Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Outgoing Darwin Turf Club CEO Brad Morgan says the Turf Club is still in good shape after another two board member resignations

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Outgoing Darwin Turf Club CEO Brad Morgan says the Turf Club is still in good shape after another two board member resignations · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Ok. Now, the Darwin Turf Club is reportedly dealing with
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: more resignations following what's been described as an exodus after
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: the last month's annual general meeting. So it is understood
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: that two more board members resigned, I believe over the weekend.
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: But joining me on the line right now is the
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: Darwin Turf Club CEO Brad Morgan. Good morning to you, Brad, Katie.
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: How are you not too bad?
• 0:24
  Speaker 2: Brad?
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: Firstly, you're outgoing CEO, aren't you. When do you do
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: to finish up?
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: Yeah? Thursday, Katie, Katy.
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: Well, so Thursday is your last day, but still plenty happening.
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: By the look of things, it is being reported that
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: two more board members resigned from the board. Is that correct, Brad?
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: Now, Katie, there weren't two resignations over the weekend. Another
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: board member has resigned. Jadie Ward's resigned late last week.
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: But you may be referring to an article enting years
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: Dalebitional and Brooke Prince resigned a couple of weeks ago,
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: so that was previously. But no, there was another board
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: member resigned on Friday and.
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: So last week, So how does that what does that
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: sort of take the total too or how many people
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: have you still got sitting on the board at the moment.
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: Kind of the six board members on the board to.
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: Day and Turf Club, how many are there usually, Brad.
• 1:33
  Speaker 2: Well, the maximums is ten. There was ten we've had
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: in total. Obviously that's reduced to six now following those resignations.
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: So j d Ward has resigned. She's applied for a
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: position on the Thoroughbred Racing in Tea or Tier in T,
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: which is the Princevial racing authority in the Northern Territory.
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: Under the constitution, she couldn't sit on the board of
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: Day and Turf Club and sit on the Tier in
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: T board. So she made a personal decision to resign
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: from the Darwen Turf Club to make her eligible to
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: sit on that position of TRNT and she resigned late
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: last week to be considered to that role.
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: So, Brad, what does it all mean for the Turf
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: Club given the fact that you've got those six board
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: members right now, usually you do have a round ten
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: sitting on that board. What does it mean for the
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: Turf Club as you lead into the Darwin Cup Carnival.
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: Well, the Darwin Turf Club can still function obviously with
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: six six board members. I mean ten is a large
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: number on a board anyway, So six, a board of
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: six can still set the policies and procedures for Darleen
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: Turf Club. Most of the planning for the for the
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: carnival is already done as we lead into what we
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: had Rowant day on Saturday. Day one is this Saturday.
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: So most of the planning isy been done and the
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: numbers are strong, as we've spoke about before in your show.
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: So I don't think I'll have a great impact at
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: all on the racing carnival.
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: And so I guess that you know. The concern I
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: suppose from from some is that you know, with you
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: finishing up on Thursday, with those board members resigning, that
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: maybe the Turf Club is not in the shape that
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: is ideal as you lead into the Cup carnival. Is
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: that the case?
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: I wouldn't say that, No, that's not That's not the case.
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: As I said that the board con function still with
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: six members sitting on it, look have four resignations, it
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: isn't ideal. Obviously, it does give the board an opportunity
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: to find for certably qualified people now to sit on
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: the board, and they can do that. They can go
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: and look for the appropriate people to sit on the
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: board until the next dage them and they can be
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: ratified by the members of Darwin Turf Club. But all
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: things to date are pointing to a successful carnible And
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: as I said, a board of six can manage as
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: well as a board of ten. I guess it's the
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: quality of the board members that is going to dictate
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: on the success or not of the future of Darmen
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: Turf Club.
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: Brad, has it been difficult to you know, to get
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: new board members to sit on that board and you know,
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: to sort of to keep that board operating given what
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: has gone on over the last couple of years.
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: Okay, the are you lying if I said it wasn't.
