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Katie Woolf spoke with Tourism Central Australia CEO Danial Rochford · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: The government has signed off on these park fee increases.
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Exactly what they're going to look like remains to be seen.
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: We're waiting to hear from the Minister's office and when
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: we do, we'll certainly get that detail through to you.
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: But joining us on the line right now to talk
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: further about this situation is Daniel Rochford, who is of
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: course Tourism Central Australia's CEO. Good morning to you, Daniel, Good.
• 0:23
  Speaker 2: Morning Katie, and good morning to your listeners and happy
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: year you too.
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  Speaker 1: Great to have you on the show for the first
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  Speaker 1: time this year. Daniel. We're hearing that these park fees
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: are going to change walking tracks impacted. My understanding is
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: that our overseas and interstate visitors won't have to face
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: those hike fee increases until next year. But what are
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: you being told.
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  Speaker 2: Well, to be honest, Katie, what we're being told is
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  Speaker 2: what we've read in the NT News, which I guess
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: one of the challenges that we're facing on this issue
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  Speaker 2: is we seem to be finding all the information through media. Look,
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: when this broke last week, you know, we certainly called
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  Speaker 2: for a very robust consultation with the tourism industry, and look,
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  Speaker 2: you know again we've read something in Hinting News this
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: morning that there's been decisions made overnight. So look, you
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: know this is while I don't disagree with the concepts,
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  Speaker 2: you know, most jurisdictions do charge some form of free
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  Speaker 2: and let's face it, if these moneys go into and
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: invested in our national park, that's a good thing for tourism.
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  Speaker 2: But the reality for our industry, as you know, we're
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  Speaker 2: on our knees here in Central Australia and things like
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: this at the moment is just not the right time, Daniel.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, that's pretty disappointing to hear that you guys
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  Speaker 1: haven't been consulted with our tourism operators are not being
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: consulted with when this is something that's going to really
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: impact them. Are you telling me that they've really not
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  Speaker 1: been in contact with you guys at all.
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: No, As I said, we're reading this stuff in the
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  Speaker 2: territory media, So look, it is slightly disappointing on that front.
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: And look, I don't know obviously there's how this story
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: broke and the way it broke last week, but we're
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: certainly seeing a decision on the run here. But look,
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: you know, we need to have that robust consultation. There
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  Speaker 2: are some specific issues with the tourism industry as this relates.
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  Speaker 2: For instance, Katie, most of our industry have locked in
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: contracts with domestic trade and international trade partners, so they
• 2:39
  Speaker 2: lock in their prices almost eighteen months in advance. So
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  Speaker 2: when fees and chargers get levied in whatever shape or
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: format looks like, if that's not given a significant lead time,
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: then we get into a situation where our operators have
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: to incur that cost. Now, you know, we don't really
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  Speaker 2: have the detail here to be able to a clear
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: understanding of what that impact will be.
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  Speaker 1: Well, look, that makes two of us. But I have
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: just been sent a little bit of information as we're
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: talking by the Minister's office and what they've said is
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory Government is improving visitor experiences in our
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: parks and reserves and to ensure appropriate protection and conservation
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: for future generations. They reckon that these changes are going
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: to modernize our parks and it means that our parks
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: and trails will be safer. Now, the introduction of a
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: new online booking system is what they say is going
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: to be implemented. A review of camping fees, introduction of
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  Speaker 1: fees for multi day walking trails that well a few
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  Speaker 1: of those different different tracks, including the Larapinta Trail, and
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  Speaker 1: the introduction of park passes for interstate and international visitors.
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: Territories will not be charged these fees apparently, and any
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: changes to fees will not occur until July twenty twenty
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  Speaker 1: one and will be reflected in the budget. It in
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: the twenty twenty one budget. But look, this is where
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  Speaker 1: I think the real confusion is, Daniel, for you and I,
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: is that it's been reported in the media. Are there
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  Speaker 1: those those multi day walking trail fees are going to
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  Speaker 1: go into play straight away or very soon, and that
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  Speaker 1: we don't know what's you know, exactly how much they're
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  Speaker 1: going to be.
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: Yeah. Absolutely, And look when I heard everything you just
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: read out there. But I don't disagree with anything that's
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: talked about there predominantly, Like I think we do need
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  Speaker 2: to modernize the way we need to do bookings. You know,
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  Speaker 2: for instance, an online booking platform is actually a really
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  Speaker 2: good idea. And look, you know, camping fees haven't been
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  Speaker 2: increased in such a long time, you know their scope there,
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  Speaker 2: and you know, I don't disagree with that, but we've
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  Speaker 2: got to do this one and do it right, Katie,
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  Speaker 2: and that's the important thing. And look, when you know,
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  Speaker 2: I just feel that there's some sort of rush here
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  Speaker 2: for some reason. And you know, the end of the day,
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  Speaker 2: our industry is very much and we're only just one stakeholder,
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  Speaker 2: of course, but this is really poor timing when it
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: comes to our industry because now it's not a particularly
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  Speaker 2: good time.
