Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Hospitality NT CEO Alex Bruce says businesses are optimistic about the NT Government’s new safety measures but are still waiting for more details on how it'll work

Transcript

Hospitality NT CEO Alex Bruce says businesses are optimistic about the NT Government’s new safety measures but are still waiting for more details on how it'll work · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Well, obviously we've spoken about the changes that the government
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: announced yesterday. Some of those are going to be pretty
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: major in terms of what it will mean to bottle
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: shops and exactly how it's going to work. There's still
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: a lot of questions around that. Now, joining me on
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: the show with a little bit further detail about that
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: announcement yesterday is Alex Bruce, who is the CEO of
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: Hospitality here in the Northern Territory. Good morning, Alex, Good
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: morning Katie.
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: Alex.
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: Obviously, changes announced yesterday by the Northern Territory government. A
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: number of those are in relation to various things when
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: it comes to security for bottle shops. Can you talk
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: us through exactly what those changes are.
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: Yees, so definitely need to acknowledge that there are a
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: lot in our industry that want to see a lot
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: more action than what got released yesterday, and we're particularly
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: keen to see, you know, real change in that space
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: and the feedback I've been getting since yesterday, particularly it's
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: edged weapons, but cars used as weapons for all of
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: those smashed into the bottle shop events that have been happening,
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: it's the rocks, the rocks in the hands of an
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: adolescent or an adult can be as dangerous as they
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: needed weapon and you know there was unfortunately that tragedy
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: with the chap in Central Australia going blind in one
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: of his eyes. So we are very keen to see
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: action in all of that space. And it is disappointing
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: when we know the concerned sector of silence of two
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: and a half days and now they're crawling out from
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: whatever rocks they were hiding under and they're trying to
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: run down change in the vail space. Again. We either
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: need to come together as a community and get real
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: action or this will go the same way that this
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: treadmill has been running for many, many years.
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: And that is people are feeling I think in the
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: community right now, Alex. Is that you know, we've like
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: I'd heard a little bit earlier this morning on the
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: news on the ABC, you know, a situation where they
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: have got the Australian Lawyers Alliance saying that the government
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: should avoid knee jerk reactions and bail restrictions may not
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: necessarily work. But the fact is here what's happening doesn't
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: seem to be working.
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: That's it. And you know this wasn't an isolated incident.
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: This has been that deterioration of standard of behavior in
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: and around the community before you're taken out of circulation
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: from that community. So you know, still that is very
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: clearly the message I'm hearing from our industry when it
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: comes to some of the things in our space that
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: they did announced yesterday. Ye look, there is quite a
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: bit of early positivity. People want to know how they
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: can get the verbal de escalation training rolled out for
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: their their key staff. They wanting to know how the
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: support from the government will look both in terms of
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: extra crowd controllers that have already started being engaged in
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: those bottle shops from Monday just past, and also what
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: does the infrastructure look like in our bottle shops going forward,
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: you know and locked cabinets and that kind of thing.
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: What have you been told by the government. When are
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: businesses expecting to get this level of detail, Because I
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: mean they came out yesterday, presumably they would have already
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: had the wheels in motion.
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: So we've been engaging with the department yesterday and this
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: morning we are fielding queries from our industry. Unfortunately, you know,
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: they're in a rock and a hard place where they
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: announce an initiative of policy via press release and now
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: the department's madly trying to put meat on the bones,
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: so I know they're working hard. We just asked for
• 3:57
  Speaker 2: people to bear with us. As soon as we know,
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: Morena will absolutely hit the go button and get that
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: heart far and wide. We are quite keen for the
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: resolution on what the government support looks like for those
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: additional crowd control and guards because as industry, this is
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: one of the very quick, most easy things for us
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: to bring forward, a visible change, and you're already seeing
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: that happens across our network already. You know, bail law
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: changes and others obviously aren't going to be as quick.
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: Yeah, well that's exactly right. They're not going to be
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: by the sounds of it. And also it's a review
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: to begin with, so it is going to take quite
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: some time. And that was the point the opposition leader
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: was on the show making just a short while ago.
