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Speaker 1: Now continuing the discussion of course about BONDSA entering the

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Speaker 1: territory and offering those direct flights well to a number

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Speaker 1: of locations and joining us live on the line. Tourism

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Speaker 1: Central Australia's CEO, Daniel Rochford, Good morning to you, Daniel.

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Speaker 2: Good morning Katie in good morning to your listeners.

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Speaker 1: Mate. What was your reaction to this news of BONSA

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Speaker 1: entering the market and those direct flights to Alice, Well,

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Speaker 1: from Alice to Melbourne.

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Speaker 2: I think you can fatfully say I've got the biggest

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Speaker 2: smile in all of the Northern Territory yesterday and this morning.

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Speaker 2: This is bloody awesome news for Central Australia. You and

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Speaker 2: I've talked about for the last few years of many

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Speaker 2: challenges that we as an industry and as a community

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Speaker 2: have had to face, and this is the best early

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Speaker 2: Christmas gift that Central Australia to be given.

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Speaker 1: Now talk us through what this is going to mean

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Speaker 1: for tourism in Alice Springs.

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Speaker 2: Well, this is going to put one hundred and thirty

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Speaker 2: nine dollars airfare on the table to people in Victoria

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Speaker 2: to be able to come up for a holiday in

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Speaker 2: Central Australia. But also, as we've talked about quite strongly,

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Speaker 2: we've been long advocating about the impact that high airfares

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Speaker 2: have been having on the livability of Alice Springs and

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Speaker 2: this is something that we at TCO have been championing.

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Speaker 2: And look, we think having a new option through these

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Speaker 2: bonds of flights is just going to be such an

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Speaker 2: extra special importance for our community. In fact, I've been

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Speaker 2: overwhelmed by the messages. I really just cannot put it

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Speaker 2: in words, Katie, on how important this is for us.

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Speaker 1: So tell me, you know, what are people saying on

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Speaker 1: the ground today. Are people pretty excited, like I know

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Speaker 1: on our text line this morning and even on Facebook

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Speaker 1: social media people ringing in to say that they're happy,

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Speaker 1: as are the saying in Alice.

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Speaker 2: Overwhelming positivity, Katie, which that's.

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Speaker 3: Something we don't often see in Orangs. I think we

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Speaker 3: were all collectively doing cartwheels down the todd More as

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Speaker 3: a town because you know, it has been difficult a

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Speaker 3: few years and you know we've had our challenges, and

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Speaker 3: you know, to have positive news like this is just

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Speaker 3: something so.

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Speaker 2: Special and I want to just make sure that it's

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Speaker 2: on the public record to thank the Northern Territory government

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Speaker 2: to thank the Airport Development Group and to thank Bonds

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Speaker 2: of Airlines. A lot of good people have worked really

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Speaker 2: hard to make this happen and I just want to

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Speaker 2: give them a shout out.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, look, I agree. I'm always very quick to give

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Speaker 1: the government a kick when they deserve it, but on

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Speaker 1: this one, I think well done that they've been able

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Speaker 1: to make this happen. I guess the concern that all

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Speaker 1: of us have got done, youell, is that you know,

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Speaker 1: we've seen our lives lies come and go at different times,

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Speaker 1: and we want to make sure that there is absolute

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Speaker 1: longevity when we talk about bonds up.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, and look over I'm sharing that concern as well. Look,

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Speaker 2: when you've got one hundred and thirty nine dollars leading fair,

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Speaker 2: that question is a question for the people of Alice

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Speaker 2: Springs of Darwin. We all now need to collectively back

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Speaker 2: this airline and to support these these seats, and when

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Speaker 2: we collectively support it, that will see the sustainability of

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Speaker 2: the air services for a long time to come. And

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Speaker 2: you know, I think Tim Jordan was also talking on

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Speaker 2: radio down here this morning as well. If he sees

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Speaker 2: our communities and it's the same with Darwel and I'm

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Speaker 2: sure if he sees that support, you know, that gives

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Speaker 2: the airline more of a reason to start looking at

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Speaker 2: increasing capacity or looking at new routes, which is just

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Speaker 2: going to be a great thing for our region, and

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Speaker 2: that it really supercharges that competition which we've been long

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Speaker 2: advocating for.

