Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Hospitality NT CEO Alex Bruce speaks to Katie about the upcoming public holiday and workforce issues in the NT

Transcript

Hospitality NT CEO Alex Bruce speaks to Katie about the upcoming public holiday and workforce issues in the NT · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: You are listening to Mix one oh four nine. A
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: few messages coming through, quite a few of you messaging
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: through about the public holiday, and some people saying regarding
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: the public holiday. Well, there's one here that says regarding
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: the public holiday for Lizzie on a Thursday, which will
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: meet many taking a four day weekend, chucking a sickie
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: or taking an annual leave day. And this person says,
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: if a business has fifty staff, they will take a
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: hit of up to thirty grand in wages alone, which
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: has not been budgeted for. That doesn't take into account
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: the loss of sorry, the loss of productivity. It's hard
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: enough for small businesses as it is impossible to get staff,
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: says that Texter now joining me on the line to
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: talk a little bit more about this situation. Actually is
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: the Hospitality NT CEO Alex Bruce, Good morning to you.
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: Alex, Good morning Katy Alex.
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: Obviously we've learned late yesterday or yesterday that there is
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: going to be a public holiday on the twenty second
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: of September. Now, some people are obviously going to see
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: this as being a good thing. Others, like our business owners,
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: it might be a little bit more difficult.
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: What's been. The reaction from hospitality.
• 1:11
  Speaker 3: Are mixed in a word, and some operators they are
• 1:15
  Speaker 3: only finding out today as we communicate with them, and
• 1:18
  Speaker 3: that's the challenge when they do spring public holidays on us.
• 1:22
  Speaker 3: Obviously appreciate with this one. You know, you're not going
• 1:26
  Speaker 3: to get advanced notice. There are questions though about why
• 1:29
  Speaker 3: it's you know, we're waiting for ourbow to get back
• 1:32
  Speaker 3: to then have a public holiday. What we are hearing,
• 1:35
  Speaker 3: you know, people are querying why this isn't time to
• 1:37
  Speaker 3: be with the official services over in the UK so
• 1:40
  Speaker 3: that you know, if this was legitimately a day of mourning,
• 1:45
  Speaker 3: you might get up super early and watch some of
• 1:48
  Speaker 3: those things and then have a day with your family
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  Speaker 3: and friends to you know, really really think about the
• 1:53
  Speaker 3: impact that that very powerful lady has had on all
• 1:56
  Speaker 3: of our lives. You know, we are a little cynical
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: that this is giving Victorians the four day long weekend
• 2:04
  Speaker 3: because they've got the AFL Grand Finals public holiday on
• 2:06
  Speaker 3: the friday. They're the ones that are in the gun
• 2:09
  Speaker 3: heading to their state election in November, so there is
• 2:13
  Speaker 3: a bit of cynicism as to why the date has
• 2:15
  Speaker 3: aligned for them down there.
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I didn't even think of that, But you're right, Alex.
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: I mean for those of us that maybe want to
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: watch the funeral proceedings and that kind of thing, I like,
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: I automatically thought, oh wonder why it's on that date?
• 2:31
  Speaker 3: Absolutely, and you know that's I think there is absolutely
• 2:35
  Speaker 3: broad support that a day to commemorate the queen is
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: absolutely correct, Yeah, and should be done. It does mean that,
• 2:43
  Speaker 3: you know, particularly and we'll find out more today than
• 2:45
  Speaker 3: the day goes on, but particularly that cafe restaurant end
• 2:48
  Speaker 3: of our space, you might see some of them make
• 2:51
  Speaker 3: the decision not to open for the day. So it's
• 2:53
  Speaker 3: not the windfall for workers that it's trumped up to be.
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: Often it's an extra day for a casual not working
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: and not earning money. The pubs and clubs and the
• 3:02
  Speaker 3: large accommodation hotels obviously will be trading as normal and
• 3:06
  Speaker 3: just absorbing that extra cost.
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: Yeah, is it going to have an impact when it
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: comes to you know, being able to operate for that
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: day in terms of the cost factor and in terms
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: of having to pay people, you know, workers obviously for
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: a public holiday.
