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Katie Woolf spoke with Hospitality NT CEO Alex Bruce · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie Wolf. Join the conversation with Katie Wolf.
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: You are our eyes and ears in the Territory Mixed
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: one oh four point nine.
• 0:08
  Speaker 2: Joining me on the line from Hospitality NT. It is
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: the CEO, Alex Bruce. Good morning, Alex, Good a Katie Alex.
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: There is so much happening around the place. I do
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: want to talk though about the situation in Victoria. You
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: and I caught up a little bit earlier in the
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: week and did discuss this to some degree. But how
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: are we going in terms of some of those accommodation bookings.
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: Have we seen many cancelations as a result of the
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: hotspot declaration for the whole state of Victoria.
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: Yes, the morning after the whole state of Victoria was
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: declared a hotspot for us, definitely, our network started getting
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: a lot more calls for people wanting to cancel, not
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: only in the next fortnight, but even three weeks out,
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: four weeks out. When a whole state gets excluded, and
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: coupled that with you know, all of the quite strong
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: actions down in Victoria as well, it just decimates the
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: comp well. So you know, once that happened, we went
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: from saying, yeah, we will maybe fifteen percent down in occupancy,
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: but we're able to backfill some of that. The longer
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: this goes on for we won't be able to backfill
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: all of it, and we're talking more like thirty plus percent.
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: We know that's already what we've started to shed for
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: the Supercars weekend, and concerning for Central Australia, then number
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: one weekend for that town and it provides a massive
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: economic boost right through retail and hospitality is the Sink
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: weekend and a large chunk of those race teams, you know,
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: their mum and dad motor car enthusiasts. They're from regional Victoria.
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: So we do hope that we appreciate it for it's
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: health run in the show as always, but if they
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: could see their way through easing some of the border
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: restrictions for even regional Victoria ahead of Melbourne, that would
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: go a long.
• 2:08
  Speaker 3: Way to strengthen and secure a great think.
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: So can I just go back to those numbers, So
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: you said fifteen percent is what had happened sort of
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: the day after, but we're now looking at thirty percent
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: of those bookings being canceled as a result of the
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: situation with the whole of Victoria. Being a hot spot
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: for the supercars weekend.
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: Yes, that's right. So we lost fifteen percent across the
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: Darwen network last weekend. Yeah, but did pick some up
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: because demands, eifs and everywhere, and locals got some great
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: last minute deals as well, which is good to see.
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: But now Victoria and New South WALESA are the two
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: largest domestic markets. Victoria is about thirty percent of our
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: total markets. So the longer that we exclude Victoria, that
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: will really start to think its teeth into our industry.
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: Soing forward, So Alex, what do you need to see
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: happen here or what would you like to see happen here?
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: A lot of the numbers seem to be getting to
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: a positive space down in Victoria. Leave that to others
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: and the experts there, but as soon as the regional
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: Victorians could be welcomed back, that would be something, even
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: if there was still some concern from the local health
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: authorities regarding Melbourne.
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: Yeah, right, so we'll have to I mean, look, I
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: think we'll all be keeping a very close eye on
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: this and keeping a really close eye on what happens
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: in Victoria over the next couple of days. Hey, I
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: do want to ask you as well. Again, you know,
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: we always talk about this work a shortage, there's no
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: doubt about that. But there's a few different and innovative
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: things that hospitality and t is doing, I guess, you know,
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: to try to get more people employed, including these will
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: the RSA certificates the Responsible service of alcohol something a
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: little bit different are refresher course and it's free to try,
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: right is that in an effort to try and get
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: more people working in our bars and licensed premises, a bit.
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: Of both and so on that front. You know, sixteen
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: year olds and above under the age of eighteen can
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: apply through the business to the Director of Liquor Licensing
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: for an exemption to and be glasses and we're seeing
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: an uptake there. There have been some really positive trade
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: shows and fairs lining up tourism and hospitality businesses with
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: would be workers in Alice. Katherine Darwin was last night
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: and was quite positive.
• 4:35
  Speaker 3: There's one to go on Tenant.
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: Creek, the Gray Nomads.
• 4:38
  Speaker 3: We are getting gray.
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  Speaker 1: Powered this year at higher rates in some of the
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: remote locations that are filling some of the vacuum from
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: those missing backpackers. The other part of it though, is compliant,
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: so a couple of years ago they changed the liquorict
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: and indicator that they want to see a local course
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: for RSA refresher with particular you know, local context and
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: I'm talking you know, BDR, minimum floor price, some of
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: those policy settings that are unique to the territory. So
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: someone with an RSA from overseas or maybe an RSA
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: ten fifteen years old, I don't know, you know, there
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: might be someone out there with an RSA as old
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: as nineteen ninety nine sitting there somewhere. But so you know,
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: this is a short, sharp, online free course that we've
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: partnered with the government to do. Everyone can log onto
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: it and what it will.
• 5:30
  Speaker 3: Do is it means your RSA is good for another
• 5:32
  Speaker 3: three years.
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: Yeah right. Hey, on those gray nomads, I was actually
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: driving on the Stuart Highway this morning and noticed one
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: of those big, you know, electronic signs at thrifty and
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: it said gray nomads work and mobile number, And I wondered,
• 5:47
  Speaker 2: how are we seeing more gray nomads filling some of
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: these jobs that need to be filled.
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: We are, you know, and I think I mentioned previously,
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: but walk about cavern over in Null and boys picked
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: up both some great nomad couples, but also the traveling,
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: traveling families with kids, and that is they've always been,
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: you know, the people that have been manning the camp
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: sites in national parks across the country as they're traveling
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: around and those tides of things. So we're looking to
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: access that.
• 6:16
  Speaker 3: Labor force more.
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: We're having some positive success Hingley Tourism top end those
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: raise this which you previously, and it is something we'd
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: like to see the federal government act on. You can
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: only earn i think, just under two hundred bucks a
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: fortnight before it starts to impact your pension or your
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: part pension. Why can't that be a thousand bucks. It
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: is something that they tell us that would it would
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: remove an inhibitor on them. It would get them out
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: there working more, would be happy, they would be happy,
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: and they're still paying their fair share of tacks as well.
• 6:46
  Speaker 3: So we just think it's a win for everybody.
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I agree with you. I think it'd be a
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: great thing to see happen and enable you know, some
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: of our territorians who are maybe a little bit older,
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: or some of those traveling here to the territory to
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: earn a little bit more money. While if they are
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: also receiving the pension.
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: God said, well, we don't just want to gap you,
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: we want to gap life.
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: That'd be all right, wouldn't it.
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: That'd be good.
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: Well, Alex Bruce, good to catch up with you this morning.
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: Mate.
• 7:14
  Speaker 2: We always appreciate you coming on the show.
• 7:17
  Speaker 1: Thanks Katie. One final quick thing. I just need to
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: say thank you to Maddie. He's been the champion I know.
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: Oh mate, look we are going to have a bit
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: of a tribute for Maddie Hepworth at eleven thirty this morning.
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: All I'm gonna say is take some time to sit
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: down and have a listen and a laugh.
• 7:35
  Speaker 3: Excellent, will do all right?
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: Good on you, Alex.
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: Thank you