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: She's got her own proposal, which we'll let our listeners
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: know a bit more about through the morning. But Alex
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory government, you know, saying that they are
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: going to fit the bill obviously for those security for
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: the security on bottle shops, so has there been any
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: real detail exactly how that's going to work, how much
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: money there is going to be provided, so we get
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: a better idea of whether it's every single sort of
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: bottle shop or whether it is just a select few
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: based on who gets in quick enough, what's the go No,
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: we haven't.
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: Got any of that detail. So obviously we appreciate that,
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: you know, the cart was put before the horse a
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: little bit. But because they wanted action in this space
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: and we were getting calls from within our industry to
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: see support for more crowd controllers, verbal de escalation the
• 5:29
  Speaker 2: cats it can spray for our for our crowd controllers.
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: So you know, credit that the government has looked at
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: what they can announce and push out quickly and we've
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: just got to work together to get all the detail
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: out there and implement it as quickly as possible.
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: So by the sounds of things, you know, having to
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: undergo that de escalation training and there refresher courses in
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: responsible service of alcohol, it is something that the industry
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: has been calling for.
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: A look, we've had previous support for particularly I think
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: our our guards, our bounces on a nightclub to do
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: verbal de escalation training. You know, any tools that you
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: can provide, particularly to that kind of cohort in our
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: industry that assists them stay out of violent situations. Obviously
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: we should be doing that almost ongoing. And if government
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: can help support some of the smaller businesses in our sector,
• 6:21
  Speaker 2: and if this is going to be a wider conversation,
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: then you know, bounces out the front of late night
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: venues and it's now unfortunately the little grocery store that's
• 6:33
  Speaker 2: dealing with really violent behavior for both adults and kids. Yeah,
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: we're keen to see that cracking. There are some good
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: local trainers out there, so I know they've been dealing
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: directly with the government already. The Capsican training is another
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: one that we're looking forward to getting more detail on
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: how that will be shaped.
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: But it's I guess, you know the situation is right
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: now is by the sounds of it, there is quite
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: a bit of detail still to come. So it's you know,
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: we don't know exactly when that training is going to
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: kick off.
• 7:07
  Speaker 2: Look, that's it. And a comment I got from one
• 7:11
  Speaker 2: in my industry yesterday was here we are putting more
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: bricks on the wall without ever dealing with the issue
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: that keeps smashing through so we do want to see
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: real changed policing in terms of how long they take
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: to attend our premises when we call them. We want
• 7:34
  Speaker 2: to see them a lot more visible out on the street.
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: We know that they're looking on how to do that.
• 7:38
  Speaker 2: And the thin blue line is stretched incredibly thin. And
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: I'll leave it to people that know that space a
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: hell of a lot more. But you know, this bale stuff,
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: we can't just let it fall on the back burner.
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: And you know what Katie like, we don't want a
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: teen a idea to so salute solve it or a
• 7:58
  Speaker 2: team b's one teammation match team B. I just let's
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: get together for us. We're hearing its edged weapons. It's
• 8:06
  Speaker 2: the rock throwing, and it's the cars, the ram raiding.
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: Let's really be fit up. We want the failure to
• 8:12
  Speaker 2: quit when we've kicked you out of our venue and
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: you're trying to get back in. It used to be
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: four penalty units under the previous government. These guys made
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: it one penelid units. So the difference is about six
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: hundred and fifty bucks has become one hundred and sixty dollars.
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: In Queen Clan, the equivalent fifteen hundred dollars fine, And
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: this might be more about anti social behavior in our
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: on premise activities versus the bottle shops. I'm sure. But
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: you know, if you've got to make there, it's being
• 8:42
  Speaker 2: a turkey and you can collar him and drag him
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: home and save him a sixteen hundred dollars headache. That's
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: just something that should be happening. We don't need any
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: of these social justice warriors to oppose any of this
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: stuff anymore. They've been driving the bus for two decades.
• 8:57
  Speaker 2: And this is where we're at. Alex have had.
