1
00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:01,080
Speaker 1: Now we do know that.

2
00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:04,040
Speaker 2: This week the Big Rivers Regional Economic Growth Committee has

3
00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:08,320
Speaker 2: launched the Big Rivers Regional Economic Growth Plan. Now, it's

4
00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:12,320
Speaker 2: a collaborative, decade long plan which sets ambitious goals for

5
00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:16,439
Speaker 2: the economic and jobs growth across thirty four yeah, three

6
00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:18,919
Speaker 2: hundred and forty I should say, three hundred and forty

7
00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:22,920
Speaker 2: thousand square kilometers of the Big Rivers Region, nearly twenty

8
00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:26,560
Speaker 2: five percent of the Northern Territories land area. Now, the

9
00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,960
Speaker 2: Big River's Regional Economic Growth Committee has developed the ten

10
00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:33,840
Speaker 2: year roadmap for regional Economic Growth, with the strategic goal

11
00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,720
Speaker 2: of a three billion dollar economy, one thousand more jobs,

12
00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:42,000
Speaker 2: and significantly increased population by twenty thirty.

13
00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:44,880
Speaker 1: So what does the plan mean for the region.

14
00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:47,000
Speaker 2: Well, joining me on the show to tell us more

15
00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:51,160
Speaker 2: is the Big River's Regional Economic Growth Committee Chair Allison Ross.

16
00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,040
Speaker 1: Good morning to you. Allison, Good morning Katie.

17
00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:54,440
Speaker 3: How are you?

18
00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:56,600
Speaker 1: Yeah, really good? Thanks so much for joining us on

19
00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:57,120
Speaker 1: the show.

20
00:00:57,760 --> 00:00:59,760
Speaker 2: Alison, can you tell me a bit more about how

21
00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:01,760
Speaker 2: this plan or what was developed.

22
00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:06,720
Speaker 3: Well, I'm obviously a member of the community, a small

23
00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:10,000
Speaker 3: business owner. I guess as the Catherine the Big Rivers Region,

24
00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:12,800
Speaker 3: we obviously are up against all these other regions around

25
00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:16,520
Speaker 3: Australia trying to attract staff. You know, small business in Catherine,

26
00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:20,480
Speaker 3: even organizations government find it hard to attract staff to

27
00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,000
Speaker 3: the region. I've been there for over twenty years and

28
00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:25,399
Speaker 3: that's sort of all we've been ongoing. So how can

29
00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:28,240
Speaker 3: we attract people to our region. Obviously I'm in sales

30
00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:31,240
Speaker 3: and marketing background, so we've looked at branding. So we've

31
00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:35,360
Speaker 3: launched this as an attraction to Catherine. So you know,

32
00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:37,280
Speaker 3: come to Crash and a lot of people love it

33
00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:39,440
Speaker 3: and you choose to live there for quite a long time.

34
00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,920
Speaker 3: So let's promote that to the rest of Australia to

35
00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:45,920
Speaker 3: try and get that branding, which will then flow on

36
00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:49,160
Speaker 3: to getting people moving here. So what that leads to

37
00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,800
Speaker 3: our need for as a collaborative group, which brings in

38
00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:57,080
Speaker 3: obviously councils and different levels of government, is for that

39
00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:01,600
Speaker 3: funding towards social infrastructure, direction on health and education. You know,

40
00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:03,760
Speaker 3: we did a survey to work out what it is

41
00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:08,560
Speaker 3: that makes it livable now and more livable and that

42
00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:10,960
Speaker 3: was an awesome result and that sort of came back

43
00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:13,080
Speaker 3: then to help put together the strategic plan or we

44
00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:14,200
Speaker 3: needed yeah.

45
00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:15,200
Speaker 1: Right, because I know that, Iver.

46
00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:17,480
Speaker 2: I guess the last couple of years we've seen that

47
00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:20,400
Speaker 2: real job shortage in lots of different regions, and it

48
00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:22,600
Speaker 2: can be very difficult to try and get people to

49
00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:27,440
Speaker 2: move and live somewhere regional. How tough has it been,

50
00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:29,679
Speaker 2: you know, in the Big Rivers region over the last

51
00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:32,120
Speaker 2: couple of years in terms of the job shortages and

52
00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:34,760
Speaker 2: trying to fill those positions.

