1
00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:02,559
Speaker 1: Now a bit of a change of pace right now,

2
00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,080
Speaker 1: because I think that there are quite a few businesses

3
00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:09,240
Speaker 1: around the Northern Territory, particularly those in hospitality, who are

4
00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:12,920
Speaker 1: potentially struggling to fill some of those positions that they've got.

5
00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:16,119
Speaker 1: And the papers today reporting that Ozzie stranded in the

6
00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:19,560
Speaker 1: United Kingdom can find themselves a free ticket home if

7
00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:23,400
Speaker 1: they take up an offer to work in a Darwin pub. Well,

8
00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:25,959
Speaker 1: some of our Darwin pubs. Now joining me on the

9
00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:30,200
Speaker 1: line to talk more about this is Paul Watson from

10
00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:34,120
Speaker 1: Ozzie Venue Co. Sorry, Paul, I think I've pronounced your

11
00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:34,920
Speaker 1: last name wrong.

12
00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:35,120
Speaker 2: There.

13
00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:36,240
Speaker 1: How are you this morning?

14
00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:39,000
Speaker 2: Yeah, very well, Katie, thanks so much for.

15
00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:39,760
Speaker 3: Having you now.

16
00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:42,640
Speaker 1: You are, of course the CEO of oz Venue Co.

17
00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:45,800
Speaker 3: And what pubs do you have here in the territory?

18
00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:50,480
Speaker 2: Yeah, so up in the territory we've got Shags and Money, yeah,

19
00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:52,960
Speaker 2: as well as Smith Street Social in Darwin.

20
00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:56,000
Speaker 1: And what's it been like over the last eighteen months

21
00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:58,800
Speaker 1: trying to sort of get people to work in those pubs.

22
00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,440
Speaker 2: It's been incredible. I think Darwin has thankfully being one

23
00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:07,640
Speaker 2: of those areas that have just done incredibly well and

24
00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:11,160
Speaker 2: manage the whole pandemic incredibly well, and so we've had

25
00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:16,920
Speaker 2: this double impact of not having the working holiday visa

26
00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,600
Speaker 2: workers at the same time as trade has been incredibly

27
00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:23,720
Speaker 2: strong in that market. So hence why we're looking to

28
00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:26,880
Speaker 2: bring new people into the industry. So tell us.

29
00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:29,120
Speaker 1: About what you're trying to do right now in order

30
00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:30,720
Speaker 1: to fill some of those positions.

31
00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:35,240
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's probably three main strategies Katie that we're looking at.

32
00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:40,319
Speaker 2: The first of all is training up local territorians to

33
00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,200
Speaker 2: be able to work in pubs. So offer paid training

34
00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:46,760
Speaker 2: which is a mix of online and face to face training.

35
00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:49,840
Speaker 2: So come in with zero experience and get your first

36
00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:52,440
Speaker 2: job in a pub and we will teach you everything

37
00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:55,000
Speaker 2: that you need to know. It's a really great career,

38
00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:58,480
Speaker 2: whether it's for short term or longer term. So we

39
00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:01,280
Speaker 2: want all those young territories is to come and do

40
00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,680
Speaker 2: using in a pub and meet some great mates. Secondly,

41
00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:09,040
Speaker 2: we're looking to bring stranded Ozzie's home from the UK

42
00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:12,680
Speaker 2: who are working in the hospitality sector over there. Flights

43
00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:16,440
Speaker 2: have been incredibly expensive and challenging to get, so we've

44
00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:21,160
Speaker 2: decided to pay for flights and quarantine costs when those

45
00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:25,600
Speaker 2: returning hosto workers from the UK return to Australia and

46
00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,680
Speaker 2: Darwin in order to get them working in our sector.

47
00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:32,600
Speaker 2: And finally, with the new free trade agreement in the UK,

48
00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:36,000
Speaker 2: we're targeting one hundred and fifty UK chefs to pick

49
00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:38,919
Speaker 2: up and move to Australia and we're paying their visa

50
00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,000
Speaker 2: costs as well as flight and quarantine costs as well.

51
00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:45,040
Speaker 1: Wow. When did you kick these off and have you

52
00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:46,440
Speaker 1: had much traction so far?

53
00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:50,400
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's been quite an incredible response, Katie. We've kicked

54
00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,240
Speaker 2: it off late last week and we've had over two

55
00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:57,040
Speaker 2: hundred expressions of interest from the UK so far, so

56
00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:00,840
Speaker 2: we're really quickly sorting through those at the moment. And

57
00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:04,679
Speaker 2: nationally in terms of training up new people into the

58
00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:08,360
Speaker 2: pub industry, we've had around four hundred responses and so

59
00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:11,200
Speaker 2: we're looking to get those people into pubs as quick

60
00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:12,840
Speaker 2: as we can and provide them with support.

61
00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:16,880
Speaker 1: And so with the situation where we're hoping to get

62
00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:19,440
Speaker 1: them working here in Darwin, how many do you need.

