1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 1: Three sixties the week that was thanks to the silver 2 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: hebron your local lawyers. We know the Hospitality, into and 3 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:10,879 Speaker 1: Tourism top End did a joint zoom call yesterday with 4 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:14,520 Speaker 1: over one hundred and fifty businesses. We know that cash 5 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:17,759 Speaker 1: flow for small business is smashed. It's certainly been a 6 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: tough time for many. Now joining us on the line 7 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 1: right now is Tourism Top End General Manager Glenn Hinley. 8 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: Good morning to you, Glenn. 9 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 2: Caady, Good morning, and good morning to everyone in tourism, 10 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:32,919 Speaker 2: hospitality and retail that are hopeful that they can get 11 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:34,920 Speaker 2: back to work, and also to all our visitors in 12 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 2: the top end who are sitting in their room hoping 13 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:39,199 Speaker 2: they can get out and enjoy this magnificent part of 14 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 2: the world. 15 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: I tell you what we are all hoping that that 16 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: is the case, and that's what we find out. Eleven 17 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:48,239 Speaker 1: o'clock the Chief Minister is expected to do that press conference. 18 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: Glenn tell us a little bit more about this zoom 19 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: call and how those one hundred and fifty business people 20 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: are feeling at the moment. 21 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 2: Well as with all things health doing a great job 22 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 2: around the clock, but one of the challenges is the 23 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 2: information coming out as to how we're placed, what continues 24 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 2: the unknown, the uncertainty is causing an enormous amount of pain, 25 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:11,959 Speaker 2: and I think that's what was certainly one of the 26 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 2: things that came out of yesterday's call was can we 27 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:16,840 Speaker 2: get any sense of what's happening? Can we get any 28 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 2: sense of what triggers what things? Can we be looking 29 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 2: for what would be the staged reopenings option, the A, B, 30 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 2: C or D that we would be considering. And I 31 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 2: think it kind of not kind of exposed for us 32 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 2: an area that we haven't been in this state before, 33 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 2: and for small businesses in particular, knowing what the possible 34 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 2: options are so that they can be preparing from it 35 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:43,759 Speaker 2: for it is it from home and talking to their 36 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 2: teams about what's anticipated should the call come. So I 37 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:50,520 Speaker 2: think there was a lot of that concern yesterday, But 38 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 2: of course the bigger concern was around the well being 39 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:58,760 Speaker 2: of hundreds of top enders and territorians who are sitting 40 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 2: at home with no income, and businesses who are really 41 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 2: deeply concerned about how do they pay for their lease 42 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:08,639 Speaker 2: and their property, their vehicles, their vessels and fixed expenses 43 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 2: litt alone look after those customers that are still in town. 44 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:15,919 Speaker 1: How tough are some of those people doing it right now? 45 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 2: Glenn Well doing it really tough? And I think one 46 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 2: of if we cast their money, if we can look 47 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:27,639 Speaker 2: at the July twenty nineteen figures for what the visitor 48 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:31,680 Speaker 2: economy is worth to the territory economy. For the top 49 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 2: end alone, the visitor economy on a daily basis contributes 50 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 2: seven point six million dollars and territory wide that's fourteen 51 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 2: point one million dollars a day. Now all of that's 52 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 2: turned off at the moment, and all of that is 53 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 2: new money coming into it into our economy that pays 54 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 2: for roads, pays for health, pays for policing, pays for 55 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 2: everything else in all the taxes that are pays. So 56 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 2: if you're a business in that the phones aren't ringing. 57 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 2: The only phone calls you're getting at the moment, especially 58 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 2: in the tourism space, is cancelations. So the outflow of 59 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 2: cash out of businesses at the moment is enormous. As 60 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:07,239 Speaker 2: businesses want to do the right thing by customers, Yeah 61 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 2: kind to offer a credit, we want you to come 62 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 2: back next year, but unfortunately we've seen millions of dollars 63 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 2: this week alone be refunded to domestic travelers more in 64 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 2: Australia who are either canceling or deferring their trip. We 65 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 2: hope deferring. 66 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 1: It is heart wrenching for those businesses. And look, we 67 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:27,080 Speaker 1: all understand that you know that keeping territory and safe 68 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 1: and healthy is the main priority. But I guess plenty 69 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:33,920 Speaker 1: of people are wondering, you know, if there's somehow like 70 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: if there's a way that we can do things slightly differently, 71 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: or that we can at least be communicating with the 72 00:03:39,360 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: tourism sector and the hospitality sector a little bit differently, 73 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: so you've got a better idea of whether you are 74 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 1: going to need to sort of turn things back on 75 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 1: from one o'clock today. 76 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, with hospitality and tea and tourism top and we 77 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 2: certainly and also do and Retailers Association was on that 78 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 2: call yesterday as well, was to have a better business 79 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 2: liaison with and Tea health. If you think about all 80 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 2: businesses and each one of them has a network to 81 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 2: hundreds of customers and hundreds of staff, so that we 82 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 2: can work together on preparing businesses for what's ahead of us, 83 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 2: for preparing our community and our staff for what's ahead 84 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:16,720 Speaker 2: of us that's really important. So I think one of 85 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,080 Speaker 2: the things we've identified is that we've got to improve 86 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:23,080 Speaker 2: the liaison not just with government business agencies and the 87 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:26,039 Speaker 2: Tourism Department, but with n T Health and because they're 88 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 2: the ones who knows what's going on, they're the ones 89 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 2: who are watching the markets and the being able to 90 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 2: give that advice. So I think that's an area there. 