53
00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,280
Speaker 3: Yeah, and it has been tough. Obviously, COVID was a

54
00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:39,079
Speaker 3: bit of a plus because a lot of people from

55
00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:41,800
Speaker 3: the Southern States got out of Victoria and came to

56
00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:44,040
Speaker 3: the region. As soon as the border's open, a lot

57
00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:46,360
Speaker 3: of people left again, So trying to find out how

58
00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:48,200
Speaker 3: can we attract that who were to come back, and

59
00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:50,360
Speaker 3: how can you try to stay longer? You know, what

60
00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:52,200
Speaker 3: are they used to living in their lifestyles in the

61
00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:54,760
Speaker 3: southern and Eastern States or Western states that they want

62
00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:57,320
Speaker 3: to come and stay and live up here because there

63
00:02:57,360 --> 00:02:59,120
Speaker 3: is so many things and features offer.

64
00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:03,079
Speaker 1: So what are sort of the key priorities of the plan? Allison?

65
00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:08,760
Speaker 3: The main, obviously priority is a social infrastructure, so looking

66
00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:12,440
Speaker 3: at how we can improve obviously health and education in

67
00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:15,600
Speaker 3: those respects, but they're also things such as connectivity, so

68
00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:19,120
Speaker 3: sort of your internet service highways. You know, we do

69
00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:20,919
Speaker 3: have pretty good roads, but we do have a lot

70
00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:25,360
Speaker 3: of industry growth in our area forecast, So how our

71
00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,800
Speaker 3: highways be impacted? You know, traveling around that highway is good.

72
00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:32,640
Speaker 3: Over taking lanes is a good mobile service. Water Obviously,

73
00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:36,480
Speaker 3: Security from a domestic and agricultural and commercial side of things,

74
00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:38,840
Speaker 3: obviously you've been through pfact so how you look at

75
00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:42,840
Speaker 3: that on the longer term security? And yeah, just sort

76
00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:46,240
Speaker 3: of some of those the core core infrastructure that then

77
00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:48,400
Speaker 3: flow on to than the other industries.

78
00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:51,360
Speaker 2: And look, I guess to some listening this morning, they'll

79
00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,400
Speaker 2: be thinking it does sound quite ambitious, a three billion

80
00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:59,600
Speaker 2: dollar economy, one thousand more jobs, and significantly increase population

81
00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:03,040
Speaker 2: by twenty thirty. But it does also sound as though

82
00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:07,320
Speaker 2: there's potentially plenty of big opportunities for the region. How

83
00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:09,000
Speaker 2: are you going to sort of get it all moving?

84
00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:14,200
Speaker 3: I guess that's where we are advisors to government, and

85
00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:18,400
Speaker 3: we're a committee of you know, volunteers that put together

86
00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:20,720
Speaker 3: some thoughts and visions. Are the other ones that have

87
00:04:20,960 --> 00:04:24,320
Speaker 3: helped pull the statistics together. I guess it's just keeping

88
00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:27,520
Speaker 3: working on. You know, we've got forecasts in income with

89
00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:31,599
Speaker 3: these industries start getting some that big infrastructure in place,

90
00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:36,960
Speaker 3: you know, in Caster over twenty years. To me and

91
00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:39,120
Speaker 3: my opinion, it seems a lot more sustainable than some

92
00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:41,560
Speaker 3: other areas of the territory. You know, we've had some

93
00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,760
Speaker 3: issues come and go where markets will peak and then

94
00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:47,600
Speaker 3: trough or as cast them. Seems quite a central location

95
00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:51,599
Speaker 3: for the whole the territory accessibility to east, west, north south.

96
00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:54,320
Speaker 3: So I'm the same look to give the confidence as

97
00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,160
Speaker 3: back the Big Rivers Region that where we're here to

98
00:04:57,200 --> 00:04:58,720
Speaker 3: stay and we're here to make some sort of good

99
00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:00,200
Speaker 3: money for the economy, and.

100
00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:02,560
Speaker 2: What do you reckon Some of the big opportunities are

101
00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:03,320
Speaker 2: for the region.

