Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie Woolf spoke with local business man Jason Hanna and Darwin Waterfront Corporation General Manager Sam Burke on no more cocktails for the Beach Club at the Waterfront

Transcript

Katie Woolf spoke with local business man Jason Hanna and Darwin Waterfront Corporation General Manager Sam Burke on no more cocktails for the Beach Club at the Waterfront · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Well known business owner Jason Hannah. Good morning to you.
• 0:03
  Speaker 2: Jason, Good morning Katie.
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: Mate. What's going on? I got it. We've got an
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: email that you're a message that you've sent through saying
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: that it's looking as though the Waterfront's family friendly, tourist
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: friendly beach club isn't going to be able to happen.
• 0:18
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: I mean, look, that's certainly one of the after effects
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: of the changes that come in at midnight. I mean,
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: you know, for those out in the suburbs as well,
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: you're unfortunately not going to be able to get you
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: to get a cocktail or a glass or a bottle
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: of wine or a beer delivered with your burger or
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: your laxa. You know, as we know that during COVID,
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: we were given the special powers to be able to
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: serve takeaway liquor with takeaway food, which just turned out
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: to be not only a god send for businesses, but
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: an opportunity to sort of show that, you know, like
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: that it wasn't such a big bad demon I seeing that,
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: and that we didn't really have a problem with liquor.
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: And you know, one of the great things that came
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: out of it was the beach club down at the
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: water front. I'm sure we can all agree that we've
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: enjoyed some amazing times down there when the weather's good.
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: Mate, What's how come the government has decided to change this?
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: Did they? Did they think all right, well we're not
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: I don't know what did they think or what have
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: they said?
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: Yeah, look, I'm not entirely sure. It always was a
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: week by week rolling decision, so you know, I can't
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: speak for them, but look, you know, there were a
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: lot of great things that came out of COVID, amongst
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: all the negative and and obviously things like the beach
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: club for the waterfront was a great thing, you know,
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: But for me, one of the great things as well was,
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: you know, just the ability to see the government being
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: able to make changes to rules and regulations with the
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: flick of a pen. So look, I know that, you know,
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: there are members of government out there that the supportive
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: of of allowing this to stay. So I'm quietly confident
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: that that we're going to see some common percents prevail.
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: And you know, and obviously talking to people like you
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: and trying to get a little bit of public support
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: certainly doesn't help.
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: Yeah, well it doesn't. That's going to say hopefully, well,
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: hopefully it does help Jakes. Hopefully hopefully we're able to
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: help you in some way. But so when do these
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: changes like come into effect? So when do we basically
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: reverse what we've been able to do now for quite
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: a while.
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: Oh, midnight tonight, look until effectively effectively, as of midnight tonight,
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: it's all over. So, you know, come on down to
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: the waterfront, lament with a pinicolada. You know, you can
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: maybe float a candle and say goodbye to any hope
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: of the beach club coming back to twenty twenty one. Sorry,
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: what were you tourists that are coming to Darwin? We
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: knew that this is something you would have loved. But listen,
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: I am quietly confident that we can come to a solution.
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: But it doesn't have it to give it a little
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: bit of a push along water.
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: I agree, you know, I actually think that I thought
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: it was a wonderful thing that the waterfront is implemented
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: down there, being able to sort of you know, that
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: beach club environment, being able to have the family there,
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: they can have a play on the lawns. You know,
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: no one's sort of drinking irresponsibly or anything, but being
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: able to have a couple of cocktails with a friend
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: or and you know while the kids are playing. To me,
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: was a really nice thing to be able to do.
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: Well, you know, I think, you know, the Chief Minister
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: has always that, you know, it is about anything that
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: we do is about improving the last style of territorium
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: and minimizing harm. Yeah, now, you know, you know, being
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: able to get a burger with my beer certainly improves
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: my lifestyle, I can tell you. But also you know,
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: being able to go down there to the beautiful waterfront
• 3:39
  Speaker 2: and sit on the grass, particularly when you know, we
• 3:42
  Speaker 2: know that during jurists too, during terroist season, a lot
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: of those restaurants are full, so you know, it basically
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: improves the ability for the waterfront to be able to
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: service the client tell down there. But it really just
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: seems a great picture.
