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Speaker 1: But as we heard on the show yesterday, key new

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Speaker 1: projects are set for funding in the Northern Territory in

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Speaker 1: the twenty twenty two to twenty three federal budget which

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Speaker 1: is going to be handed down tonight. Now. They include

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Speaker 1: one hundred and thirty two million dollars for Central Australian

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Speaker 1: tourism roads. We also know that there's fifty five million

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Speaker 1: for the Tiger Brenn and Drive Barrem a road intersection upgrade.

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Speaker 1: But these one hundred and thirty two million dollars for

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Speaker 1: Central Australian tourism roads. It is a welcome boost for

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Speaker 1: tourism in Central Australia. And joining me on the line

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Speaker 1: is Tourism Central Australia CEO Daniel Rochford. How are you, Daniel?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, really well Katie, and good morning to your listeners.

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Speaker 1: Now Daniel, what is the one hundred and thirty two

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Speaker 1: million dollars going to be invested in? What roads?

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Speaker 2: Well, the big one is the Outer Marini Loop, which

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Speaker 2: has been talked about for forty years Katie, and in

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Speaker 2: the last two years TCA is really up the ante

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Speaker 2: in terms of advocacy, the importance of feeling this road

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Speaker 2: and great news not only are we going to see

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Speaker 2: it in tonight's budget. But we've also got a counter

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Speaker 2: commitment from the Labor Party in terms of supporting feeling

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Speaker 2: it as well. So it is great news and will

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Speaker 2: certainly help the rebound of our tourism economy here in

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Speaker 2: Central Australia.

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Speaker 1: And it's funding that tourism operators have been calling for

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Speaker 1: for quite some time, isn't it.

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Speaker 2: Look the evidence, the earliest evidence I have is about

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Speaker 2: forty years ago, the first report of this road, so

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Speaker 2: it has been talked about for so many times. It

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Speaker 2: was committed under Claire Martin's government, but there was unfortunately

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Speaker 2: some issues there that didn't see it come to pass.

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Speaker 2: But now we've up the ante, especially in the last

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Speaker 2: two years, and this is certainly welcome news and it's

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Speaker 2: great to see both the Federal government but also the

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Speaker 2: Labor Party making that commitment recently supporting this road.

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Speaker 1: Forty years Daniel. For those out there listening who maybe

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Speaker 1: don't know exactly what this road will sort of connect

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Speaker 1: together or where it will take, you to just explain

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Speaker 1: it for us.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, it's one hundred and thirty six kilometers of unfield

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Speaker 2: road in between the West McDonald Rangers and Kings Canyon.

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Speaker 2: So at the moment, if you are visited to our region,

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Speaker 2: coming into our springs, you go out to the West Max,

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Speaker 2: so then you have to trace back and then go

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Speaker 2: south on the Stuart Highway and then west on the

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Speaker 2: last of highway. This will essentially allow people to drive

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Speaker 2: through from the West Max straight to Kings Canyon and

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Speaker 2: then down to the Rock. But here's the big kicker,

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Speaker 2: you know, in terms of what we sell this to

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Speaker 2: the world, is you fly into Alla Springs, come and

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Speaker 2: visit the National Aboriginal Art Gallery, into the West McDonald's,

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Speaker 2: through the Kings Canyon and then obviously ultimately culminating in

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Speaker 2: a visit to Ularu. If we cannot sell that as

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Speaker 2: one of the world's best drive routes, we should give

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Speaker 2: up our day job. Today.

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Speaker 1: As marketers made it sounds like an incredible driving trip.

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Speaker 2: It is an amazing and I was only out there

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Speaker 2: driving this road literally two weeks ago and it is

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Speaker 2: just a stunning drive. And to have this funding committed

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Speaker 2: just will make so much difference. And there was a

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Speaker 2: study recently done through it. By sealing this road we

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Speaker 2: will see twenty million dollars of extra money into our

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Speaker 2: economy here in regional in Central Australia and Alice Springs,

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Speaker 2: which is a huge boost for our local economy.

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Speaker 1: And it's I mean, it sounds like it's going to

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Speaker 1: be a game changer.

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Speaker 2: It is. It's TCA's number one priority project and it's

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Speaker 2: that for a reason because it is a game changer,

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Speaker 2: it is historic and to have this funding now committed

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Speaker 2: is just amazing and just a real morale booster for

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Speaker 2: our industry.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it has been a tough couple of years and

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Speaker 1: you and I have spoken on so many occasions about

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Speaker 1: some of the issues you know that you've got in

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Speaker 1: Central Australia or that you have had particularly throughout COVID Daniel,

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Speaker 1: you know, is this really that morale change that our

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Speaker 1: tourism sector, particularly in Central Australia needs right now?

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Speaker 2: You betcha. And of course this comes off the back

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Speaker 2: for announcement by the Deputy Prime Minister recently. It's feeling

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Speaker 2: in the outback way and there's also announcement in this

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Speaker 2: for fifty extra fifty million for the Tannamie. So we're

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Speaker 2: seeing our major arterial roots into our springs being committed

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Speaker 2: to funding. That's black gold for our tourism economy industry

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Speaker 2: if very positive. At the moment, bookings are coming in

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Speaker 2: fast and furious. In fact, at the moment you are

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Speaker 2: struggling to get a high car in the next four

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Speaker 2: to five weeks, so you know that's the level of intensity.

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Speaker 2: In fact, some of my staff as saying they've never

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Speaker 2: seen the intensity of the bookings that they're seeing at

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Speaker 2: the moment.

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Speaker 1: Oh mate, I'm so glad to hear that. Hey, like

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Speaker 1: you and I have spoken on so many occasions where

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Speaker 1: it's been pretty heart wrenching for all of our listeners

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Speaker 1: and for me to hear how tough it's been for

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Speaker 1: some of our operators. So I'm really glad to hear

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Speaker 1: that we're seeing some change in this space and that

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Speaker 1: things are certainly looking up for Central Australia when it

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Speaker 1: comes to tourism.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, thanks Katie, and look, you know, thank you for

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Speaker 2: all your support over the pandemic that I think it

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Speaker 2: might nearly be that time where I might just start

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Speaker 2: doing a cut wheel or two down the Todd Mall.

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Speaker 1: Well, I'm very excited to hear that. Do make sure

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Speaker 1: that someone films it. I know that Alex Bruce, the

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Speaker 1: CEO of hospitality is very keen to see your cartwheel

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Speaker 1: down on the todd more.

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Speaker 2: As long as he joins me. And we've got matchings

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Speaker 2: that have Lepard skin le at that where I'm in mate.

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Speaker 1: That might be a bit frightening for everybody to see,

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Speaker 1: but it does sound like it's a it's a good

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Speaker 1: time and and good things are starting to happen for

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Speaker 1: Central Australia. I am really pleased to hear.

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Speaker 2: That sounds great, appreciated, Good on.

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Speaker 1: You're done. You'll lovely to chat with you as always.