1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:04,040 Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie Wolf Thanks to Joyce Main Dowin 2 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:05,640 Speaker 1: Homes on Stuart Highway. 3 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 2: Bear Mar joining us on the line right now. Tourism 4 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 2: Top End General Manager Glenn Hinley, Good morning to you, Glenn. 5 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 1: Cray, Good morning, Good morning listener. 6 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 2: Glenn. Firstly, job Keeper ended yesterday. What impact is this 7 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 2: going to have on our tourism operators. 8 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: This is going to be a struggle for many of 9 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: our tour operators today and related businesses that depend upon 10 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: business coming to the Northern Territory. That businesses that are 11 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: affected through no further their own, the international decisions around 12 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:40,600 Speaker 1: inappropriate decisions are in international borders and now ongoing hotspotters. 13 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:44,199 Speaker 1: We've seen yet again this morning. This is real difficulty 14 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 1: for their business and for the Territorians they employ. And 15 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: so my heart goes out to everyone who is feeling vulnerable, 16 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 1: especially and also to those employers who who defer employee staff. 17 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: These people are like their family and if they don't 18 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 1: have the money coming in, how can they afford to 19 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 1: pay these salaries? And that's where job Keeper was really important. 20 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:06,479 Speaker 1: The other thing it was always important about job Keeper 21 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 1: from the get go was it just wasn't about propping 22 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:12,119 Speaker 1: up businesses and keeping people in jobs. It was also 23 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:16,960 Speaker 1: about retaining that skill in people's businesses and that skill 24 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,759 Speaker 1: set because we know that if people lost their jobs, 25 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:25,800 Speaker 1: some of our employees aren't longtime resident Territorians, have family 26 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 1: into state, and if job Seeker was their only solution, 27 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:32,080 Speaker 1: then possibly they would go back into state and take 28 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:34,759 Speaker 1: up Job Seeker. And that's one of the great things 29 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 1: that job Keeper had. Not only did it keep people 30 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:40,839 Speaker 1: out of employment killer cues, it kept that skill within businesses. 31 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 2: Oh absolutely, and I know that Obviously the federal government's 32 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 2: made a few announcements in the wake of sort of 33 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 2: knowing that job Keeper is going to end. One of 34 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 2: those is these half priced flights they're expected to kick off, 35 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 2: as I understand it, from April one. What's the latest 36 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 2: from your perspective, Glen. 37 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 1: Well, that got us on the list there, Kadie. 38 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 3: We're looking forward to you funny and more information. Thank you' 39 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:06,919 Speaker 3: a big than you do again, But at the moment, 40 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:11,079 Speaker 3: not a lot's known. So we've seen some public comment 41 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 3: this morning from from the Federal Minister Tourism to say 42 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 3: that for Darwin it wouldn't necessarily be aligned to one 43 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 3: one port as it was initially rumored to be like Townsville, 44 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,919 Speaker 3: that it would be open for all intro to all 45 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 3: regional ports, including big city ports. That's got to be 46 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:32,359 Speaker 3: a good thing for tourism. The gap that we've got 47 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 3: to make up between where we were this time in 48 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:38,640 Speaker 3: twenty nineteen to where we are now is really big. 49 00:02:39,880 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 3: But how to book it? 50 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 1: What does it look like? How many are available on 51 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:47,639 Speaker 1: each flight? That those details were only a few days 52 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 1: out and we are eager for that information. What I 53 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:54,239 Speaker 1: would suggest is that any and we have been working 54 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 1: closely with all our tourism businesses that in all their 55 00:02:57,760 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 1: social media messaging to going down South, connect with seek Different, 56 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: the great little advertising campaign, big advertising campaign being undertaken 57 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:09,080 Speaker 1: by Tourism mentee, and also just to be constantly reminding 58 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: anybody sitting at home thinking about a holiday down south 59 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 1: that Darwin the top End is on one of those 60 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: is on that list. 61 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:19,800 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, I agree with you. I think we've got 62 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 2: to get as many people here as possible and I'm 63 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 2: keen to get your take on this situation. Now with 64 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 2: our expedition ships, it's looking as though millions of tourism 65 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 2: dollars are now going to be lost well to wa 66 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 2: as I understand it, because we're not able to have 67 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 2: those cruise ships here to the territory. 68 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, Katie, this is a situation that we are as 69 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 1: an industry and I think a lot of people are 70 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: very confused about. Firstly and foremosts no one is advocating 71 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 1: for cruise ships, large cruise liners to be back in business. 72 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 1: We know that that's sometime off. That's not on the 73 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: table until vaccines have taken hold across Australia and are 74 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: doing a bit and then international. So to be clear, 75 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: nobody's talking about cruise ships. What we are talking about 76 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: as the Australian owned small expedition ships with Australian only 77 00:04:08,680 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 1: customers that are coming in from interstate and including Territalians 78 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 1: that have for decades been operating between Broom and Darwin 79 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 1: and a lot of time homeporting as it's called here 80 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 1: in Darwin and going out and doing it. Now, these 81 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 1: customers that get on these ships, they come into daw 82 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 1: and they spend a few days, They spend a lot 83 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 1: of money in town. They often come up by the 84 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 1: gan and fly out business class. They employ a lot 85 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 1: of people. Those ships are resupplied here, marine mechanics, all 86 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:43,919 Speaker 1: the servicing that happens around it. And we're talking about 87 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: businesses that in the last twelve months have done enormous 88 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: work restructuring how they think about their business because they 89 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:53,920 Speaker 1: also understand that mistakenly they're all too often grouped in 90 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: with cruise ships and it's very big difference. 