91 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 2: And I think also we learned this week the check 92 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 2: in app is such a great thing. If everyone does 93 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:40,240 Speaker 2: it that way, we're able to identify really really quickly 94 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 2: where everyone was, and we don't have to worry about 95 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 2: being stuck in our houses when we could be out 96 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 2: enjoying this great weather and people could be off the 97 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 2: lounge and earning a wage now if I could just talk. 98 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 2: I know of a couple of occasions of casual workers 99 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 2: this week who are sitting at home in their rented 100 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 2: apartment and with no income, and they've received also an 101 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:01,720 Speaker 2: email from their landlord saying, not by the way, your 102 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:04,599 Speaker 2: rend's going up twenty scent. So you can imagine what 103 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 2: that's doing to the well being of thousands of territories 104 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:09,839 Speaker 2: right now, And that s an area we're really concerned 105 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 2: about as well supply chainel issues in terms of hotels, restaurants, 106 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 2: and Alex is much more versed in this aspect preparing 107 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,479 Speaker 2: for this because customers, if the call comes at one o'clock, 108 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:25,719 Speaker 2: everyone wants to go out, but does everyone have kitchen stocks? Yeah, 109 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:26,840 Speaker 2: we all set up ready to. 110 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 1: Go well, and we will talk to Alex Bruce from 111 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:32,799 Speaker 1: Hospitality into in just a moment about that. But Glenn, 112 00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: while I do still have you on the line, talk 113 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:38,839 Speaker 1: us through you know, best case scenario I guess is 114 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:41,479 Speaker 1: that today at one o'clock or today we do hear 115 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 1: that that one o'clock lockdown lift is happening. But just 116 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:48,159 Speaker 1: how quickly a tourism operators been able to turn it on? 117 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:56,160 Speaker 2: Well, that's that's a really challenging question here at nine 118 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:59,039 Speaker 2: point thirty on the day of to be able to 119 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,599 Speaker 2: communicate that sooner that we can be getting some indications 120 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 2: from health as to what they're thinking about what they've 121 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:08,719 Speaker 2: got in mind. We had some input into some government 122 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:12,160 Speaker 2: agencies late yesterday which highlighted to us that a lot 123 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 2: of those plans weren't being well communicated to us. The 124 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 2: fact that we were being asked our view on different 125 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:21,599 Speaker 2: options so I think that's a really hard one to enter, Katie. 126 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 2: I have to say because my members are saying, what 127 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:24,919 Speaker 2: does it look like? What does it look like? And 128 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:27,360 Speaker 2: at the moment I'm saying to them, my team's saying 129 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 2: to them. So we're waiting to find out ourselves. So 130 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:35,039 Speaker 2: that's a really hard one. And I know that customers, 131 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:37,839 Speaker 2: if that call comes and they want to get out, 132 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 2: we wanted to do it safely. We want to make 133 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 2: sure that everyone's not only safe, but also satisfied and 134 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:49,720 Speaker 2: understanding of the situation. So there are a few businesses 135 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:54,400 Speaker 2: that are still holding, tentatively holding their booking for tomorrow, cruisers, 136 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:58,279 Speaker 2: people still hoping to get their weddings away tomorrow. 137 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,240 Speaker 1: I went to a celebrant about that yesterday actually, or 138 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 1: last night. I spoke to a friend of mine who's 139 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 1: a wedding celebrant, and I think that, you know, that 140 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:09,800 Speaker 1: is another point to make, like, it just impacts the 141 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 1: people so widely and broadly, no matter what industry you're in. 142 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, and so I don't know what the answer is there. 143 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 2: That was the thing that was coming out of this 144 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 2: call to your first question yesterday of what does opening 145 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:26,960 Speaker 2: up again look like? So that we can be prepared, 146 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 2: we can have time, we can communicate with our teams 147 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 2: and people can we can get our orders in to 148 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 2: restock our kitchens, and we can start moving forward. I 149 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 2: think one of the other things that came out of 150 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 2: that yesterday was from across the board a desire that 151 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 2: if to make vaccinations as readily available for everyone as 152 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 2: they possibly can, to work to educate and encourage our community. 153 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 2: If you've got serious concerns, we understand that, but have 154 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 2: the processes so you can make informed decisions and to 155 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:03,559 Speaker 2: get that moving. And the other thing is we fought 156 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 2: long and hard collectively as industry bodies for the check 157 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 2: in app last year. We've got it. It shouldn't be 158 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 2: just the businesses that have to make sure, it should 159 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 2: be customers who are seeking to make sure, because we 160 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:16,840 Speaker 2: know by doing that we were able to protect each 161 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 2: other much better. 162 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, very fair call. Tourism Top End General Manager, Glenn Hinckley. 163 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 1: We will leave it there. We're just going to catch 164 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:27,280 Speaker 1: up with Alex Bruce. We really appreciate your time this 165 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:30,400 Speaker 1: morning and we'll keep in contact. All the best to 166 00:08:30,560 --> 00:08:34,319 Speaker 1: you and all of the Northern Territories tourism operators particularly 167 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 1: those in the top end and Alice Springs at the 168 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:39,960 Speaker 1: moment who are really doing it tough. We are all thinking. 169 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 2: Of you and Katie. If someone's struggling at home, reach out. 170 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:47,520 Speaker 2: There's plenty of great helplines around. Reach out, talk to somebody, 171 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 2: reach out to friends if you see they're struggling, because 172 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 2: well being is a real key for us. Also, it's 173 00:08:52,320 --> 00:08:55,199 Speaker 2: not just the financial impact, it's the mental health impact 174 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:57,200 Speaker 2: that this is having on our community. We need to 175 00:08:57,200 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 2: make sure that we're all got our arms around each 176 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:00,679 Speaker 2: other in a the pharical thing. 177 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:03,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, you're spot on, spot on, Glenn. Thank you.