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: You know.
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: We've just had some amazing comments from people from all
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: over the country going, how bloody good is this? You
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: can't even do this and Risbon or the Gold Coast
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: or Melbourne or Sydney sit out here in a public
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: place with a cocktail and a taco and you know,
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: so you know, I think it's imperative that that we
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: you know, we see that continue.
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: Yeah, look, well we'll continue to talk about it throughout
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: the morning, Jason, just to point it out for our
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: listeners as well. So not only is that the concern,
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: but also that delivery like the fact that people were
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: able to to there and also have their cocktail with
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: their food that's stopping as well.
• 4:35
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: Well, it's based all around, based.
• 4:37
  Speaker 3: All around that.
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and look, you know, I mean I'd hate to
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: see just a solution. As you know, I've got venues
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: that aren't just at the waterfront. You know, I've got
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: the amazing chow as a selfless bug down there at
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: the waterfront, but I've got venues outside of it who
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: still want to be able to keep this going. I've
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: got delivery drivers that rely on that to that, you know,
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: basically it's their job.
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: So oh well, Jason, I really appre you making us
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: aware of this, because I certainly wasn't aware that this
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: was coming to an end. From midnight Tonight.
• 5:06
  Speaker 3: Three sixty with Katie Wolf. Join the conversation with Katie Wolf.
• 5:09
  Speaker 3: You are our eyes and ears in the Territory Mix
• 5:12
  Speaker 3: one oh four point nine.
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: If you've been listening to us throughout the morning, you
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: would have heard well known business owner and restauranteur Jason
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: Hannah was on the show about an hour ago and
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: had revealed to us that we've now got a bit
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: of a situation not only well, firstly down at the
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: waterfront where if you are somebody who's been enjoying the
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: beautiful beach club down there and going down and having
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: something to eat, a bit of takeaway food and maybe
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: a takeaway cocktail while the kids have a bit of
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: a play on the lawns, or while you sit down
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: there with friends, as of midnight tonight, that's no longer
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: going to be able to happen. But in addition to that,
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: now secondary to that, there's also the situation now with
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: all of those wonderful restaurants that have been able to
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: deliver food to Territorian's homes. We'll be able to continue
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: to deliver that food, but they're no longer going to
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: be able to deliver some of those great cocktails that
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: they have been able to do over the last twelve months.
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: Now joining me in the studio is of course, the
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: general manager of the Darwin Waterfront, Sam Burke. Good morning
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: to you.
• 6:19
  Speaker 3: Sam, good okad, thanks for having me.
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: Sam, great to speak with you. Now, obviously I'm not
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: going to be able to talk to you about the
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: issue with the you know, the restaurants and their delivery
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: outside of the waterfront situation.
• 6:30
  Speaker 3: Well, I can say I've spoken to government this morning
• 6:33
  Speaker 3: and they are working on that broader issue. There's a
• 6:37
  Speaker 3: Liquor Act review between June and October this year, and
• 6:41
  Speaker 3: I've been told that this will be part of that.
• 6:44
  Speaker 3: I can be on that. I can't really provide anything.
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: Well, that's that's okay. You can of course, though, let
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: us know what's going on down at the waterfront. And Mate,
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: I've got to say I was a bit surprised to
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: hear that people aren't any longer going to be able
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: to have a cocktail with their takeaway food down at
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: the beach club at the waterfront.
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 7:02
  Speaker 3: Look, the beach club and the takeaway with food at
• 7:06
  Speaker 3: the waterfront has been fantastic. It's revolutionized the experience down there.
