DARWIN - 7 April 2021
KATIE WOOLF, HOST: We know that the flooding and the situation in East Timor and also in Indonesia at this stage, it's being reported that I believe around 150 people have been killed, and so many more have been displaced. Now, joining me in the studio is the federal Member for Solomon, Luke Gosling. Good morning.
LUKE GOSLING, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR SOLOMON: Good morning, Katie.
WOOLF: What's the latest from your perspective?
GOSLING: I've been speaking to people in Dili and then in the embassy in Canberra, and also people from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. So everyone is getting the same information through about a really massive loss of life and a lot of people injured and homeless from this flooding. Unlike Darwin, which is pretty flat, Timor's very mountainous. And what's happened is they've had really a lot of rain over a short period of time, and that's flooded down through the capital, Dili. And there's about 7,000 people that have lost their homes and are in evacuation centres in Dili needing some support.
WOOLF: Well, we know how difficult it is somewhere like the Northern Territory when you go through a cyclone or when you go through a terrible flood, let alone being in another country where a lot of the time those buildings are not built to the same sort of standard as what we see here in Australia, particularly here in the Northern Territory. So that loss in terms of property and even just those essentials, there is a lot of things that they're going to be needing at this point, isn't there?
GOSLING: Yeah, absolutely. And talking to someone in Dili, they were saying that what everyone's really needing is some Panadol because that's a really human thing, that with their medical warehouses, their government medical warehouse being flooded and the vaccines, COVID vaccines that Australia has donated arrived on the weekend when all the all the flooding was occurring. But I guess the good news is, those 25,000 vaccines have arrived. But, of course, now that everyone's had to go to shelter in these evacuation centres, controlling the spread of COVID within those centres is a real danger.
So I guess they need lots of things: some drinking water, some emergency food. And it's great to see the Darwin and Territory community rallying, as they always do. And the Portuguese-Timorese Club have got an event on tomorrow night where people can bring along clothes, nappies, household items that are going to be necessary for people to rebuild, because a lot of these 7,000 people have lost everything.
WOOLF: Now, where can people find out a bit more information about that event? Or if they do want to make a donation, what can they do?
GOSLING: There's a number of ways. Obviously, in disasters like these, actual cash getting onto the ground through international charities that are working there is really positive. And I put a link on my Facebook page for Caritas. They’re a charity organization that's got people on the ground in Dili that can actually take that cash and help out with these evacuation centres. But there's also some great work being done with Vinnies, with the Portuguese-Timorese social club out at Marrara, where they’re fundraising, but they're also taking donations that they'll put in the shipping container to be shipped over to Dili.
Obviously, that's not going to happen quickly, though. So that's why they're also saying that donations can be made and that will help in the short term. I've spoken with Air North, they're waiting for word that the airport in Dili is open, because they've had a lot of mud go over it. So Air North have also said that for the specific high-need, really immediate needs, that they'll be able to assist with some transport over to Dili as soon as the airport in Dili is open.
WOOLF: Well, let's hope that they're able to do that sooner rather than later and get these things over to them. Well, Luke Gosling, I always appreciate your time, mate. Just tell us once more: if people do want to make a donation or if they're after a bit more info, they can head to your Facebook page?
GOSLING: Yeah, I've got a link for Caritas on my Facebook page, if they go to that. Caritas is doing a Timor-specific response because they've got people on the ground there. But the Indonesian community here in Darwin is also running an event, they're meeting to decide on that today. If people go to the Indonesia Diaspora NT Facebook page that will be updated with information there. Because as well as East Timor, West Timor has been hit, and Flores Island. East Indonesia and Timor really copped the brunt of all this rain that’s unfortunately resulting in the loss of life and housing for a lot of people. And thanks again to all people in the Territory that are rallying to the call.
WOOLF: Well, Luke Gosling, the federal Member for Solomon, always good to catch up with you. I appreciate your time this morning.
GOSLING: Thanks Katie.
LUKE GOSLING, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR SOLOMON:
ENDS