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: We've seen a situation over the last twenty four hours
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: or so where the Lord mayor Combat Scarlets is calling
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: for the money raised by minimum floor price taxes to
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: be used to fund police auxiliary liquor inspectors outside top
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: end bottle shops. What do you make of that comment?
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: Completely misleading, con pretends to be misinformed. We requested a
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: briefing and he's unavailable for us till Monday. While he's
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: out there throwing his ill informed two cents worth in
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: in an average bottle shop that might have four different
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: four hundred different products, minimum flow is a handful to
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: about twelve products. Our bottleshop prices and our on premise
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: prices go up every six months because a federal government tax.
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: So you know, even to our local federal member that
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: weighed in, if there are rivers of gold that are
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: flowing through into the local industry, it's ending up in
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: federal government coffers and ultimately back into the hands of
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: MTG public servants and NGOs.
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: Go out there and do your job, please, So you're
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: saying that, you know that they're being a bit sort
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: of cute here by saying that we'd be able to
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: use that money for.
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: Police absolutely, And you know, it wasn't that long ago
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: we were talking about how the council should have a
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: mature approach to its bylaws and this is just his
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: you know, misinformation that you like to do from time
• 10:20
  Speaker 2: to time and again, teammate Team bad Home and counsel,
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: we just want to get together and have a mature conversation.
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: We will do our part. We're trying to do our
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: part of the industry. But let's just all put down
• 10:33
  Speaker 2: the game playing for a while please before I let
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: you go.
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: You know, we know that part of this announcement as well,
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: yesterday is more more businesses being able to access more
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: funding to secure their buildings, to safeguard alcohol stock from
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: theft and damage. What kind of safeguards are we talking here,
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: because we've already got a situation where we've spoken to,
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: you know, to one of the bottolos in Catherine. They've
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: obviously got these massive concrete ballards they're putting out. You know,
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: we spoke to Tony out there at the Neudamar. He's
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: got his own initiative where he's stopping people from ram
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: rating the place. What exactly are we talking about here?
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: And just how sort of kitted up do some of
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: these bottle shops need to become well?
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: And so through government they have been supporting through the
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: biz Secure and then the Alcohol Secure, the hardening of
• 11:23
  Speaker 2: businesses right across the spectrum, but then specific focus on
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: alcohol businesses that we're just getting broken into more and
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: more and more after hours for alcohol best. And now
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: what we're saying is okay, if for whatever reasons, we're
• 11:42
  Speaker 2: not going to address the lowering of the standard of
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: behavior on the streetscape, we need to take actions as
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: an industry to protect our staff and our customers. That
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: we'll see more locked cabinets more staff potentially picking the
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: product for you, more closed off cool room rooms, those
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: kinds of things, protected barriers for staff. You know, unfortunately
• 12:05
  Speaker 2: in our Springs is not in any way, shape or
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: form new for them, and some of the clubs down
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: there were almost implementing panic rooms to protect their staff
• 12:15
  Speaker 2: from violent incidents that are occurring. So this is where
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: we're going, and if the governments can support those those
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: smaller ones, given that it's not just us, it's the
• 12:27
  Speaker 2: little grocery stores, it's the retailers they don't even sell alcohol.
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: It's the cafes, they don't even sell alcohol. There won't
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: be a cookie cutter approach that we're just going to
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: have to go through business by the business, obviously, with
• 12:41
  Speaker 2: a particular focus on the takeaway alcohol outlets first of
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: the priority, and see how we can put physical changes
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: into those businesses to protect their staff and their customers. Well,
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: and you know where they's got on Monday. We'll go
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: along that path, Katie. But isn't that an indictment that
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: were that we've defeated on the streets.
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: Well, Alex Bruce, I appreciate your time. I know it's
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: been a really tough week for the industry and continues
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: to be. You know, I think you and I both
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: agree nowhere near as tough as what it's been for
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: the family of young Declan. But mate, I know it's
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: been a tough week, so I appreciate you coming on
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: the show again this morning.
• 13:21
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I know, John, Okay, there's a lot of people
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: in our industry herding as in the broader community, but
• 13:26
  Speaker 2: yet not all focus on Declan any team.
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: Yeah, thanks mate, I appreciate your time this morning.