• 3:21
  Speaker 3: Look, it does, and I don't want to come across
• 3:23
  Speaker 3: as a bit of a Scrooge or anything. But you know,
• 3:25
  Speaker 3: when we've got two boxing days through Christmases, we've got
• 3:29
  Speaker 3: the most public holidays now in the country before before
• 3:33
  Speaker 3: this one was hit upon us. So you know, I
• 3:36
  Speaker 3: think six of the eight days over Christmas New Years
• 3:40
  Speaker 3: in the year just gone were penalty rates. And you
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: walked down the main stream of Darwin and it was
• 3:46
  Speaker 3: tumbleweeds and so people are going, oh, well, how come
• 3:48
  Speaker 3: on the businesses aren't opening. Well, it's very very clearly
• 3:52
  Speaker 3: linked to their costs that they can't absorb or push
• 3:55
  Speaker 3: push through entirely with search charges. You know, no one
• 3:58
  Speaker 3: likes to pay those search charges, but they're just the
• 4:00
  Speaker 3: reality of the Sunday and public holiday trading. Now.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, well this is the thing, and it's going to
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  Speaker 1: be interesting I think to see whether, you know, as
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  Speaker 1: somebody had just messaged through and said, whether some people
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  Speaker 1: decide to sort of have a day of annual leave
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: or take the four days off rather than just that
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  Speaker 1: one day. But however you look at it, it is
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  Speaker 1: going to be interesting to see how it pans out
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: for our smaller business operators, well for all of our
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: business operators. And hopefully it doesn't mean that they're in
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  Speaker 1: a situation where they're having to close their doors because
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  Speaker 1: that's more cost effective. But if that's the case, then
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  Speaker 1: you can't blame them.
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  Speaker 3: Well that's it. And you know school holidays start that
• 4:37
  Speaker 3: weekend too, So if this does encourage too many of
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: our good, loyal customers to pack up and head bush
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  Speaker 3: a couple of days earlier, then those cafes and restaurants
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  Speaker 3: will need to assess whether it is worse than the
• 4:48
  Speaker 3: moment on the Thursday.
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: Yeah, hey, Alex. Obviously one of the other impacts that
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: we've seen on territory businesses in recent times is indeed
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: the job shortage. We know that, you know, it's it's
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: been a serious issue for hospitality and for other industries
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  Speaker 1: for quite a while. Now.
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  Speaker 2: How are things tracking.
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  Speaker 3: Look, we're hearing that our businesses have come up for
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  Speaker 3: a little bit of air. It's definitely been a very
• 5:13
  Speaker 3: strong peak tourism season, but it's backed off a little bit.
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  Speaker 3: The accommodation hotels are still showing very strong bookings all
• 5:20
  Speaker 3: the way through to Christmas though, so it's not the
• 5:23
  Speaker 3: usual quiet season, but it's not as crazy as it
• 5:27
  Speaker 3: was the last couple of months. We were down the
• 5:31
  Speaker 3: track recently talking to all the remote pubs and roadhouses
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: and wayside operators and they were saying similar. Thankfully, they
• 5:39
  Speaker 3: serve what they could serve with the limited staff, but
• 5:42
  Speaker 3: it is starting to quieten down a little bit, and
• 5:44
  Speaker 3: that's giving them an opportunity to put their heads up
• 5:47
  Speaker 3: work on their businesses. It's why we've relaunched our upskilling
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  Speaker 3: funds so that we can try and increase the skills
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  Speaker 3: and training of the workers that we have in our industry,
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  Speaker 3: particularly those ones that have with our businesses for several years.
• 6:02
  Speaker 3: We see this as a way that you know, retain them,
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  Speaker 3: give them more qualifications. Overall, better better customer service for
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  Speaker 3: the customers and the tourists alike. Likes. So we're doing that.
• 6:15
  Speaker 3: But yeah, looking at across it, there's you know, the
• 6:17
  Speaker 3: daily delegation last last week, there's all of federal stuff
• 6:21
  Speaker 3: where they're increasing the migrant in take across the nation,
• 6:25
  Speaker 3: and I was pleasing to hear that the Chief Minister
• 6:27
  Speaker 3: is going to be like the dog with a bone
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  Speaker 3: and make sure that the territory gets its fair share
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  Speaker 3: of those increased positions. They put some money aside for
• 6:37
  Speaker 3: the backlog, but you know, a lot of this stuff
• 6:40
  Speaker 3: is emanating out of camera and it's just seeming to
• 6:43
  Speaker 3: be a bit of a talk fest and the rubbers
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  Speaker 3: not hitting the road. We're still getting contacted by businesses
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  Speaker 3: that are losing long term workers weekly where their visas
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  Speaker 3: are being canceled, rejected, or just delayed tragically. We got
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  Speaker 3: told last week that someone got They've been in the
• 7:00
  Speaker 3: territory for seven years, studying different things, working with hospitality throughout,
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  Speaker 3: and they've got the letter saying twenty days to nick
• 7:06
  Speaker 3: off in the country. And you just you just wonder why,
• 7:08
  Speaker 3: you know, like everyone says that this is a key
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  Speaker 3: focus for them. Yet truth be told, we're slowly still
• 7:15
  Speaker 3: going backwards.