102
00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:08,839
Speaker 3: Obviously, just the pure serviceability we've got our communities the

103
00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:11,760
Speaker 3: Big Rivers Region. I think you look geographically, it covers

104
00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:13,920
Speaker 3: all the way to Borrow Lulla through a large amount

105
00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:18,120
Speaker 3: of to this population needing servicing in that area. Obviously

106
00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:22,200
Speaker 3: they're looking at the mirning opportunities that's still ongoing. And

107
00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:26,720
Speaker 3: obviously then agriculture, how things and accessibility to markets open

108
00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:29,640
Speaker 3: up as population growth comes in different areas, how does

109
00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:33,000
Speaker 3: that affect food production? And obviously then fiber production you know,

110
00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:35,880
Speaker 3: possibly with a cotton that's happening in the area gin

111
00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,880
Speaker 3: being built, and then accessibility, you know, freight in, freight

112
00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:41,400
Speaker 3: out logistics.

113
00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:42,640
Speaker 1: Yeah right, and.

114
00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:45,200
Speaker 2: I'm assuming as well that there are some plans for

115
00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:48,320
Speaker 2: indigenous development in this plan as well.

116
00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:52,040
Speaker 3: Yes, they are. Certainly. One of our members is actually

117
00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:56,880
Speaker 3: one of our jar and directors, so certainly what success

118
00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:00,479
Speaker 3: they have had today, and lots of planned direction that

119
00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:04,880
Speaker 3: they're heading with their business. And obviously then employment opportunities

120
00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:07,960
Speaker 3: in those regions, so obviously on indigenous owned land, for

121
00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:12,520
Speaker 3: Indigenous owned businesses and for Indigenous employment opportunities there.

122
00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:16,200
Speaker 2: And Alison, I guess the million dollar question or one

123
00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:19,320
Speaker 2: that everybody you know always thinks when there is a

124
00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:21,960
Speaker 2: plan like this developed, how soon do you think it

125
00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:24,479
Speaker 2: could sort of start to see some of the benefits.

126
00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,760
Speaker 3: That's something that probably government with based on funding. But

127
00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:32,640
Speaker 3: certainly the branding is a really thing we're excited about.

128
00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:34,880
Speaker 3: We do have a video that's based I saw it

129
00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:37,480
Speaker 3: on LinkedIn yesterday, so we'll hopefully get that out across.

130
00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:40,480
Speaker 3: I'm hoping that local businesses do have sort of media suite.

131
00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:43,159
Speaker 3: So if you're a small business in the Big Rivers region,

132
00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:45,720
Speaker 3: I want some to come and be a plumber electrician.

133
00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:47,880
Speaker 3: You can tag in, Hey, this is what it's like.

134
00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:49,880
Speaker 3: So when people google what's it like to live and

135
00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,359
Speaker 3: work in the Big Rivers Region, paying, you've got this

136
00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:56,880
Speaker 3: awesome marketing tool that we can use to attract people

137
00:06:56,920 --> 00:06:59,360
Speaker 3: to come here. Because we think the survey found that

138
00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:02,000
Speaker 3: seventy six the center people either love it or really

139
00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:04,640
Speaker 3: liked living in that region. So yeah, that's a pretty

140
00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:06,080
Speaker 3: awesome statistic that we're proud of.

141
00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:06,520
Speaker 1: Yeah.

142
00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:08,919
Speaker 2: Absolutely, well, I think it's you know, I think it's good.

143
00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:11,000
Speaker 2: I think it's really good. And I think what all

144
00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:13,920
Speaker 2: Territorians want to see is, you know, for our population

145
00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:16,800
Speaker 2: to be boosted and certainly in some of our more

146
00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:20,200
Speaker 2: regional locations like the Big Rivers Region, being able to

147
00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:22,840
Speaker 2: you know, to fill those jobs and keep people their

148
00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:24,040
Speaker 2: long term if possible.

149
00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:28,560
Speaker 3: God, definitely, definitely, it's a it's a great place to live.

150
00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:31,320
Speaker 3: It's not like or Sydney, as we know, we acknowledge that.

151
00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:34,200
Speaker 3: And I guess being you know, in catering, it sort

152
00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:37,240
Speaker 3: of like there's more of a churchy than just Yeah.

153
00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:40,320
Speaker 2: Absolutely, well, we really appreciate you having a chat with

154
00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:43,240
Speaker 2: us this morning. Allison and yeah, let us know how

155
00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:46,240
Speaker 2: things do progress. Would be very keen to keep in contact.

156
00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:49,160
Speaker 1: Thanks for your Tom Daddie, Thank you