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Speaker 1: Now, yesterday we heard from the Chief Minister that more

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Speaker 1: than twenty million dollars is set to be invested into

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Speaker 1: infrastructure in Alice Springs in an effort to reduce crime,

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Speaker 1: to promote livability days and weeks as well when it

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Speaker 1: comes to dealing with the crime that they sometimes see

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Speaker 1: over the summer break. Well what we have seen over

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Speaker 1: the last couple of years. But that investment as well

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Speaker 1: is going into some key tourism infrastructure. Now as part

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Speaker 1: of that, we're going to see four point eight million

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Speaker 1: dollars towards a new Tourism Central Australia headquarters and Visitor

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Speaker 1: Information Center to help strengthen local tourism, as well as

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Speaker 1: a delivery of the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Art

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Speaker 1: Gallery within the allocated budget. Now joining me on the

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Speaker 1: line is the CEO of Tourism Central Australia, Daniel Rochford.

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Speaker 1: Good morning Daniel, Morning Katie and morning Tea listeners, Daniel.

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Speaker 1: Four point eight million dollars towards a new Tourism Central

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Speaker 1: Australia Headquarters and Visitor Information Center. How badly is this needed?

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Speaker 2: Oh? Have I got the biggest smile in Alice Springs

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Speaker 2: this morning. You know, this is great news, Katie, for

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Speaker 2: our town and our industry. It's certainly really needed. You know,

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Speaker 2: we've grown beyond our facility in Alice Springs and you know,

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Speaker 2: to be able to move into this new facility through

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Speaker 2: these funds that have been provided by the Northern Territory government,

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Speaker 2: you know, it's a really positive day for us.

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Speaker 1: Daniel, how long have you been in the current location

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Speaker 1: and you know what's the status of the current location

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Speaker 1: for want of a better word, Oh, I think.

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Speaker 2: We've been in here for quite a while. I think

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Speaker 2: maybe almost fifteen twenty years. And so for those who

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Speaker 2: have visited us, we're right on the corner of Todd

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Speaker 2: Mall and Parson Street, so it's very hard to park.

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Speaker 2: And as you know, with a lot of caravaners and campers,

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Speaker 2: they like to park and come in. We don't have

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Speaker 2: that ability to do that in this information center. But

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Speaker 2: where we're reposing to have this information center, which is

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Speaker 2: in the current library facility in Alice Springs. Literally the

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Speaker 2: caravan camping is parking Bayser across the road, and you know,

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Speaker 2: I can't think of a better place to put it.

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Speaker 1: Now, how quickly is it going to get underway.

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Speaker 2: Well, look, I had both myself and my chair had

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Speaker 2: a really good meeting with the Chief Minister yesterday and

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Speaker 2: she was very upfront with us. She wants it to

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Speaker 2: happen as soon as possible. And I'm here in her

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Speaker 2: and you know, we've got a meeting on Friday with

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Speaker 2: Council to start the conversations and we're ready to go.

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Speaker 2: And you know, we're keen to make this happen as

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Speaker 2: soon as we can. And of course it comes off

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Speaker 2: the back of the new government's commitment to the National

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Speaker 2: Indigenous Art Gallery of Australia. You know, that's been something

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Speaker 2: that we've been advocating for long and loud now and

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Speaker 2: again the government has made a commitment to make sure

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Speaker 2: that that a shovel hits the ground. And you know,

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Speaker 2: between that and this new information center will be bookending

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Speaker 2: the CBD of Alice Springs and you know that's only

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Speaker 2: going to be great for retailers and traders in the

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Speaker 2: in the mall and in the CBD area.

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Speaker 1: So Daniel talk us through exactly where the new gallery

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Speaker 1: is going to go exactly.

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Speaker 2: Well, I think the final details will be released by

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Speaker 2: Minister Bill Yan next week, but you know in the

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Speaker 2: initial discussions that we've had is that the government has

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Speaker 2: made a policy decision to keep the rugby ovals, so

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Speaker 2: it's going to be basically on the Todd Mall side

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Speaker 2: of the Anzac Oval, which is currently a car park area.