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: Well, and you know, I'm getting texts even as we speak,
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  Speaker 1: people saying, can you please ask about the visa situation
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  Speaker 1: anyone that's currently lodged a visa for permanent residency, you know,
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  Speaker 1: is the process going to be sped up? So there's
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  Speaker 1: obviously it is top of mind for people when they're
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: when they're either an employer trying to make sure that
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  Speaker 1: you know, one of their employees is able to stay
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  Speaker 1: in the country, or indeed for individuals wanting to live
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: here and wanting to work. And this is the whole point,
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  Speaker 1: isn't it of that Jobs and Skills summit. Is it's
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  Speaker 1: great to say that, you know, we're increasing the number
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  Speaker 1: of skilled the cap on skilled migrants, but if you're
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  Speaker 1: not actually processing these things quickly enough, it doesn't make
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  Speaker 1: much of a difference.
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  Speaker 3: That that's it. You know, I appreciate that the federal
• 7:58
  Speaker 3: government inherited the back that they did from the former
• 8:01
  Speaker 3: government in terms of that visa processing backlog, but you know,
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  Speaker 3: then they cast it six months ahead. They just have
• 8:08
  Speaker 3: a bit of a talkfest in camera and we understand
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  Speaker 3: there's still hundreds of thousands of applicants that are just
• 8:14
  Speaker 3: in limbo right now in businesses and communities right across
• 8:17
  Speaker 3: the country. Unfortunately, as the dreaded Rona subsides as well,
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  Speaker 3: you are seeing those southern states with their anti immigration
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  Speaker 3: rhetoric come back to the fore. So we really need
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  Speaker 3: a regional Northern Australia approach. You know, we welcome people
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  Speaker 3: from right across the world. We're very multicultural. You work hard,
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  Speaker 3: you give it a go, and we call you a
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  Speaker 3: territorium and we embrace you. Absolutely need to keep hammering
• 8:43
  Speaker 3: that message in camera.
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: Hey, speaking of the dreaded Rona we did just learn
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: from the Chief Minister. We know that we're now the
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: seven day isolation period has been reduced obviously to five,
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: but we also now know that the recommendation for wearing
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: a mask after you've had it is two days rather
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: than five or seven whatever it was before, Alex do
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  Speaker 1: these changes make much of a difference from the hospitality perspective.
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  Speaker 3: Look, I don't want to get on a rona ramp
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  Speaker 3: and we haven't had to have one of those for
• 9:14
  Speaker 3: a while, Katie. But you know, this drip fed freedom,
• 9:18
  Speaker 3: it's all garbage at this point. If you're six, stay home,
• 9:21
  Speaker 3: if you're not, come out the idea that they're slowly
• 9:24
  Speaker 3: reluctantly crawling back towards the sun while most of us
• 9:27
  Speaker 3: are out enjoying the full sunlight. You know, I've felt
• 9:31
  Speaker 3: for the airlines. Why could you fly around the country
• 9:34
  Speaker 3: the world without a mask, yet domestically in Australia you
• 9:37
  Speaker 3: had to wear them until Friday.
• 9:39
  Speaker 4: That was just rubbish.
• 9:40
  Speaker 3: You know, We've had our nightclubs and late night activity
• 9:43
  Speaker 3: and beach parties on sandbars cranking, and yet somehow you'd
• 9:50
  Speaker 3: sit in a well ventilated air aircraft and have to
• 9:54
  Speaker 3: wear a mask. So, you know, for all this stuff,
• 9:56
  Speaker 3: I don't think people are listening anymore, and that's a
• 9:58
  Speaker 3: good thing. The sooner they just get rid of this
• 10:01
  Speaker 3: and normalize it like everything else, the better. I can't
• 10:03
  Speaker 3: believe we're still talking about it, because I do think
• 10:05
  Speaker 3: the community's moved on.
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I reckon most of them have as well. People
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: are pretty keen to just get back to normal and
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: buy and large most of us have. Alex Bruce always
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: good to catch up with you, mate. I appreciate your
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: time this morning here, Katie'll thank you you too. That
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: is Alex Bruce there, the CEO of Hospitality here in
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory, and there is so much happening right
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: around the place. We're going to go straight into our
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: next interview because we know that the Sambar party was
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: held again over the course of the weekend. Alex Bruce
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: did just mention it then as well. But joining us
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: on the line right now is Acting Senior Sergeant Anthony Clark.
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: Good morning to you.
• 10:42
  Speaker 4: Anthony, Hey, good morning Katie. How are you today.
