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Speaker 1: But if you've been out to the airport recently you

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Speaker 1: would have noticed quite a bit is happening, and if

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Speaker 1: you haven't, well you might expect some disruptions. The Airport

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Speaker 1: Development Group is investing more than eleven million dollars to

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Speaker 1: transform the Darwin Loop International Airport Terminal. So the plan

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Speaker 1: transformation's going to touch nearly every aspect of the terminal,

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Speaker 1: including an expanded terminal footprint, new common use check in

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Speaker 1: kiosks and bag drop facilities, as well as major renos

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Speaker 1: to all the food and beverage outlets, and expanded security

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Speaker 1: screening and covered car parking. Now Rob Porter, the Executive

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Speaker 1: General Manager of Operations, joins me on the line.

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Speaker 2: Good morning to you.

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Speaker 3: Rob, Good morning Coty.

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Speaker 2: How are you really good? Thanks so much for your

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Speaker 2: time this morning, Rob.

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Speaker 1: What work is currently underway out there at the airport.

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Speaker 3: It feels like everything Katy at the moment. So certainly

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Speaker 3: we're well advanced with the check the checking kaos and

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Speaker 3: the automated bag drop. Stage one opens today, so we'll

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Speaker 3: see kiosks being used by connois passengers and bag drops

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Speaker 3: being used by Connois passengers today, so there'll be lots

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Speaker 3: of people on hand to help people through the new system.

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Speaker 3: But we're genuinely excited about this transformation of how people

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Speaker 3: will check in for the airline into the future.

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Speaker 1: So ROB, is the check in area in the same

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Speaker 1: spot as what it's always been, just revamped or has

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Speaker 1: it sort of moved.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, Look, it's been tricky, so it's going to push back.

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Speaker 3: So we've been doing lots of work behind the counters,

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Speaker 3: So if you're checking in today, we've been busy behind

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Speaker 3: they're constructing the conveyor system and certainly the bag drops

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Speaker 3: today is kind of the first reveal. We've taken down

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Speaker 3: some of the hoarding and you can see just how

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Speaker 3: the checking counters will look into the future. And then

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Speaker 3: eventually all of the traditional checking counters will go and

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Speaker 3: we'll have thirty kios and twenty three bag drops to

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Speaker 3: check people into the future.

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Speaker 1: So expanding, expanding it and hopefully making it easier, you

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Speaker 1: know with those extra kiosks.

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Speaker 3: ROB.

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Speaker 2: Has there been disruption though in the meantime.

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Speaker 3: Oh absolutely. It's definitely a challenge when you know, when

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Speaker 3: you're a busy airport and you know, working through with passengers.

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Speaker 3: But yeah, look, I think the team has done an

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Speaker 3: excellent job in terms of staging and corners. Has been

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Speaker 3: fantastic in taking and taking on the first step with

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Speaker 3: moving to the bagdop and the kiosks. So look, we're

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Speaker 3: pleased with how it's going. We do do us for

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Speaker 3: patients as we as we bed down the new system.

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Speaker 1: None now rob outside of the terminal as well. It

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Speaker 1: sounds as though it seems as though there's heaps of

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Speaker 1: work going on some of the different roads and that

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Speaker 1: kind of thing too. What's happening out there.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, so most of the road network has been has

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Speaker 3: been finished, so we've got sort of Darwin's biggest roundabout

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Speaker 3: and you know leading on to our hotel complet where

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Speaker 3: there's you know, there's where there's pool facilities. Oh look,

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Speaker 3: it's just just amazing. We're getting closer and closer to

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Speaker 3: completing that project. And then as you come up to

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Speaker 3: the to the to the front of the terminal, our

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Speaker 3: plan is we've ordered our covered car parking for the

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Speaker 3: where the high cars are when the short term drop

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Speaker 3: off areas a sort term parking area, should I say so? Look,

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Speaker 3: it's just yeah, we're really whipping in and we're going

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Speaker 3: to transform this this terminal basically for what the community

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Speaker 3: would expect, and what about.

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Speaker 1: The food and beverage offerings, and you know what's going

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Speaker 1: to happen. I'm assuming upstairs in that area up there,

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Speaker 1: is there going to be.

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Speaker 2: More on offer.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, there certainly would be more in a different food

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Speaker 3: and beverage offer And I think what's also amazing is

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Speaker 3: that we're rushing putting some more windows, so people going

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Speaker 3: to look out out over the over the apron and

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Speaker 3: see see the planes coming and going. So that'll open

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Speaker 3: it up. It'll be brighter, there'll be different food and

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Speaker 3: beverage products up there. But it's definitely disruptive. But we're

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Speaker 3: really excited about about our plans.

