1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:02,160 Speaker 1: But we know the Darwin Waterfront. 2 00:00:02,279 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 2: They've unveiled plans for their Stage two development proposal and 3 00:00:06,400 --> 00:00:10,520 Speaker 2: I tell you what, it looks absolutely amazing. A serve park, 4 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:15,080 Speaker 2: tropical snorkeling lagoon, pools and playgrounds have all been earmarked 5 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:18,920 Speaker 2: under this two hundred million dollar expansion proposal. The project 6 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:22,599 Speaker 2: is pending funding approval but would result in a massive 7 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 2: expansion to this recreational hub. Now joining me in the 8 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 2: studio to tell us a little bit more is the 9 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:30,639 Speaker 2: general manager of the Darwin Waterfront, Sam Burke. 10 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 1: Good morning to you, Good o Katie, thanks for having me. 11 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 2: Wonderful to talk to you this morning. Mate, this looks 12 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 2: absolutely amazing. Tell us a little bit more about these 13 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 2: plans for Stage two. 14 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, so we're very excited the public are finally getting 15 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:45,800 Speaker 3: to see them. We've been working on them for several years. 16 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 3: This isn't just a concept drawing that we've put out there. 17 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 3: There are years of detailed design that has gone into this. Excitingly, 18 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 3: we're ready to actually go to early contractor involvement this 19 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 3: year if funding is secure, and we believe we'd start 20 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,680 Speaker 3: construction this year as well. But it reimagines the waterfront 21 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 3: what We've said, and government, both territory and Commonwealth are 22 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 3: very supportive, is let's not move on to the next thing. 23 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 3: Let's double down. We've got a great precinct tire that's underdeveloped. 24 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 3: Let's build on that and truly create something iconics. So 25 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 3: that's what we're trying. 26 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 1: Where exactly would it be? 27 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 3: So the waterfront is broken up into three parts. Central precinct, 28 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 3: which is the focus of this redevelopment, then Northern and Southern. 29 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:32,959 Speaker 3: Northern is above the convention center right the way round 30 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 3: to basically the beginning of Francis Bay, and Southern is 31 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 3: down towards the old luxury hotel site. So our view 32 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:44,399 Speaker 3: is will redevelop Central using government funding primarily. That will 33 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 3: spur on then private development in both those other precincts. 34 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 3: And we estimate those other precincts as well over a 35 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 3: billion dollars worth of private investments. 36 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 2: Wow, but so two hundred million dollars though, you know, 37 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 2: to kick things off, where are you going to. 38 00:01:58,040 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: Get that funding? 39 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 3: So the two hundred million is the ask of the 40 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 3: Comwells as part of city deal. The project is with them, 41 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 3: along with robust economic feasibility modeling, which we stand strongly behind, 42 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:13,239 Speaker 3: but that two hundred million is a game changer for Darwin. 43 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 3: So that's going to get you an international standard, full 44 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 3: functioning surf park facility. That will also get you what 45 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:25,239 Speaker 3: we think is probably a world first, which is a 46 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:30,640 Speaker 3: full tropical lagoon with corals propagated both naturally and also 47 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 3: using three D printing that you can then harness natural 48 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 3: coral onto and full to the brim of tropical fish 49 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 3: from northern Australia. This is the type of natural marine 50 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:45,360 Speaker 3: activity that exists out there, but only the very rare 51 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 3: few people go and see it because there's a lot 52 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 3: of sharks and crocodiles and stingers, so we want to 53 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 3: bring that to people. Then we add on top of 54 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 3: that over four thousand square meters of new swimming pools, 55 00:02:56,080 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 3: temperature controlled food and beverage outlets around at cocktails in 56 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 3: your hand, new food and beverage facilities, a massive new 57 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 3: playground just to start the precinct officer ex. 58 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:09,079 Speaker 1: It sounds amazing. 59 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 2: I know that there's going to be people listening this 60 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:13,919 Speaker 2: morning though, thinking this is pie in the sky stuff. 61 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: Is it actually going to come to fruition? 