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: I'm very well. Thank you so much for taking the
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: time to have a quick chat with me. How did
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: the sand Bar party go in the end?
• 10:53
  Speaker 4: Oh, absolutely fantastic. Please are very happy without the crowd
• 10:57
  Speaker 4: and the public and how the whole event went and
• 11:00
  Speaker 4: how well everyone was behaved was a great success, I believe.
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: Well, I'm pleased to hear that, and I did think
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: Anthony that it probably had been a success because I
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: wasn't seeing the same vision emerge as what we saw
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: last year after the Zandbar party.
• 11:16
  Speaker 4: No, that's correct. Everything actually went quite well and very smooth.
• 11:21
  Speaker 4: All the stakeholders and the organizers and water Folice all
• 11:24
  Speaker 4: worked together really really well, as well as the crowd,
• 11:27
  Speaker 4: and it was a very positive event.
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: Do we know how many people were there in the end.
• 11:32
  Speaker 4: I believe it's up to seven hundred.
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: Yeah, so it's still quite a large number, particularly when
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: you talk about people catching boats and stuff to get
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: there and to get home. Did the large majority do
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: the right thing?
• 11:46
  Speaker 4: Yeah? Well, we did say that we're going to do
• 11:47
  Speaker 4: the marine compliance and enforcement this weekend. So overall, sixty
• 11:52
  Speaker 4: six vessels were inspected for the marine safety equipment, thirteen
• 11:58
  Speaker 4: received Finchman notice. There was twenty two cautions this year,
• 12:02
  Speaker 4: and fifteen vessels were directed back to port. But I
• 12:05
  Speaker 4: believe that those fifteen vessels were able to rectify and
• 12:09
  Speaker 4: manage to get their proper compliance and the allowed to
• 12:12
  Speaker 4: go back out on the water.
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: Okay, so it does sound as though the police were
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: well and truly prepared to work with those that were
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: heading out to the sand bar, even if their vessels
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: weren't complyant.
• 12:22
  Speaker 4: Initially, Yeah, yeah, there was thirteen of bridgely noses, but
• 12:26
  Speaker 4: overall it was really well. All the vessels really well
• 12:31
  Speaker 4: behaved and were marine compliant.
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: Now, Anthony, I know that you are indeed from the
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: water section of the police, but do we have any
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: idea if there were any arrests made on the sand bar,
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: or whether alcohol had to be tipped out or anything
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: like that.
• 12:47
  Speaker 4: I believe there was only a minimum there was, I believe.
• 12:50
  Speaker 4: Big thank you to Anti Surf Life Saving and the
• 12:52
  Speaker 4: volunteer Coastguard. They assisted with a couple of vessel toes.
• 12:56
  Speaker 4: It must have broken down and there was a couple
• 12:58
  Speaker 4: of minor medical episodes that they conveyed those persons back
• 13:02
  Speaker 4: to waiting Saint John's on the on the mainland, But
• 13:06
  Speaker 4: there was no actual arrest in that I believe. On
• 13:09
  Speaker 4: during the party on the island itself.
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: Oh well, that is good to hear.
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: And it does sound as though, certainly based on the
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: discussion that you and I had had last Thursday as well,
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: that there was a lot of work that sort of
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: went into things preemptively, I suppose to ensure that everything
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: went as smoothly as possible.
• 13:26
  Speaker 4: Oh one hundred with Katie, and I think that's what
• 13:28
  Speaker 4: it is. Just really good preparation and really great help
• 13:32
  Speaker 4: from the organizers and from stakeholders and everyone including the
• 13:36
  Speaker 4: public and the crowd, just working together and it came
• 13:38
  Speaker 4: out to be a really good and excellent evand oh
• 13:41
  Speaker 4: good stuff.
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: Well, Acting Senior Sergeant Anthony Clark, we always appreciate your time.
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: Thanks so much for having a quick chat with me this.
• 13:48
  Speaker 4: Morning anytime, and thank you for having on the show Katie.
• 13:52
  Speaker 2: Thank you.
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: It is just ten minutes away from ten o'clock and
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: good to hear, isn't it that you know, that's seven
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: hundred odd people out there on this land and everybody
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: had done the right thing by the sounds of it,
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: and tried to make sure that they were you know,
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: that they'd organized themselves some safe transport back to land
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: and done the right thing out there on the sandbar.
• 14:13
  Speaker 2: So that is good news, that's for sure.
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: Now, if you do want to give us a call
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: this morning eight nine four one one o four nine.
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: You can also send me a message if you'd like
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: to zero four double nine seven double one three six zero.
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: Plenty of messages coming through this morning on lots of
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: different topics.