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: And it's similarly attracting staff as been has been difficult
• 4:48
  Speaker 2: as well as everyone's experiencing in the territory, and then
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: when we've had this negative publicity, it does make it
• 4:55
  Speaker 2: more difficult to attract quality personal I'd like to think
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: that they're starting to come out the other end and
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: other end of that. Yeah, But as I said, it
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: is an opportunity now for DWN Turf Club with those
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: four vacancies to get some skill based people onto that
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: board and help out with in their particular fields of expertise.
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  Speaker 2: People with financial, legal, marketing, business experience would be ideal
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  Speaker 2: to have on any board, particularly the board where darl
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: and Turf Club it is that in its present history.
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: Brad, is there any further discussion at this point in
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: time or has there been any determination at this point
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: in time when it comes to that funding and the
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: paying back of that twelve million dollars. I know that
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: the Turf Club and indeed Thoroughbred Racing had been pretty
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: vocal and straightforward about saying that they're in a situation
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: where they couldn't afford to actually pay that back to
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory. Where are things at from your perspective.
• 6:04
  Speaker 2: Well, still in limbo. There's been our sales or TR
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: and T. You haven't had any definitive answers yet on
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: where that's heading, and we're probably like you, we hear things,
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: but there's been no correspondence from the NT government about
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: whether they're still intending to claw back the twelve million
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: dollars or that's not going to happen. And we have
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: been told the funding agreement starts on July one between
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: TR and T and an NT government and clearly that
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: would dictate a decision needs to be made before then,
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: and that's this Friday. So we are thinking that in
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: the next couple of days that we will hear we
• 6:51
  Speaker 2: need to hear something of a definitive nature.
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: So realistically, hopefully over the next couple of days you'll
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: have a better understand.
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: Well, I think we have to Katie, it's the funny
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: agreement commences on July one. I think it'll be slightly
• 7:11
  Speaker 2: responsible for government to love it on our doorstep with
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: very little time that's to negotiade, which appears to be
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: what's going to happen anyway, I would suggest.
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: But before we wrap up, I do want to ask
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: how many days is it now till the Cup Carnival
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: gets underway? And how are well, how's the recruitment going
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: to try and get all the staff that you actually need.
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: I know it takes a massive workforce in the bars
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: and to really be able to get everything moving for
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: that Cup Carnival.
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: Yeah, well we're in it now, Okatie. We've got this Saturday,
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: the first day of the carnival. Yep, we had a
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: roun day on Saturday. There was good numbers on course.
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: For that we spoke before all the corporates sold out
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: on day eight, sorry, on the cup day itself. The
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: ball is practically sold out. We're near enough to it
• 8:04
  Speaker 2: and the recruitment is always every year. That's the biggest
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: problem for darl and Turch Club to ensure there's appropriate
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: staff to servece everyone on course. And so far it's promising,
• 8:16
  Speaker 2: but we have a little bit more time up our sleeves.
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: But it's the numbers is looking very promising that we'll
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: have those sort of numbers to make sure everyone gets
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: looked after and brand.
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: How are you feeling about finishing up on Thursday? You know,
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: writing right in the midst of it all, A little.
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: Bit nervous, gave it to be honest, But that's said
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: looking forward to it as looking forward to the change
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: getting out of the private enterprise, and so they're a
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: little bit nervous, a little bit strange all day's time. Well,
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: we'll know.
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: And who's stepping in, who's going to be who's going
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: to be doing that CEO's job.
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: Yeah, there's great Newsbury. Who is the current CUFO done
• 9:00
  Speaker 2: to a club? Ye granted, is stepping up into the
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: role after I leave, he'll be he'll be taking over
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: the rain, so that decisions being made. So that's very
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: very encouraging. But look forward to seeing what Grug can
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: do well.
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: Brad, good to speak with you this morning. I appreciate
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: your time. Please let us know. I know you're finishing
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: up Thursday, but let us know if there is any
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: movement when it comes to you know, when it comes
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: to this funding agreement and what exactly is decided upon, yepol.
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: Thank you. Appreciate your time this morning, Brad, and appreciate
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: you know, the time that you've given us over the
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: last over your time as a CEO.
• 9:50
  Speaker 2: You're welcome.
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: Thank you,