• 7:10
  Speaker 3: We put out sun lounges. I've spoken to you a
• 7:12
  Speaker 3: lot of times, so it's starting to sound like tragic.
• 7:14
  Speaker 3: So I think how many Kish tacos and cocksails is
• 7:18
  Speaker 3: Katie and Sam have on the weekend but it's great
• 7:20
  Speaker 3: and people have embraced it. The best thing is not
• 7:23
  Speaker 3: a single incident has occurred. It's worked really well. It's
• 7:26
  Speaker 3: been embraced by the community. Even better, tourists have flopped there.
• 7:31
  Speaker 3: They've commented it's amazing, it's unique there, I say, an
• 7:35
  Speaker 3: iconic experience, particularly when it's winter in Melbourne and you're
• 7:39
  Speaker 3: sitting on a sun lounge in Darwin enjoying a cocktail
• 7:42
  Speaker 3: and a bite to eat. Well, I mean, it's great.
• 7:45
  Speaker 3: This is everything that Darwin wants to present to the country.
• 7:48
  Speaker 3: We want domestic travelers seeing Darwin as a tropical holiday
• 7:52
  Speaker 3: destination and locals want to feel like we're having that
• 7:55
  Speaker 3: tropical holiday at home, and this delivered all of that,
• 7:59
  Speaker 3: you know, as you've said, and as Jason said. Unfortunately,
• 8:02
  Speaker 3: the ability to do that comes to an end at
• 8:06
  Speaker 3: midnight on pretty short notice. But I'm happy to say
• 8:12
  Speaker 3: that we're working constructively with government and we hope to
• 8:16
  Speaker 3: find a solution to this soon.
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: For the weekend, because we are talking so nice, not
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: for our Easter long weekend.
• 8:22
  Speaker 3: Midnight tonight will be the end of it. I think
• 8:24
  Speaker 3: Jason and Robbo and other you know, hot Tomale Snapper
• 8:29
  Speaker 3: Chow Precinc Dwarf One. They'll all love for you to
• 8:32
  Speaker 3: come and have a cocktail tonight because that will be
• 8:36
  Speaker 3: the end of it in the short term. But we're
• 8:39
  Speaker 3: hoping within the month and pre dry season to be
• 8:43
  Speaker 3: able to come to a solution. And you know, we
• 8:46
  Speaker 3: are working very hard with government to find a solution.
• 8:49
  Speaker 3: But it's one of those things that I can understand
• 8:52
  Speaker 3: the concerns of our retailers because every bit counts, and
• 8:56
  Speaker 3: as Queensland shows us, things can change quickly and you've
• 8:59
  Speaker 3: got to while the sunshine.
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: Well.
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: Honestly, you know, I will maybe be a little bit
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: less diplomatic about it than what you're being and I'm
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: not going to put you in a difficult situation, but honestly,
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: we are in a situation where it's been such a
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: difficult year for so many of our operators. If we're
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: able to have something happening that is helping them to
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: be able to keep their businesses going and to continue
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: to keep those businesses employing locals as well, you know,
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: it should be seen as being a good thing. I
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: just cannot understand if there's not been incidents down at
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: the waterfront of antisocial behavior or bad behavior. Why we
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: are now at midnight before an easter long weekend ending
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: up in this path.
• 9:43
  Speaker 3: I think it boils down to how do we allow
• 9:46
  Speaker 3: it under the laws as they are at the moment.
