1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,360
Speaker 1: Because it has been an interesting and well pretty frustrating

2
00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:05,520
Speaker 1: week when you look at flights and the way in

3
00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:09,200
Speaker 1: which Australians are being treated by some airlines. That was

4
00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:11,959
Speaker 1: in the spotlight when Alan Joyce defended his leadership of

5
00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:16,080
Speaker 1: Quantus after a year of bumper profits and surging complaints,

6
00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:19,200
Speaker 1: as the group revealed that it's holding an extra one

7
00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:23,400
Speaker 1: hundred million dollars in unused jet STAF flight credits that

8
00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:27,200
Speaker 1: hadn't previously been disclosed. Now he appeared before the Senate

9
00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:29,960
Speaker 1: Committee on the Cost of Living and the outgoing CEO

10
00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,159
Speaker 1: claimed that flight prices were trending down and that his

11
00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:36,360
Speaker 1: airline had the best cancelation rate of all the major airlines,

12
00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:40,200
Speaker 1: while admitting others like rex Well that they didn't sorry

13
00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:43,760
Speaker 1: and that rex were a bit better. Now. It doesn't

14
00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:46,959
Speaker 1: really feel as though we're being treated as fairly as

15
00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,960
Speaker 1: what we would like in regional Australia. And I know

16
00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:52,920
Speaker 1: that we're a capital city here in Darwin, but it

17
00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:55,800
Speaker 1: is bloody expensive to fly and then you go to

18
00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:58,600
Speaker 1: Central Australia and even more so now. Joining me on

19
00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:02,000
Speaker 1: the line is the CEO of Tourism in Central Australia,

20
00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:04,400
Speaker 1: Daniel Rochford. Good morning to you, Daniel.

21
00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:07,160
Speaker 2: Good morning, Katie, and good morning to your listeners.

22
00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:10,040
Speaker 1: Daniel, have you been watching the Senate hearing and did

23
00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:13,120
Speaker 1: you hear what Quantus had sort of said throughout the week?

24
00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:18,640
Speaker 2: Yeah, I've been obviously keeping a close eye on that, Katie.

25
00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:22,280
Speaker 2: And as you know, you know, Tourism Central Australia and

26
00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:27,160
Speaker 2: fairly vocal on the issue of airline and especially the

27
00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:29,880
Speaker 2: cost of airfares to and from our region.

28
00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:33,399
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I guess this is the problem, isn't it.

29
00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:35,600
Speaker 1: You know, we sort of we don't feel as though

30
00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:38,280
Speaker 1: like we're treated all that fairly when it comes to

31
00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:39,760
Speaker 1: the cost of airfares.

32
00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,480
Speaker 2: Look, I think that's fair statement to say, you know,

33
00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:47,240
Speaker 2: you know, just to get in and out of Central

34
00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:51,280
Speaker 2: Australia at the moment is very prohibited and that's really

35
00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:54,480
Speaker 2: strangling our tourism industry. And you know, we have been

36
00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:58,960
Speaker 2: calling for some time now for greater competition to be

37
00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:02,720
Speaker 2: looking at news of doing things and to the Melbourne

38
00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:09,160
Speaker 2: Territory government's credit, they've recently released that Tourism Aviation's Attraction Fund,

39
00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:13,320
Speaker 2: which we're hopeful will deliver some good results for Central Australia.

40
00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:16,320
Speaker 1: Yeah, any update on that at this point in time, Daniel.

41
00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:21,679
Speaker 2: Look, I think from what I understand is the government,

42
00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:26,240
Speaker 2: the Airport Development Group holding commercial discussions with a variety

43
00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:29,840
Speaker 2: of airlines and you know, hopefully something will come from that, Katie,

44
00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:32,639
Speaker 2: And that's what we were hopeful. You know, three or

45
00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:35,160
Speaker 2: four months ago we were calling on the Territory government

46
00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,400
Speaker 2: to roll their sleeves up, and you know, this is

47
00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:40,720
Speaker 2: exactly why we were calling for that, to get new

48
00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:42,000
Speaker 2: players in the market.

49
00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:44,280
Speaker 1: And I did know so I think it was yesterday

50
00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:46,560
Speaker 1: or the day before that there was the release of

51
00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:49,160
Speaker 1: sale affairs. I can't remember if it was with Virgin

52
00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:52,560
Speaker 1: or Jetstar, but some of those were to Central Australia

53
00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:54,079
Speaker 1: as well.

54
00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:59,359
Speaker 2: Yeah, but you know, I literally ten minutes ago booked

55
00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:04,400
Speaker 2: a fair up to Darwin seven hundred dollars return on

56
00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:08,160
Speaker 2: a two hour flight and that was using our Residents

57
00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:12,200
Speaker 2: Promotion fair. So to buy a normal fare for a

58
00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,240
Speaker 2: tourist to go from Alice Springs to Darwin would have

59
00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,680
Speaker 2: been nine hundred dollars for a two hour flight.

60
00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:21,919
Speaker 1: Oh that is appalling, isn't it.

61
00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:24,640
Speaker 2: It is? And that's the challenge that we've got to

62
00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:29,120
Speaker 2: deal with as rural and regional and remote Australia. You know,

63
00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:32,680
Speaker 2: we need to see this change. And look, you know,

64
00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:37,800
Speaker 2: I've been watching very closely this discussion around Kataria line.