91 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 2: And so really, I mean, what's the difference between somebody 92 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:02,679 Speaker 2: getting on one of these expedition ships, these smaller ones 93 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 2: within Australia with Ausi's on there. What's the difference between 94 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 2: that and getting on a plane. 95 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 1: That's the question that we would still like to understand 96 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: the answer to. And I might add all of the 97 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:20,160 Speaker 1: managing directors of the Australian operated Expert small expedition shipping 98 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 1: companies who since last year thought that they had put 99 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: in all of the everything required into and Tea Health 100 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: and only found out a matter of weeks ago that 101 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: there were two conditions that were coming into play and 102 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:37,039 Speaker 1: that it was whilst all of Australia has that you 103 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:41,599 Speaker 1: can operate a small ship with one hundred passengers plus crew, 104 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: and Tea Health has made the call and again put 105 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:50,359 Speaker 1: it out as a release including it into all cruise lines, 106 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:53,799 Speaker 1: which does makes sense to us that it's a maximum 107 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:56,799 Speaker 1: of one hundred people on a vessel. Now, these small 108 00:05:56,839 --> 00:06:00,919 Speaker 1: expedition ships can't operate. It's not commercially viable for those numbers, 109 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 1: and even for the one or two that can. There's 110 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 1: another condition that's been put in that only two expeditions, 111 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 1: only two ships can be allowed in empty waters at 112 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: any one time. So if you've got someone coming in 113 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: from the from the golf carpenteria and one of us 114 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:18,840 Speaker 1: who's not the same company coming in, then they're going 115 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:20,840 Speaker 1: to turn around at the Mt Waters and go back 116 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 1: to cans. They're going to go back to brew. They're 117 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:24,839 Speaker 1: not going to come in. We're not going to see 118 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 1: the jobs. And today you know one of those frontline 119 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 1: companies who for such a long time has been providing 120 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: an essential service down at Port of Darwen. He has 121 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:38,240 Speaker 1: twelve of his employees on job Keeper. He's been doing 122 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 1: Chris and George have been the Darling born and bred. 123 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:44,599 Speaker 1: The boys have been doing it great for tourism. And 124 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:47,359 Speaker 1: today is the day that if not for expedition ships 125 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 1: and job Keeper, now that they are really struggling to 126 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 1: keep their business afloat and when. And I've had a 127 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 1: fair bit of back and forth with Chris, trying to 128 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:58,359 Speaker 1: help him with his business and help this process. And 129 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: it's just one example. I went asked the question, so 130 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:05,480 Speaker 1: would ex small expedition ships be able to keep those 131 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:08,479 Speaker 1: twelve territories employed? He says employed, I'd need to go 132 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:12,320 Speaker 1: out employ another ten or fifteen as well. So we 133 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 1: know that this is a difference. We understand health busy. 134 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 1: We respect what our choe and a Department of Health 135 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 1: have done and keeping our community so safe for so long, 136 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: and it's hard work. But when asked, also, when I 137 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: asked the managing directors of these expedition ship companies what's 138 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: taken place, they've said that they felt that the territory 139 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: would be the one that would be the most professional 140 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 1: and understanding and one of mean professional. Weally look into 141 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 1: the detail I'm looking at on my desk here one 142 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:45,840 Speaker 1: of the submissions put forward by one of the shipping companings. 143 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 1: It's an inch and sick of the documents have gone 144 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 1: in and been reviewed by medical experts who are medical 145 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 1: experts not just at a local GP level but with 146 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:58,880 Speaker 1: the World Health Authority, and so to be found out 147 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:01,480 Speaker 1: that they haven't been they in their view properly reviewed 148 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 1: is a real challenge and it's a real loss. We 149 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 1: know that we're looking at seven thousand Australians who are 150 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:10,240 Speaker 1: about to be told you thought you were coming to 151 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 1: Darwin for a small expedition ship experience, you've now got 152 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 1: to go to WA. And that's the other thing that 153 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 1: the sounds is of all the jurisdictions that have been 154 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 1: actively chasing this has been WA. Yeah, and they're the 155 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:24,760 Speaker 1: ones who are really opening it up now on this. 156 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 1: But the not going to effect here is really big. 157 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 1: And can I say too, you know again situations like 158 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 1: what's happening and unfolding in Queensland today that those people 159 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:39,199 Speaker 1: wouldn't be allowed to get on these ships. That's you know, 160 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:41,199 Speaker 1: as they're allowed to get on planes, is they're not 161 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 1: allowed to come and stay in hotels or stay with 162 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:45,560 Speaker 1: territorians in their homes. 163 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's exactly right. So there's already those measures in place. Glenn. 164 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 2: We have got the Tourism Minister on the show tomorrow morning, 165 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 2: as I understand it, so we will certainly put your 166 00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 2: concerns to her. Unfortunately, we're going to have to leave 167 00:08:57,920 --> 00:09:01,000 Speaker 2: it there. We always appreciate your time. I'm Glenn. Thank 168 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 2: you very much for having a chat with us this morning, Kady. 169 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 1: And thank you for your interest. Thank you very much, 170 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:05,920 Speaker 1: thank you. 171 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:09,679 Speaker 2: That is tourism top end General manager there, Glenn Hinley