MURRAY JONES, HOST: Let's talk about the Australian Defence Force helicopters, more personnel deployed to the area. That's one of the key things that we need as we go into a recovery phase here in Tropical North Queensland. Also some incredible stories when it comes to people being absolute heroes and some of the things that they've done. Joining me this morning to talk about the way forward for Tropical North Queensland, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Good morning.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Good morning, Murray. Good to talk with you. Although unfortunate circumstances of this discussion, I know that's been really tough for people in Far North Queensland.
JONES: I didn't think I'd get a chance to talk to you before Christmas. So this is, I guess, at least an opportunity to catch up, but not the best circumstances. Can I talk about just some of the things that I've heard about in the last couple of days. Wujal Wujal, as you well know, a community about 300 people due to be evacuated today. Unfortunately there was an attempt yesterday but they just couldn't get the people evacuated out of there. But further north people clinging to trees for many, many hours. Locals that have gone into floodwater and managed to save at least two fellows that were basically washed out of a truck just near the Lion's Den Hotel. Quite a famous helicopter pilot here in Tropical North Queensland, guy called Magoo, I used to see him around Chillagoe quite a bit over the years. In a small helicopter, he managed to evacuate 16 people off the roof of the Lion's Den Hotel. He had to do them individually. He landed his helicopter actually on the Lion's Den Hotel. So Prime Minister these are the type of things that people are doing here in Tropic North Queensland to look after their fellow man. But of course, we do need Federal and State help to get ourselves out of a very difficult situation.
PRIME MINISTER: Well, once again, you see at the worst of times the best of the Australian character. Magoo, I think you said his name was, that's remarkable effort and we hear stories about that over the last couple of days. Yesterday afternoon, of course, we had the first army jeeps and boats arriving in Cairns to assist where they're needed, helping to move people to higher ground. We're hoping that today those people in Wujal Wujal can be airlifted out to Cooktown by midmorning is the hope there. We have two Chinook’s and two AW139 helicopters have been deployed to assist with the response. And this morning I will travel to Brisbane, we we’re hoping to get to Cairns over the last couple of days, but of course it hasn't been possible. But I will attend, along with Murray Watt, a meeting of the Queensland Disaster Management Committee, chaired of course, by the Queensland State Government Ministers including the new Premier Steven Miles and heads of all the agencies as well as local councils, to hear firsthand what further support the Commonwealth can give. We will give whatever support is necessary.
JONES: And I know the Premier just in the last couple of days or in the last 24 hours has certainly put forward that he will be talking to you about some joint funding because we've got so much infrastructure smashed when it comes to highways, particularly some of the key highways. I was talking to the Mayor of Innisfail or the Cassowary Coast yesterday and of course some of their key industries because of the Palmerston Highway being out. You've got water, infrastructure, but also the tourism. You know it was really sad yesterday, Mr Albanese, to wander down to Trinity Beach, seeing some of the photographs of even Port Douglas Beach, as you well know, and also Palm Cove. There's some of our key pristine beaches here in Tropical North Queensland. The amount of debris and of course, just some of the infrastructure because of the water that's actually flowed into the ocean from some of the nearby streets and areas, you've got really big washouts. So, I guess this effort moving forward, we're really going to need a lot of assistance here from both the Federal and the State Governments to be able to move forward.
PRIME MINISTER: Indeed. Well, we've already activated financial support for residents who are directly impacted. But in addition to that, of course, for local councils to assist in the cleanup. That is going to require major effort and it's going to be difficult because of labour shortages and other issues which will be required. Quite clearly, in order to get the economy of Far North Queensland up and running again, the quicker that repairs can be made the better. And so we'll continue to examine what we can do to provide more support for residents, for local government, for businesses, for primary producers, as well as, as you say, the tourism sector is so important there in Far North Queensland.
JONES: Thankfully the airport is looking like it will be open today because it's been a one in a hundred-year flood. Even talking to the CEO yesterday at the Cairns Airport, the type of damage they had there. Thankfully, they've managed to get things up and running again. So, some real concerns and I guess one of the nice things, and we do appreciate the fact that you've been very accessible to us here at 4CA throughout the year. I think a lot of anxiety as well, Albo. A lot of people are going to have a pretty tough Christmas.
PRIME MINISTER: That's right. And we need to make sure that mental health support is there for people as well. People will have been traumatised. I spoke with Senator Nita Green on Sunday and I must say that was an insight and she was doing it tough. She's really passionate about the local community where she lives and she was there with her young child and I know that for many of the families there, they would have been through such a difficulty. Many people will have lost important belongings and just going through not knowing whether they were going to be able to be safe must be incredibly traumatising. So, we're very conscious of that as well. The aftermath of this unprecedented flooding will have an impact for some time. I find it remarkable that there isn't further damage to the runway that will of course need to be checked and made sure that it's safe there as well. But certainly the quicker that the airport can be reopened so that supplies can get in as well, is something that we know is very important.
JONES: Look, we always have such happy, upbeat conversations, but look, before we do finish up this morning, just keen to play you an excerpt from an interview that I did just yesterday with the Mayor of the Douglas Shire, Michael Kerr, talking about some of the things that he needed and the plea that he asked that I would make to you today on the program. Just have a quick listen to this.
MICHAEL KERR, DOUGLAS SHIRE MAYOR: We need help on the ground. The people we've got working on the ground at the moment, the same ones that started last Tuesday when Jasper was coming. They're absolutely exhausted, they're broken. We need food supplies, we need water. We need external help from the armed forces to be able to get these food supplies into these people and also to get new people in to start looking at the whole mess of what's going to happen in the future, how we're going to fix this up. Because we struggle in Douglas to get engineers at the best of times just to build our roads, let alone the amount of work that's going to be involved in recreating the mess that's been created from these floods.
JONES: I think the desperation there in Michael's voice basically says it all, Prime Minister.
PRIME MINISTER: Oh, certainly. And Douglas Shire has been impacted severely, as have so many of the local council areas there in Far North Queensland. It has been such an extraordinary event and all I can do is assure the Mayor, but ensure other Mayors as well, that the Federal Government stands shoulder to shoulder with the Queensland Government and Queenslanders at what is a very difficult time.
JONES: Look Albo thank you so much for your time this morning. I said, usually we talk under far more happier circumstances, but we really appreciate the fact that you've taken time to speak to us today. All the best to you and your family. Have a restful and peaceful Christmas and just keep a bit of an eye and a thought on some of the challenges for some of the people here in Tropical North Queensland.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, thanks very much, Murray.