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  Speaker 1: No, And that's the thing. I think. You've just got
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  Speaker 1: to consult with people. You've got to tell them exactly
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  Speaker 1: what's going on. Daniel, give us a bit of an
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  Speaker 1: update on the state of play with tourism at the
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  Speaker 1: moment and what you're hearing from operators.
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: Yeah, look, i'd like to say, and you know, I'm
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: a bit of a glass cash. Yeah you are, o, Katie,
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  Speaker 2: but I'm struggling at the moment. You know, I'm getting
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: phone call after phone call, day in, day out at
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: the moment, businesses saying that they're going to be closing down. Look,
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  Speaker 2: you know we've seen in the media and I saw
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  Speaker 2: this morning up in up in Cans the operators up
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  Speaker 2: there saying it. But a great summer front page of
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  Speaker 2: the NT Yews last week said it was a great,
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  Speaker 2: great summer period for the Darwin operators, but that has
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  Speaker 2: not been the case here in Central Australia. We have
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: had a very poor summer, which is traditionally the time
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: we get international visitors. They would of course not there
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: for our industry. And you know, we're only seeing roughly
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: about ten to fifteen percent of the territory vouchers coming
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: through to Central Australia. Our industry is on their knees.
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  Speaker 2: And to add insult to injury, you know, I'm hearing
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  Speaker 2: other issues now starting to come to play, things like
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: insurance hikes, the inability to get staff and labor into businesses.
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  Speaker 2: All this is just turning that snowflake into a snowball.
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  Speaker 2: And we're really at that time where Central Australia needs
• 6:47
  Speaker 2: some form of direct assistance.
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: Daniel, Is this because of COVID or is the crime
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: issue in Central Australia greatly impacting you?
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  Speaker 2: Oh? Look, I was speaking to a politician yesterday about
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: this issue about our issues here, and you know I
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: was about ten minutes into the conversation about our concerns
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: here and the tourism industry before I even raised crime
• 7:13
  Speaker 2: and safety as a problem. And of course, you know,
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: there is no doubt the crime and safety issue is
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: one that is of enormous concern to the tourism industry.
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  Speaker 2: You know, I'm hearing that even I was in Lara
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: just recently, so five hundred kilometers away from Alice Springs,
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: Lara tourism operators raising crime and safety in Alice Springs
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: as a concern for them.
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: Wow.
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  Speaker 2: So yet there is no doubt crime and safety is
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: a huge issue. You know, there is a lot of
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  Speaker 2: work that's being done by the police and the relevant agencies.
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  Speaker 2: At the front of the Alice Springs Information Center now
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  Speaker 2: as we as I sit here is a massive, big
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  Speaker 2: mobile police station, so you know they're doing they're doing
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: a lot of work there, but that perception is difficult
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  Speaker 2: to overcome, and you know where it is just turning
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: that snowflake into a much bigger snowball for us. And
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  Speaker 2: you know, we're in a situation. We're in an absolute
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: die situation here we are. You know, some of I
• 8:18
  Speaker 2: had one operator which is one of our one of
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  Speaker 2: one of our iconic operators, saying he doesn't think he's
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: going to last another two months. They just don't have
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  Speaker 2: the cash.
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  Speaker 1: I'm so sorry to hear that, mate. I mean, it
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  Speaker 1: sounds like it's a really bloody tough time and you know,
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  Speaker 1: I know that I don't think that the government sort
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: of tries to kick people when they're down, but you know,
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  Speaker 1: then when you find out that there's going to be
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  Speaker 1: an additional fee and things like that, it just doesn't
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  Speaker 1: help the case. I really feel for you guys.
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: Yeah, look, I think you know, you know, in respect
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  Speaker 2: to the government, I think there is a heartfelt desire
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  Speaker 2: to support our industry and that had been very clear,
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: and whatever side of politics, whatever tier of politics, there
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  Speaker 2: is an absolute intent to support. But I guess the
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  Speaker 2: message that we've got to get out there at the
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  Speaker 2: moment is, look, we're in a really difficult situation at
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  Speaker 2: the moment, and we need some additional support here or
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  Speaker 2: we're going to face our basically a lot of closures
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  Speaker 2: and our industry almost crippled, which is not what we
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: would want when we're trying to go through and out
• 9:29
  Speaker 2: the other side of this pandemic. Yeah.
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely, well, Daniel, I am going to have to leave
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: it there. I really appreciate you talking to us this morning,
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  Speaker 1: and i'd tell you what to any of our listeners.
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  Speaker 1: If you've got some spare cash, and if you're in
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  Speaker 1: a situation where you can head to Central Australia for
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: a holiday, get out there and support our wonderful tourism operators.
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: Sounds like a grand flan. Thank you so much, Katie
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: Thanks Daniel, We appreciate your time.