62 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:18,639 Speaker 3: And I think that's why we've been really careful about 63 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 3: how we've brought this to the public. I think there 64 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 3: have been rumors, well founded rumors for a couple of 65 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 3: years about what we've been planning, but we've only brought 66 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:30,720 Speaker 3: it public once we had that detailed design done. We've 67 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 3: got a detailed business case done, We've got all of 68 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 3: the costings that have been qs'd multiple times to make 69 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 3: sure they're firm. But most importantly, we have the private 70 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 3: sector investors lined up and ready to go with plans 71 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 3: around Bolton. So we see the surf facility that is 72 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 3: fully commercially feasible to be a partnership between us and 73 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 3: a private proponent. And also we have a new hotel 74 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 3: facility adjacent to the convention center that we see being 75 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 3: fully privately funded. 76 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: So just let me wrap my head around it. 77 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 2: So obviously there are commercial developers who are keen to 78 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 2: get involved here. They're already coming to the table, But 79 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 2: what we're waiting on is whether the federal government comes 80 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 2: to the table. 81 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, so we think so the biggest issue for Darwin 82 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 3: and the Northern Territory is population. We see that we 83 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 3: can play a really fundamental role there. There's all these 84 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:26,360 Speaker 3: great projects on the horizon that the Chief Minister spoke 85 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 3: about yesterday. The key to them is we want workers 86 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 3: to come and bring their families. When they look at Darwin, 87 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,480 Speaker 3: they're going to Google if they see this iconic development. 88 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 3: It speaks to lifestyle. It speaks to permanent population growth. 89 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 3: And that's the modeling that we're giving to the commoneralth 90 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:44,599 Speaker 3: because that's really important. Growing the North from a population 91 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 3: perspective is key, and we see lifestyle as one of 92 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 3: the key drivers. 93 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 2: Sam, Are you in competition with the Darwin City Council 94 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,520 Speaker 2: here because they were sprooking or they were talking about 95 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:58,080 Speaker 2: developing the Lamaru Baths and some other projects as well. 96 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 2: So is everybody in competition here? Is it all going 97 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 2: to work cohesively? 98 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:05,279 Speaker 3: So as a starting point, we see the Waterfront Redevelopment 99 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 3: as benefiting the entire CBD, that's right the way down 100 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 3: to Cullin Bay. We're actively involved in the whole CBD. 101 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:13,839 Speaker 3: When we bring people in, it benefits the CBD. We 102 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 3: also see the development as being a hub and spoke, 103 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:18,279 Speaker 3: So we want to get people to come to Darwin. 104 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 3: Then they'll visit Kakadu, they'll visit Lichfield, even they'll stop 105 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:24,840 Speaker 3: here on the way to Bali. There's an entire market 106 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 3: of surfers who want to warm up before they hit 107 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 3: the open water. So this is a Northern Australian precinct development. 108 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:34,800 Speaker 3: We see it. It feeds into everything in terms of 109 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:37,240 Speaker 3: City of Darwen. We fully brief them on the project. 110 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 3: They're very supportive. The Lord Mayor was very supportive of 111 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:44,280 Speaker 3: our project and we see future developments around the Esplanade 112 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:48,279 Speaker 3: as a natural progression on from ours, which is about 113 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 3: doubling down on something that already works and it's proven 114 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:51,680 Speaker 3: all right. 115 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 2: So where are the discussions at right now with the feeds? 116 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 3: So the Northern Territory Government is taking the lead on 117 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 3: the funding discussions with the Wealth. But as I said, 118 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 3: we've provided them with all our plans all the way through, 119 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:07,600 Speaker 3: so it's been running for at least a year now 120 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 3: in terms of discussions with the Comwealth, and we also 121 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 3: have a detailed business case with them. So we're very 122 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:16,839 Speaker 3: confident that we've provided everything in terms of both the 123 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:19,839 Speaker 3: project and the economic benefits that they would need. And 124 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:22,719 Speaker 3: now we're very grateful to the Territory government for taking 125 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 3: the leads on those negotiations. 