• 9:49
  Speaker 3: What I can say, and you know this isn't a
• 9:51
  Speaker 3: difficult spot for me. The local member and Minister Paul
• 9:55
  Speaker 3: Kirby has been straight on the phone to me. I
• 9:57
  Speaker 3: know ministers have been trying to eat and find solutions
• 10:01
  Speaker 3: to this as a matter of urgency. But it's one
• 10:04
  Speaker 3: of those things that, as Jason said, COVID allowed government
• 10:08
  Speaker 3: and all these agencies to be so nimble and come
• 10:11
  Speaker 3: up with solutions when we went into shutdown of hospitality
• 10:15
  Speaker 3: and the legacy of that has been this new normal
• 10:17
  Speaker 3: that we've all been enjoying, which includes things like food
• 10:21
  Speaker 3: and cocktails out on the grass are at home. Where
• 10:24
  Speaker 3: at this point now where it's like, well, what's the
• 10:26
  Speaker 3: actual fix for this? Because to be a new normal
• 10:29
  Speaker 3: we have to do some work to make sure that
• 10:31
  Speaker 3: this stuff can continue. We know that it's now essential.
• 10:34
  Speaker 3: It's our way of being different and attracting people here
• 10:37
  Speaker 3: and it's had no problems that he said, it's embraced.
• 10:39
  Speaker 3: There has not been a single problem. It's not contributing
• 10:42
  Speaker 3: to any of the alcohol harm issues in the community.
• 10:45
  Speaker 3: So I can pretty confidently say from the conversations I've
• 10:50
  Speaker 3: had with people, everyone's on the same page about that.
• 10:53
  Speaker 3: So how do we do it? Unfortunately it all comes
• 10:56
  Speaker 3: to an end at midnight. But I'm really hoping that
• 10:58
  Speaker 3: with all the collective good will and Jason Hammer and
• 11:01
  Speaker 3: others are loud voices, so I think, you know, I'm
• 11:05
  Speaker 3: confident that they'll be listening to them, we'll be able
• 11:07
  Speaker 3: to find a way through it.
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: Well. And like you've said, everybody wants to be really
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: constructive here. I think ultimately, you know, nobody's wanting to,
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: you know, to pick a fish. Everybody just wants to
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: actually try and sort this situation out. And me, as
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: a patron, I'd like to be able to go down
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: there and enjoy a drink and do you know, why
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: not because there's nothing dangerous about it. There hasn't been
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: any issues as a result of you know, being able
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: to go there and have a takeaway meal and have
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: a takeaway cocktail.
• 11:34
  Speaker 3: We actually think that it's part of this cultural shift
• 11:36
  Speaker 3: of you know, do it in a family friendly environment,
• 11:39
  Speaker 3: do it, you know, with the kids at the beach
• 11:42
  Speaker 3: in a responsible way with food. The greatest part of
• 11:45
  Speaker 3: this is it's mandated that it's with food, so you're
• 11:48
  Speaker 3: always eating. It's not a just get on the plank
• 11:51
  Speaker 3: and go crazy to enjoy it in a family friendly
• 11:54
  Speaker 3: resort style atmosphere, and everyone has done the right thing
• 11:58
  Speaker 3: and it's been a fantastic stick success. So, as I said,
• 12:01
  Speaker 3: it's about getting an answer and a solution quickly. The
• 12:05
  Speaker 3: dry season's coming, the bookings are there, there's a lot
• 12:09
  Speaker 3: of people looking at darn and we've got the half
• 12:11
  Speaker 3: price fares. We want to present our absolute best offering
• 12:15
  Speaker 3: possible and capitalize them. As ruthless as it sounds, Queensland
• 12:20
  Speaker 3: are having issues. Darwin is the tropical destiny.
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: May one hundred percent agrew. If we can push those
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: queens Labors and all the others to the side, let's
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: do it. We usually have the Minister on the show
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: on a Tuesday morning, so we'll follow it up anyway.
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: Can I just ask I know that that obviously this
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: is a bit of a dampener. However not really, because
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: there's actually so much on at the waterfront this weekend anyway,
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: huge easter.
• 12:46
  Speaker 3: I was so excited about our biggest ever New Year's
• 12:49
  Speaker 3: and stay tuned about New Year's this year. But Easter
• 12:53
  Speaker 3: is bigger than ever, so I'm very excited to tell
• 12:56
  Speaker 3: you all about it. On this weekend, We've had an
• 12:59
  Speaker 3: East Extravaganza be rolled out. It's Saturday and Sunday for
• 13:03
  Speaker 3: the first time ever at the waterfront. It's from ten
• 13:06
  Speaker 3: am to one pm both days. They're setting up at
• 13:09
  Speaker 3: the moment this incredible maze that's like a bunny maze.