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Speaker 2: I guess, you know, I'm not wanting to put words

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Speaker 2: in the Minister's mouth, but you know that's where I'm

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Speaker 2: getting the impression that it's going to be. And all

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Speaker 2: will be revealed next week. But you know, we really

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Speaker 2: need that gallery to interface with Todd Street and the

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Speaker 2: Todd Mall, so you know, we're happy to hear that.

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Speaker 1: What's been the reaction to you know, to the announcement

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Speaker 1: yesterday and that bit of progress I guess when it

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Speaker 1: comes to the gallery as well.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, as I said to the Chief Minister yesterday,

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Speaker 2: there's an air of optimism in ours freaks, and you

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Speaker 2: know I haven't seen that for a long time, Katie.

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Speaker 2: You know, I've talked I'm in a loud about our issues,

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Speaker 2: dmism in the room. You know, if we can get

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Speaker 2: control of the social and crime issues, you know, we

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Speaker 2: can get back on the front foot as in the industry.

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Speaker 2: And you know, certainly twenty twenty five is looking better

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Speaker 2: than what it was over the last few years. I think,

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Speaker 2: you know, the other things with this announcements yesterday, it

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Speaker 2: wasn't just the tourism announcements. You know, there was a

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Speaker 2: fourteen million dollar announcement for a new library. And the

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Speaker 2: other thing that hasn't really seen much sun in the

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Speaker 2: discussion is the new regional skate park. And I was

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Speaker 2: just reading some more details about this. This is going

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Speaker 2: to be one of the world's best skate parks, and

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Speaker 2: you know, they're investing a significant amount of money into

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Speaker 2: this and it's going to be such a great asset

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Speaker 2: for our community.

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Speaker 1: No, it is good. And look, I hope you know

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Speaker 1: that that it gets more positive for the people of

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Speaker 1: Alice Springs, and I hope that we do start to

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Speaker 1: see a minimization of the level of crime that has

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Speaker 1: been experienced as well in recent years, because you guys,

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Speaker 1: you know, everybody deserves to have a good run, and

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Speaker 1: Alice Springs is such an incredible location.

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Speaker 2: You betcha, and I think we all feel that, you know,

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Speaker 2: we do want to get on the front foot. It's

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Speaker 2: been a particularly challenging year for especially anyone that's relying

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Speaker 2: on the drive market. You know, we've seen you know,

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Speaker 2: upwards of fifty to sixty percent to clients in that

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Speaker 2: market this year. But you know, Tourism Northern Territory are

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Speaker 2: putting their best word forward in terms of marketing. You know,

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Speaker 2: there's a lot of interest from our operators to make

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Speaker 2: sure that we're welcoming our visitors and encouraging them to

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Speaker 2: get out there and get amongst it. And of course,

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Speaker 2: as you know, and this is something in particular to

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Speaker 2: your listeners, if you want to come down to the

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Speaker 2: Red Center at the moment, twenty five percent off if

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Speaker 2: you look through the Alice Springs Visitor Information Center. So

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Speaker 2: now at that time, especially if you're especially if you're

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Speaker 2: planning to drive through the region over Christmas, get in

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Speaker 2: early and get that get that saving through the information

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Speaker 2: at it.

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Speaker 1: Oh good stuff. Hey, before I let you go, what's

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Speaker 1: happening in the Red Center today for Melbourne Cup Day?

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Speaker 1: And you know, do you have any tips for the

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Speaker 1: for the big race?

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Speaker 2: Daniel? Well, yeah, there's quite a few events, you know,

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Speaker 2: especially the casino today and yeah, giddy up. I'm think

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Speaker 2: I'm really into the NAG So I've been studying the

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Speaker 2: form for some weeks. I've got interpretation who came second

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Speaker 2: in the Geelong Cup a couple of weeks ago? And

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Speaker 2: what number is interpretation? Is that eighteen? No fingers crossed.

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Speaker 2: Unfortunately it now has me riding on its back, so

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Speaker 2: it's probably a bit extra wait, but you know, giddy up.

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Speaker 1: I say good on you, Daniel, lovely to speak to

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Speaker 1: you this morning. Thank you so much for your time.

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Speaker 2: Thanksgating to