126 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:27,599 Speaker 2: What will happen if the federal government doesn't decide to 127 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:30,720 Speaker 2: invest money in this, but you've still got private developers 128 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:31,799 Speaker 2: wanting to get involved. 129 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 3: I think that's what's most exciting. So the macro economic 130 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 3: benefits are clear, and that's why we think we will 131 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:42,159 Speaker 3: get Comwealth's government support. But in any event, for example, 132 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:46,279 Speaker 3: the hotel development adjacent to the convention center, our commercial 133 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:49,480 Speaker 3: advice is that stacks up today even without the redevelopment, 134 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 3: so we're actively pursuing that. The surf park, we have 135 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 3: commercial partners that are already invested in the waterfront, that 136 00:06:56,839 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 3: already own surf parks around the country, that are very 137 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 3: key on our plans. So what we're trying to say 138 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:05,720 Speaker 3: is this is a real project, This is going places. 139 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 3: We're looking to the FEDS to help and the territory 140 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 3: government is helping us with those discussions. But either way, 141 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:13,440 Speaker 3: we think this stands on its own and we'll be 142 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 3: great for Darwa and we want to see it delivered. Well. 143 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 2: It's going to be very interesting to see where it 144 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 2: all lands. Like I said, right from the get go, 145 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 2: it looks amazing. I think we're all hoping for it, 146 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 2: but time will tell. Now, mate, before I let you go, 147 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 2: we're all involved in this step challenge at the moment 148 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 2: here at Mix one O for and I'm proudly sponsored, 149 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 2: of course by the Waterfront. 150 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 1: Yes, how many steps have you done? 151 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 3: I knew you were going to ask me that I've 152 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 3: been doing some laps and someone told me that I 153 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:42,360 Speaker 3: can convert swimming laps into steps at the exorbitant rate. Look, 154 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 3: we were the Waterfront team was doing really well at 155 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 3: one stage, but it's dropped off and I think it's 156 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:49,440 Speaker 3: because we spend too much time in the office. But 157 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:52,000 Speaker 3: I have to say, I think number one on the 158 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 3: charts is Haley Barber, who works for us, and she 159 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 3: as a machine, so watch out phenomenal. 160 00:07:57,320 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 2: I went for an eight k run on Sunday and 161 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:02,200 Speaker 2: I saw her out running. I'm pretty sure it was her. 162 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 2: She had a friend riding her bike next to her 163 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 2: as well, and I thought, what an absolute legend. 164 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 3: She's a legend. And I think the great thing about 165 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 3: feb fit it brings people, particularly down to the Waterfront. 166 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 3: We've got a bunch of activations that are bolted onto 167 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 3: I think every single day you can see a calendar 168 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 3: of things to do down there. But it gets people 169 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 3: out and it gets them fit. Hailey is fit anyway, 170 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:25,520 Speaker 3: but she told me she's running an extra one, two 171 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:28,080 Speaker 3: or three k's to knock off some close teams. It 172 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:30,440 Speaker 3: won't be named, but I don't think they're taking it 173 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 3: very well and we're doing our best, but we're not 174 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 3: winning at the moment. 175 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 1: Good on everyone that's gotten involved. 176 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 2: I think it's a fantastic it's a fantastic thing that happens, 177 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 2: and it's so wonderful to see people out there and 178 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:43,720 Speaker 2: getting active. We've been bullying all the sales stuff and 179 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:46,599 Speaker 2: everybody at the station basically to do it as well, Sam. 180 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:48,000 Speaker 3: So it's a way to do it and I think 181 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 3: they'll be happy for it afterwards. 182 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:52,679 Speaker 2: Yes, absolutely good stuff. Thank you very much for your 183 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:54,720 Speaker 2: time this morning. We'll talk to you again, so thanks Katie.