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Speaker 1: Daniel, is it time for you to start cart wheeling

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Speaker 1: down the Todd Mare, Yes.

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Speaker 4: Yes it is.

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Speaker 2: I think I should put the challenge out that Mayor

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Speaker 2: Matt Patterson and I should have don some purple budgy

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Speaker 2: smugglers and we should go cart wheeling down the tod

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Speaker 2: Mall because this is bloody awesome for Central Australia, bloody

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Speaker 2: awesome for Northern Territory.

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Speaker 1: The tourists might not come back if they see that happening.

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Speaker 4: That is a very good thought though, because it is

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Speaker 4: my job to attract or if not to detract.

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Speaker 1: Oh well, we're about to catch up with Alex Bruce

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Speaker 1: as well to find out, you know, how this is

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Speaker 1: going to help hospitality, so I'll be keen to hear

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Speaker 1: what he thinks about you donning the budgy smugglers and

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Speaker 1: cart wheeling down the mall. I think that's going to

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Speaker 1: be hilarious.

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Speaker 4: I think mister Bruce is on a joint ticket with

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Speaker 4: Cca on this and I think i'd like, I think

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Speaker 4: the world needs to see his face white leak as well.

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Speaker 1: I don't know if they do. I really don't think

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Speaker 1: they do.

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Speaker 5: Yeah, I think you and I have talked to him

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Speaker 5: for over three years, and you know, we've shared our

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Speaker 5: challenges and issues, and I know there's still many issues

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Speaker 5: that we're facing down.

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Speaker 2: But you know, it is nice to have some great news,

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Speaker 2: isn't it.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it really is. And you know, I think that's

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Speaker 1: how everybody's sort of feeling today. And we've always, you know,

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Speaker 1: like all of us have always got that bit of

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Speaker 1: skepticism or that bit of concern. But this is some

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Speaker 1: good news and it is wonderful to hear. And from

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Speaker 1: what Tim had said to us as well, you know,

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Speaker 1: just a little while ago, they're sort of looking at

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Speaker 1: at how this goes and what other routes they might

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Speaker 1: be able to, you know, to open up, and that

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Speaker 1: in itself is positive positive thing.

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Speaker 4: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: Indeed, I've been really impressed by Bondso they've certainly been

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Speaker 2: a disruptor into the Australian aviation market, and you know,

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Speaker 2: they've really worked hard to support regional communities and the

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Speaker 2: feedback I get from my counterparts in regions in New

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Speaker 2: South Wales and Queen Plans is they've been absolute. And

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Speaker 2: I know we bandy around the term game changer all

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Speaker 2: the time, but they have been game changes for not

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Speaker 2: only the tourism industries of those destinations, but also the

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Speaker 2: community just to be able to you know, one of

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Speaker 2: the challenges we've had here analysis just to get away

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Speaker 2: for the weekend to go and see family and friends

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Speaker 2: has just been so cost prohibitive that we haven't done that,

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Speaker 2: and to be able to link friends and family back.

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Speaker 2: It just people have just been saying to me in

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Speaker 2: the last twenty four hours how special that will be,

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Speaker 2: just to be able to reconnect.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it is certainly good news, a good news story.

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Speaker 1: Daniel Rochford, It is always good to catch up with you.

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Speaker 1: Thank you so very much for your time, and make

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Speaker 1: sure you stay listening because we're going to catch up

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Speaker 1: with Alex Bruce and ask we'll find out whether he's

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Speaker 1: going to put those budget smugglers on.

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Speaker 4: I think I think it's a matter of he must

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Speaker 4: put them on.

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Speaker 1: Thank Katie, thank you,