• 13:13
  Speaker 3: The kids will go through it. You get to the end,
• 13:15
  Speaker 3: you decorate pots and plant seedlings and you take that home.
• 13:19
  Speaker 3: Then we've got an air conditioned bunny burrow next to
• 13:23
  Speaker 3: Oyster Bar. It's so cute. There's going to be mister
• 13:27
  Speaker 3: and missus and bunnies in there for photos. People can
• 13:30
  Speaker 3: take that home. Activities for the kids. We've got incredible
• 13:34
  Speaker 3: jumping castles and the like on Saturday. We've got roving
• 13:37
  Speaker 3: kids entertainers on Sunday. And then add to that all
• 13:40
  Speaker 3: the restaurants, all the bars, the ice cream shops, the cafes,
• 13:45
  Speaker 3: the Red Lagoon and the Wave Lagoon. If you're not
• 13:48
  Speaker 3: at the Waterfront this Easter, where are you wouldn't you go,
• 13:52
  Speaker 3: I'll be there. It's going to be amazing exactly.
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: It should be heaps of fun and this.
• 13:56
  Speaker 3: Weather sounds good. I'm very pleased with the weather Bureau.
• 14:00
  Speaker 3: Nervous at easter, but it.
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: Seems he's confirmed that it's going to be a good
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: weekend weather wise hopefully, so that is going to be fantastic.
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: It's going to be great to get out and about.
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: And there's still like you said, you can still go something.
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: There's the what do you call the inflatable thing.
• 14:13
  Speaker 3: I should have mentioned that that's operating the whole time.
• 14:16
  Speaker 3: The Aqua Park. It's brilliant. I went on a couple
• 14:19
  Speaker 3: of weekends ago to make a sight. Well actually staff
• 14:22
  Speaker 3: had some CCTV to show me on the monday, which
• 14:25
  Speaker 3: was very embarrassing. It's a workout, so think of it
• 14:28
  Speaker 3: like that fitness and the kids will love it, and
• 14:30
  Speaker 3: it's so professionally run and safe and it's just fun.
• 14:33
  Speaker 3: It's very good stuff.
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: And obviously the wavepool continues to operate as.
• 14:37
  Speaker 3: Well, Wavepoul's and look we've still got all of our
• 14:40
  Speaker 3: sun lounges out. It's such a beautiful environment. You will
• 14:43
  Speaker 3: still be able to do takeaway food and soft drinks
• 14:45
  Speaker 3: and the lie and rest assured. We're working on that
• 14:48
  Speaker 3: other issue with government, but it's going to be brilliant
• 14:51
  Speaker 3: and this is the beginning of the dry Let's get
• 14:53
  Speaker 3: out there, like we were saying at the height of
• 14:55
  Speaker 3: COVID support locals. These are all our small family businesses
• 14:59
  Speaker 3: that run these venues. They appreciate every customer and the
• 15:03
  Speaker 3: other great thing, as Jason said, our venues are often full,
• 15:06
  Speaker 3: so the takeaway option gives the whole public domain and
• 15:09
  Speaker 3: all this space to be out to enjoy it in
• 15:11
  Speaker 3: unless you know, the kids can run around and it's great.
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: Yeah, that's exactly.
• 15:15
  Speaker 3: Easter Saturday and Sunday ten.
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: It's going to be pumping. You'll see me there at
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: some point, no doubt.
• 15:22
  Speaker 2: Tonight though.
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: Good on your Sam Burke. Always good to catch up mate,
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: General Manager of the Darlin Waterfront. We'll talk to you
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: again very soon.
• 15:30
  Speaker 3: Thanks Katie.