57 that came down and spoke to me
22:59 and gave me that inspiration to want to succeed.
23:02 So I know firsthand it works
23:04 and I could have went down a complete different path.
23:07 I could be in the wrong side of the law
23:11 if it wasn't for the game of rugby league
23:12 and that's why I'm so passionate about it
23:14 'cause I know it works.
23:15 I know speaking to a role model and speaking to your hero,
23:20 the effect it has on a young mind.
23:22 - If I could ask you to put on your other hat,
23:24 your racer hat, how do you feel standing next to Chris Mins
23:26 who wants to sell on personal race relations?
23:29 - Well, look, we're investigating that.
23:31 We're doing our due diligence
23:32 and look, we want to help the government
23:33 and Chris Mins is a great premier
23:35 and he's looking out for housing in this state.
23:38 You've got to really pay compliment to him
23:43 that he's stuck his neck out
23:45 and in trying to tackle the housing issue.
23:50 Many governments haven't.
23:51 He's very brave in doing so
23:52 and there's an opportunity at Rose Hill.
23:54 We acknowledge that.
23:55 We'll do our due diligence
23:56 and we'll see if it's good for the racing industry
23:59 and if it is, we'll certainly participate
24:01 but if it isn't, we won't.
24:02 - At this stage, do you support a plan?
24:04 - At this stage, yes, absolutely.
24:06 I can see the benefits of it
24:08 but I just need that verified by an independent party.
24:10 We'll certainly take that.
24:12 Actually, that's an announcement today.
24:14 We are undertaking, we've hired
24:16 a very high profile organisation
24:20 to undertake due diligence on the plan
24:23 and if it's worth the while for the racing industry
24:26 and it'll give us all the evidence
24:28 and all the information.
24:29 In order to make good decisions,
24:31 you need good information.
24:32 If you don't have good information,
24:33 you make poor decisions.
24:35 So what we're after is all the information
24:37 to make a final decision
24:38 and hopefully that'll be done
24:40 in the next two to three months.
24:41 - Premier, is the new metro station at that site
24:44 contingent on the sale?
24:46 - Yes.
24:48 - And sorry for a very Sydney question,
24:50 what's your view on the Palm Beach, Nimby matter
24:54 that's been in the news the last couple of days?
24:56 - Yeah, yeah, look, I am worried about it
24:59 and I think we're gonna reach out,
25:00 my office is gonna reach out
25:01 to the owners of the restaurant.
25:03 I think that one or two complaints knocking over
25:06 an entertainment venue or a restaurant or a bar
25:10 that could employ lots of young people,
25:12 provide some opportunity and some entertainment,
25:15 something to do in Sydney's the opposite direction
25:18 in which we wanna travel.
25:20 We wanna get more young people backing themselves,
25:22 opening venues in Sydney.
25:24 So I was pretty troubled by that story.
25:26 I'm hoping to reach out to the owners of that venue
25:29 and see how I can help them.
25:30 - Do you think the council should reverse it?
25:33 - I just have to plead a little bit of ignorance
25:37 about where it's up to in the planning system,
25:39 which is why I wanna speak to the proponents
25:42 of the DA in person.
25:43 But if we can help, we will.
25:45 - Just talk about Box Hill for a moment.
25:47 There's a suburb that was sold to the people
25:51 who bought properties there as having proper amenities,
25:54 four schools, a shopping centre and a place to live,
25:57 to give them a lifestyle.
25:59 Right now, all it is is a bunch of houses
26:01 that you have to travel 90 minutes on round trips
26:04 to get to school.
26:05 Do you see that as an acceptable outcome
26:08 for people in Sydney's west?
26:09 - No, no.
26:11 We wanna build communities, we wanna provide housing,
26:14 and we wanna make sure that there's infrastructure
26:17 when the homes are built.
26:18 And there's too many examples in Sydney
26:21 where we've got one, the housing, but not the other,
26:24 the infrastructure that growing communities need.
26:27 When you've got green fields, housing that's opening up,
26:31 particularly on Sydney's western fringe,
26:33 there's disproportionately a large number of families.
26:36 Young families need schools.
26:38 We know that we have to do more,
26:39 but we're dealing with 10 years of neglect,
26:41 particularly for those communities in western Sydney.
26:43 - So you're gonna fast track the school for Box Hill?
26:45 - I don't have anything to announce right now,
26:47 but we're looking at it very closely.
26:50 All right, thanks everybody.
26:51 [BLANK_AUDIO]