Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Tourism Central Australia CEO Danial Rochford welcomes funding in the Federal budget operators have been crying out for

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Tourism Central Australia CEO Danial Rochford welcomes funding in the Federal budget operators have been crying out for · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: But as we heard on the show yesterday, key new
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: projects are set for funding in the Northern Territory in
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: the twenty twenty two to twenty three federal budget which
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  Speaker 1: is going to be handed down tonight. Now. They include
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: one hundred and thirty two million dollars for Central Australian
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  Speaker 1: tourism roads. We also know that there's fifty five million
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: for the Tiger Brenn and Drive Barrem a road intersection upgrade.
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  Speaker 1: But these one hundred and thirty two million dollars for
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  Speaker 1: Central Australian tourism roads. It is a welcome boost for
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: tourism in Central Australia. And joining me on the line
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  Speaker 1: is Tourism Central Australia CEO Daniel Rochford. How are you, Daniel?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, really well Katie, and good morning to your listeners.
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  Speaker 1: Now Daniel, what is the one hundred and thirty two
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  Speaker 1: million dollars going to be invested in? What roads?
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  Speaker 2: Well, the big one is the Outer Marini Loop, which
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  Speaker 2: has been talked about for forty years Katie, and in
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  Speaker 2: the last two years TCA is really up the ante
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  Speaker 2: in terms of advocacy, the importance of feeling this road
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  Speaker 2: and great news not only are we going to see
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  Speaker 2: it in tonight's budget. But we've also got a counter
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  Speaker 2: commitment from the Labor Party in terms of supporting feeling
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  Speaker 2: it as well. So it is great news and will
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  Speaker 2: certainly help the rebound of our tourism economy here in
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  Speaker 2: Central Australia.
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  Speaker 1: And it's funding that tourism operators have been calling for
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  Speaker 1: for quite some time, isn't it.
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  Speaker 2: Look the evidence, the earliest evidence I have is about
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  Speaker 2: forty years ago, the first report of this road, so
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  Speaker 2: it has been talked about for so many times. It
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  Speaker 2: was committed under Claire Martin's government, but there was unfortunately
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  Speaker 2: some issues there that didn't see it come to pass.
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  Speaker 2: But now we've up the ante, especially in the last
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  Speaker 2: two years, and this is certainly welcome news and it's
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  Speaker 2: great to see both the Federal government but also the
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  Speaker 2: Labor Party making that commitment recently supporting this road.
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  Speaker 1: Forty years Daniel. For those out there listening who maybe
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  Speaker 1: don't know exactly what this road will sort of connect
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  Speaker 1: together or where it will take, you to just explain
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  Speaker 1: it for us.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's one hundred and thirty six kilometers of unfield
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  Speaker 2: road in between the West McDonald Rangers and Kings Canyon.
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  Speaker 2: So at the moment, if you are visited to our region,
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  Speaker 2: coming into our springs, you go out to the West Max,
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  Speaker 2: so then you have to trace back and then go
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  Speaker 2: south on the Stuart Highway and then west on the
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  Speaker 2: last of highway. This will essentially allow people to drive
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  Speaker 2: through from the West Max straight to Kings Canyon and
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  Speaker 2: then down to the Rock. But here's the big kicker,
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  Speaker 2: you know, in terms of what we sell this to
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  Speaker 2: the world, is you fly into Alla Springs, come and
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  Speaker 2: visit the National Aboriginal Art Gallery, into the West McDonald's,
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  Speaker 2: through the Kings Canyon and then obviously ultimately culminating in
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  Speaker 2: a visit to Ularu. If we cannot sell that as
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  Speaker 2: one of the world's best drive routes, we should give
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  Speaker 2: up our day job. Today.
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  Speaker 1: As marketers made it sounds like an incredible driving trip.
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  Speaker 2: It is an amazing and I was only out there
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  Speaker 2: driving this road literally two weeks ago and it is
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  Speaker 2: just a stunning drive. And to have this funding committed
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  Speaker 2: just will make so much difference. And there was a
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  Speaker 2: study recently done through it. By sealing this road we
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  Speaker 2: will see twenty million dollars of extra money into our
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  Speaker 2: economy here in regional in Central Australia and Alice Springs,
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  Speaker 2: which is a huge boost for our local economy.
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  Speaker 1: And it's I mean, it sounds like it's going to
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  Speaker 1: be a game changer.
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  Speaker 2: It is. It's TCA's number one priority project and it's
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  Speaker 2: that for a reason because it is a game changer,
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  Speaker 2: it is historic and to have this funding now committed
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  Speaker 2: is just amazing and just a real morale booster for
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  Speaker 2: our industry.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, it has been a tough couple of years and
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  Speaker 1: you and I have spoken on so many occasions about
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  Speaker 1: some of the issues you know that you've got in
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  Speaker 1: Central Australia or that you have had particularly throughout COVID Daniel,
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  Speaker 1: you know, is this really that morale change that our
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  Speaker 1: tourism sector, particularly in Central Australia needs right now?
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  Speaker 2: You betcha. And of course this comes off the back
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  Speaker 2: for announcement by the Deputy Prime Minister recently. It's feeling
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  Speaker 2: in the outback way and there's also announcement in this
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  Speaker 2: for fifty extra fifty million for the Tannamie. So we're
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  Speaker 2: seeing our major arterial roots into our springs being committed
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  Speaker 2: to funding. That's black gold for our tourism economy industry
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  Speaker 2: if very positive. At the moment, bookings are coming in
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  Speaker 2: fast and furious. In fact, at the moment you are
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  Speaker 2: struggling to get a high car in the next four
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  Speaker 2: to five weeks, so you know that's the level of intensity.
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  Speaker 2: In fact, some of my staff as saying they've never
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  Speaker 2: seen the intensity of the bookings that they're seeing at
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  Speaker 2: the moment.
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  Speaker 1: Oh mate, I'm so glad to hear that. Hey, like
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  Speaker 1: you and I have spoken on so many occasions where
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  Speaker 1: it's been pretty heart wrenching for all of our listeners
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  Speaker 1: and for me to hear how tough it's been for
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  Speaker 1: some of our operators. So I'm really glad to hear
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  Speaker 1: that we're seeing some change in this space and that
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  Speaker 1: things are certainly looking up for Central Australia when it
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  Speaker 1: comes to tourism.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, thanks Katie, and look, you know, thank you for
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  Speaker 2: all your support over the pandemic that I think it
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  Speaker 2: might nearly be that time where I might just start
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  Speaker 2: doing a cut wheel or two down the Todd Mall.
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  Speaker 1: Well, I'm very excited to hear that. Do make sure
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  Speaker 1: that someone films it. I know that Alex Bruce, the
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  Speaker 1: CEO of hospitality is very keen to see your cartwheel
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  Speaker 1: down on the todd more.
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  Speaker 2: As long as he joins me. And we've got matchings
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  Speaker 2: that have Lepard skin le at that where I'm in mate.
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  Speaker 1: That might be a bit frightening for everybody to see,
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  Speaker 1: but it does sound like it's a it's a good
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  Speaker 1: time and and good things are starting to happen for
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  Speaker 1: Central Australia. I am really pleased to hear.
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  Speaker 2: That sounds great, appreciated, Good on.
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: You're done. You'll lovely to chat with you as always.