63
00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:22,799
Speaker 2: Oh, Katie, we're looking for about thirty people in Darwin,

64
00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:26,000
Speaker 2: which is a mix of back of house staff in

65
00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:29,280
Speaker 2: the kitchen as well as about twenty people in the

66
00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:32,320
Speaker 2: front of house as well in the bars.

67
00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:35,640
Speaker 1: And presumably you've tried to, you know, to get people locally.

68
00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:38,000
Speaker 1: And I know you've obviously got the initiative to try

69
00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:40,800
Speaker 1: and get young locals working in the pubs, but what

70
00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:43,680
Speaker 1: about with the initiative to bring those Aussies that are

71
00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:46,200
Speaker 1: maybe stuck over in the UK. How long do you

72
00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:48,800
Speaker 1: then expect them to work for you guys if they

73
00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:50,200
Speaker 1: do take you up on that offer.

74
00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:53,760
Speaker 2: Yeah, Katie, it's only an initial six months that we're

75
00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,320
Speaker 2: asking them to work for us. So if after six

76
00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:59,680
Speaker 2: months they no longer want to work with us, they

77
00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:01,640
Speaker 2: don't have to pay back the cost. It will be

78
00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:05,480
Speaker 2: about twenty thousand dollars per person all up between flights

79
00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:09,320
Speaker 2: and accommodation, and so it's going to cost us just

80
00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:12,520
Speaker 2: north of three million dollars. So it's a big initiative,

81
00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:14,840
Speaker 2: but one we think is really worthwhile to get sector

82
00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:15,640
Speaker 2: back on its feet.

83
00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:17,920
Speaker 1: I was going to say it must be one which

84
00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:20,440
Speaker 1: is needed to be sort of forking that kind of

85
00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:23,400
Speaker 1: money out, So it must be something that you really

86
00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:25,920
Speaker 1: need to have happen, Oh very much.

87
00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:27,839
Speaker 2: So, Katie, and I think what we really want to

88
00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:31,200
Speaker 2: focus on is growing the sectors workforce. I think it's

89
00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:35,159
Speaker 2: a zero sum game by different pubs and businesses taking

90
00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:39,120
Speaker 2: each other's experienced workers. Ultimately, we need to grow the

91
00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:42,080
Speaker 2: workforce for the whole sector. So if that means in

92
00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:44,039
Speaker 2: the end we bring home some people who end up

93
00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:46,360
Speaker 2: working in other pubs, so be it. It's great for

94
00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:46,840
Speaker 2: all of us.

95
00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:49,320
Speaker 1: And Paul, you've obviously you're going to have to go

96
00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,160
Speaker 1: through the process of getting those exemptions and things like that,

97
00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:53,920
Speaker 1: although I guess if you've got someone on one of

98
00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:56,840
Speaker 1: those repat flights they have to stay and how it

99
00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:59,920
Speaker 1: springs for a couple of weeks anyway, Yeah, that's.

100
00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:04,440
Speaker 2: Right, Okatie. We're talking to Quantas about whether we charter

101
00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:06,960
Speaker 2: a plane to get all these people over at once,

102
00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:11,200
Speaker 2: and then we'll be talking to governments about quarantine arrangements

103
00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:13,400
Speaker 2: in order to accommodate. And we think that's a really

104
00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:16,200
Speaker 2: efficient way and would be a lot of fun being

105
00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:18,640
Speaker 2: on a plane for the hosto workers coming into Australia

106
00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:19,360
Speaker 2: as well.

107
00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:24,479
Speaker 3: Probably be pretty wild, I reckon, But what's the where

108
00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:27,279
Speaker 3: is it at in terms of you know, seeing whether

109
00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:29,200
Speaker 3: you're able to charter that flight or what you're going

110
00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:29,800
Speaker 3: to have to do.

111
00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,680
Speaker 2: Yeah, Quantas have been incredibly supportive so far. So we're

112
00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:36,880
Speaker 2: in an early discussion with government about getting the quarantine

113
00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:39,240
Speaker 2: places all going well. We hope to be able to

114
00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:41,080
Speaker 2: execute this just before Christmas.

115
00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:43,760
Speaker 1: Well, Paul, really good to talk to you this morning.

116
00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:46,200
Speaker 1: I think this is a really novel idea, but by

117
00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:47,320
Speaker 1: the sounds of it's something that.

118
00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:48,920
Speaker 3: Is absolutely required.

119
00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:52,080
Speaker 1: You know, you're clearly not able to fill those jobs,

120
00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:55,359
Speaker 1: some of them with locals, and it does sound like

121
00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:57,159
Speaker 1: a novel idea, which I know that a lot of

122
00:05:57,279 --> 00:05:59,560
Speaker 1: businesses are really having to do right now, is sort

123
00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:00,719
Speaker 1: of think outside the box.

124
00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, thanks so much, Katie. Hopefully it's a great success.

125
00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:05,400
Speaker 3: Yeah, let us know.

126
00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:07,359
Speaker 1: Do keep in contact and let us know how it

127
00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:07,800
Speaker 1: all goes.

128
00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:09,240
Speaker 3: Paul, thank you for your time today.

129
00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:10,880
Speaker 2: Thanks Katie so