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Speaker 2: So Rob, when's it all going to be finished?

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Speaker 1: Because, as you said, you know, it is disruptive for people,

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Speaker 1: and I know that sometimes then they might get out

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Speaker 1: there or they arrived you know, maybe they arrive in

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Speaker 1: on a flight. You know, you're juggling kids, juggling trying

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Speaker 1: to get your bags and all that kind of stuff,

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Speaker 1: and there is potentially delays as a result of the

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Speaker 1: work that's happening.

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Speaker 2: When do you anticipate that it's all going to be done?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think over the next twelve months. You know,

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Speaker 3: we've got an ambitious plan to get all this all

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Speaker 3: this work done, so particularly the work inside the terminal

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Speaker 3: the check ins will be finished this year and then

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Speaker 3: upstairs probably early next year when we'll see the final product.

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Speaker 3: But as we progressively stage the project, you're going to

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Speaker 3: get some glimpses of what the future of Darwin Terminal

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Speaker 3: looks like.

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Speaker 1: Rob tell Us, I know that you're also in a

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Speaker 1: statement that was released by the Airport Development Group, have

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Speaker 1: also said that the trolleys and ow going to cost

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Speaker 1: four dollars to use.

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Speaker 2: Why is that.

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Speaker 3: We've invested in more than two hundred new trolleys and

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Speaker 3: eight new stations to pick up trolleys from. They're a

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Speaker 3: safer product and I think those have used our trolleys

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Speaker 3: probably agree that they're well overdue for replacement. So yes,

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Speaker 3: there's there's the introduction of the new trolleys, safer, more

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Speaker 3: maneuverable trolleys, but certainly that also comes with a.

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Speaker 2: Small fee, so it's not a cash grab.

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Speaker 3: I wouldn't say so. I mean we've got a lot

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Speaker 3: of people were actually got people employed that chase the

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Speaker 3: trolleys and bring them back. You know, we can find

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Speaker 3: our tlleies in a rapid creek and all around the place.

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Speaker 3: So look, it is a small fee for the access

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Speaker 3: to some new safer trolleys.

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Speaker 1: Rob. We've had that discussion before, even about the Woolies

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Speaker 1: and coals trolleys and where they end up around the

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Speaker 1: Northern territory. It's quite surprising where people take the trolleys.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, it is to be crazy, isn't it. Yeah, you know,

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Speaker 3: rickety ones that we have now are not much good

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Speaker 3: for anything. So yeah, it's time, okadie, It's time to

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Speaker 3: replace them and renew them and putting these these new stations.

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Speaker 1: Hey, Rob, there's been some media reports that two airlines

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Speaker 1: are considering launching services in the territory.

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Speaker 2: One of them Bonds are the.

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Speaker 1: Other is the other I think is Nexus. Where are

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Speaker 1: things that? Do you know in terms of the airport

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Speaker 1: development's talks with these airlines.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, certainly talks are progressing with both of those airlines.

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Speaker 3: Nexus is a new airline operating out of w A

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Speaker 3: and I think that you're really excited about the opportunities

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Speaker 3: that they will bring to give access to regional ports,

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Speaker 3: you know, Cannonara and the like, and access to the

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Speaker 3: West still a bit more work to do with both

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Speaker 3: of those airline operators, but yeah, exciting times ahead, that's

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Speaker 3: for sure.

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Speaker 1: So are both those airlines considering services to Darwin and

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Speaker 1: also Alis or just for Darwin or any idea at

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Speaker 1: this stage.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, as you know Katie that the Airport Development Group

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Speaker 3: has both both airports, so whenever we have conversations with

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Speaker 3: airline and airline operators, we'll always keep an eye out

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Speaker 3: what else could be possible for our springs as well,

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Speaker 3: So we will always go in and have conversations around

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Speaker 3: both Dale and our springs, that's for sure, Rob.

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Speaker 1: Any idea how far off we could be from seeing

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Speaker 1: Nexus or Bonds are operating in the Terror trail or

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Speaker 1: is it too early to tell?

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Speaker 3: Oh, I watched this space, Datie. You know this team.

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Speaker 3: We're doing a fantastic job with Nexus, so yeah, watch

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Speaker 3: this space closely.

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Speaker 1: Well. We will certainly keep in contact and no doubt

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Speaker 1: find out more when we get to that point. It

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Speaker 1: is always good to catch up with you, Rob Porter,

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Speaker 1: the Executive General Manager of Operations with the Airport Development Group,

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Speaker 1: Thanks so much for your time this morning.

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Speaker 3: Thanks Datie, and happy Monday, Eon.

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Speaker 2: Thank you