65
00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:42,000
Speaker 2: You know, I'm a you know, that's a perfect example, Katie,

66
00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:45,360
Speaker 2: where I think the government has got this wrong. I

67
00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:48,800
Speaker 2: think the opportunity is to open up our guys a

68
00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:53,720
Speaker 2: little bit further, to encourage greater competition in everywhere else

69
00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:58,400
Speaker 2: in that we hear. We hear competition is good, an

70
00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:01,840
Speaker 2: anti competition is bad. But for some reason in the

71
00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:05,720
Speaker 2: aviation sector, the government has made this decision that that's

72
00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:09,400
Speaker 2: not correct and they have restricted Katar air Lines to

73
00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:11,800
Speaker 2: come in. This would be a huge boon for the

74
00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:14,880
Speaker 2: tourism industry of Australia. And I think the government's got

75
00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:15,200
Speaker 2: it wrong.

76
00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:17,919
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree with you because we know so for

77
00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:19,920
Speaker 1: those out there listening that aren't aware of this, an

78
00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:23,799
Speaker 1: expansion of Katar Airways operations in Australia could have driven

79
00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:27,800
Speaker 1: down fares by as much as forty percent. That's according

80
00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:30,920
Speaker 1: to the head of Virgin Australia. We know the federal

81
00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:33,800
Speaker 1: government this week confirmed that the decision was made in

82
00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:38,680
Speaker 1: part to protect quantus profitability. Now today, yesterday or the

83
00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:41,599
Speaker 1: day before it was quiz as to why travelers shouldn't

84
00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:44,240
Speaker 1: have more choice when they're booking a flight, And I

85
00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:46,440
Speaker 1: think that's what people are asking because to the point

86
00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:49,560
Speaker 1: that you've just made, if it brings down, you know,

87
00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:52,360
Speaker 1: the cost of flying, it means that we can travel

88
00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:55,599
Speaker 1: within Australia for a little bit more of an affordable price,

89
00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:58,520
Speaker 1: and overseas, I think we'd not only see a boost

90
00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:02,560
Speaker 1: to tourism, but actually see more Aussies traveling within our

91
00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:03,360
Speaker 1: own country.

92
00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:07,920
Speaker 2: And of course the irony here is that Katar Airlines

93
00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:12,480
Speaker 2: partner in Australia's Virgin Australia, so you know, Virgin would

94
00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:17,520
Speaker 2: have co chair partnerships as well as they would benefit

95
00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:22,159
Speaker 2: from the fact that they would have extra passengers coming

96
00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:26,480
Speaker 2: in on the Qatar air Lines flight. That promotes competition.

97
00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:33,240
Speaker 2: We need to see stronger competitors in place and competition prevail.

98
00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:35,920
Speaker 2: And you know, you know, even in the discussions I've

99
00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:38,760
Speaker 2: had with some of the Corners officials recently, you know

100
00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:42,240
Speaker 2: they're not scared of competition. Competitions are good things and

101
00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:44,400
Speaker 2: we shouldn't be shying away from it.

102
00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:47,360
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree, Daniel. Tell me, how are things going

103
00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:49,760
Speaker 1: in Central Australia at the moment. And you know, how

104
00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:51,119
Speaker 1: are those tourist numbers looking.

105
00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:56,160
Speaker 2: Look, it's certainly again that tale of two stories. We're

106
00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:59,000
Speaker 2: not seeing the drive tourists come through as we have

107
00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:03,280
Speaker 2: seen in this year. Is certainly groups are still holding up.

108
00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,760
Speaker 2: The gan passengers going really well. Of course we're leading

109
00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:11,560
Speaker 2: into a number of our major events with kicking off

110
00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:15,840
Speaker 2: with the Red Center NATS and then going into Desert Mob,

111
00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:20,040
Speaker 2: Deserts Song and the Desert Festival all throughout September. So

112
00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:22,800
Speaker 2: it's going to be a big September here in the

113
00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:24,560
Speaker 2: Red Center in the coming few weeks, it.

114
00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:27,320
Speaker 1: Sounds like it. And well when are you coming to

115
00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:29,719
Speaker 1: Darwin with that expensive air for your mate?

116
00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:36,360
Speaker 2: Yeah? No and in mid September, Katie, So we must

117
00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:36,840
Speaker 2: catch up.

118
00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:39,479
Speaker 1: We will. Well, it is always good to catch up

119
00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:43,560
Speaker 1: with you, Daniel Rochford, and good to talk about those airfares.

120
00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:46,680
Speaker 1: It is just something that riles so many Territorians up,

121
00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:48,960
Speaker 1: and rightly so, because we just sort of want to

122
00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:51,640
Speaker 1: be treated fairly and want to be able to travel

123
00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:55,200
Speaker 1: and want our family to come and visit us. Yeah.

124
00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:58,880
Speaker 2: Absolutely, And look, my wife Bird is working overseas at

125
00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:02,760
Speaker 2: the moment and what ye what it cost her to

126
00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:06,360
Speaker 2: get back to Australia. It's costing me to fly to Darwin.

127
00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:09,800
Speaker 1: Isn't that just crazy?

128
00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:15,000
Speaker 2: Yes, that's the only way to say that. And things

129
00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:17,720
Speaker 2: have got to change there, Katie, because we just cannot

130
00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:20,800
Speaker 2: operate as a tourism industry effectively and be on a

131
00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:26,480
Speaker 2: level playing field with other competitive destinations without fixing this issue.

132
00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:30,000
Speaker 1: Yeah, your sport on, Daniel Rochford. It's always good to

133
00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:31,680
Speaker 1: catch up with you. Thanks so much for your time

134
00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:32,200
Speaker 1: this morning.

135
00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:34,360
Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, Thank you