Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie Woolf spoke with Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis on alfresco dining fees

Transcript

Katie Woolf spoke with Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis on alfresco dining fees · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie Wolf. Join the conversation with Katie Wolf.
• 0:04
  Speaker 2: You are our eyes and ears in the territory Mixed
• 0:07
  Speaker 2: one oh four point nine. Last month we heard the
• 0:10
  Speaker 2: Darwin Council's plan, their draft to twenty twenty one to
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: twenty twenty two municipal plan was going to see pandemic
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: pre pandemic rates return and it will see or it
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: was going to see seven dollars per table per week
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: for our outdoor dining tables for some of our restaurants
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: that have the Alfresco areas. Now, my understanding is that
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: the Lord Mayor convat Scarles has had a change of
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: heart based on the situation in Victoria right now and
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: he joins me on the line, good morning to you, con.
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: Good morning Katie. Yes, sir, I agree with you about
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: the question or it is not about a good look.
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: But at the same time I find out and I
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: heard on that we can't on the radio a lot
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: of tourist operators now they claim that a lot of
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: Victorian visitors have canceled their plans to visit territory because
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: of the emerging situation in Victoria.
• 1:04
  Speaker 2: Yeah, well, this is the thing. There are a lot
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: of people that are concerned about traveling, I guess, and
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: all can't simply travel around as freely as what they
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: could prior to the situation in Victoria. So con what
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: you're saying is that you're going to be moving emotion
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: to halt the seven dollars per table per week for
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: those venues that have el fresco dining areas.
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: If tourists from Victoria do not come to the territory,
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: certainly the hospitality industry is going to be affected. Let's
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: not make the things difficult for them. They're coming from
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: a really, really tough period because in the last two
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: years we didn't see any tourists here, and I thought
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: that let's give them a break. It's not a lot
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: of money we get out of these fees. We can
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: find them somewhere else. So yes, I will be moving
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: emotion to at least put suspension for twelve months so
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: to give them time to recover and make up some
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: of their losses. I said to you again, it's not
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: a lot of money we get out of the fees,
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: but it's public space. It's the rate pay property. We
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: already on their behalf. But I think anybody can afford
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: not to have this money for twelve months. I'll put
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: the motion and see what my fellow order man will
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: decide on that.
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: Well, I think that it would be a good thing
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: if everybody you know it comes to the table and
• 2:15
  Speaker 2: decides that it does get held off for twelve months.
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: You know, at the end of the day, it is
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: a clear example of the fact that this thing is
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: still happening. COVID is still such a huge part of
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: our lives at the moment. And you know, even though
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: we've been having quite a bumper season when it comes
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: to tourist surviving, something like this has a big impact,
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: really very quickly when a state is locked down, Katie.
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: The situation is still fluid. This morning per found another
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: person who came out of quarantine. He was tested positive.
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: New South Wales now is searching for tracing context because
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: they will be from Victoria go to New South Wales.
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: Don't expect this to be resolved quickly until all Australians
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: are actually immunized. The years from UK today is the
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: new delta variety is five percent more infectious. So we're
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: still in a very very fluid situation. We have to
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: move quickly. Oh well, not big, but it's actually a
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: sign that we are prepared to support our industry. Yeah.
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: Well and corn We've just received comments from Hospitality NT
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: and they said, we thank the Lord Mayor for listening
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: to small businesses across the local government area that are
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: trying to rebuild and still face ongoing uncertainty. The City
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: of Darwin were the first to the field in support
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: and stimulus for our industry and today's news continues that
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: strong connection, says Alex Bruce from Hospitality NT. So no
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: doubt they are pleased to hear this announcement.
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: And I said to you before, it's not to be
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: course to the council. We'll find the money somewhere else.
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: But if we lose businesses, we're losing people, we're losing employment.
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: Yeah, we don't wonder that's exactly right. Well, Lord Mayor
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: conbat Scarless, we are going to have to leave it there.
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: We've got such a busy morning lined up. But thanks
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: so much for letting us know what you're going to
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: be doing. And no doubt there'll be further news in
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: the space in when are you next you to meet?
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: Well, we have to accept the budget. After the nine
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: lost June, when all the line for the submissions, will
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: study the submission and will make a decision. And on
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: that day I will put my emotion and I'm pretty
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: sure mar fellow Alderman will support it.
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: Fantastic Sola this.
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: Week, well, probably next week.
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: Okay, next week, all right, sounds good. Convat Scarlus. We'll
• 4:24
  Speaker 2: talk to you again, possibly tomorrow.
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: We'll see how we go for good morning, and see
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: you tomorrow. Thank you.
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: That's the Lord Mayor. Convat Scarlets there