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Speaker 1: Now it's being reported that Australia Days celebrations have been

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Speaker 1: banned at more than two hundred pubs and bars nationwide

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Speaker 1: because the owners say that the day causes sadness and

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Speaker 1: hurt for some patrons. The country's second biggest pub group,

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Speaker 1: Australian Venue Co, has informed managers that there's going to

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Speaker 1: be no celebrating or acknowledging the day at their venues

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Speaker 1: in twenty twenty five. Now joining us on the line

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Speaker 1: is Hospitality NT's new CEO, Kathy Simmons. Good morning to you, Kathy.

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Speaker 2: Hi Katie, how are you?

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Speaker 1: Yeah? Really good? Thanks so much for joining us this morning. Kathy,

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Speaker 1: what was your reaction to the move that has been

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Speaker 1: made by Australian Venue Co.

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Speaker 2: I mean it's, you know, from the industry perspective, it's

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Speaker 2: a decision to watch. There's obviously been a shift in

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Speaker 2: broader community sentiment around the history of Australia Day, and

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Speaker 2: that varies from place to place. You know, you've got

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Speaker 2: the Wooli's decision not to have an Australia A Kit

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Speaker 2: in stores. Both decisions are on you know, commercial realities,

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Speaker 2: Like there's something clearly in the numbers that says to

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Speaker 2: these the venue owner that this is a way to

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Speaker 2: either make or save some money. So you know, there's

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Speaker 2: a decision that the venue owners have made, and I'm

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Speaker 2: no doubt all venue owners here and down south will

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Speaker 2: be watching to see what the patrons do around it.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I was going to say, do you reckon it

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Speaker 1: is more so by the sounds of it, It is

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Speaker 1: more a situation where it's not so much about them

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Speaker 1: taking sort of a stance either way. It's about maybe

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Speaker 1: the numbers not reflecting that people are wanting to rock

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Speaker 1: up on Australia Day and celebrate in the way that

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Speaker 1: they once did.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that's right. And you know, as you mentioned,

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Speaker 2: like they're they're a pretty big venue of like two

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Speaker 2: hundred venues, so it will be really interesting to see,

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Speaker 2: you know, yeah, like what happens with those venues in

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Speaker 2: Sydney or Melbourne versus you know, Queensland or like well,

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Speaker 2: regional areas where there is differing views on Australia Day.

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Speaker 1: And so will many pubs and bars in the Northern

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Speaker 1: Territory be impacted by this decision by Australian venue coe.

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Speaker 2: I don't think we have many venues here owned by

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Speaker 2: Shane Venue Co. I'm pretty sure it's in the you know,

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Speaker 2: the low single digits, so I don't I don't think so.

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Speaker 2: I haven't heard any of my members raising Australia Days

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Speaker 2: as a concern, right, like indicating one way or another

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Speaker 2: whether they're going to you know, pull the pin on

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Speaker 2: having a special day or or go ahead with celebrations. Like,

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Speaker 2: no one's really raised it as a concern. So yeah,

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Speaker 2: definitely we'll all be watching to see what happens, but

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Speaker 2: I don't anticipate too much change compared to last year

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Speaker 2: at this stage, to be honest.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I'll be really interested to see what does happen

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Speaker 1: here in the Northern Territory because it seems as though

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Speaker 1: like some of the pubs and bars seem to be

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Speaker 1: really very busy on Australia Day here in the NT.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely, you know, it's everyone loves a public holiday,

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Speaker 2: everyone loves you know, going out there to their local

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Speaker 2: and enjoying a meal and as they should. Yeah, you know,

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Speaker 2: there might be a bit of a a delay I

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Speaker 2: suppose in some of those cultural impacts of the conversation

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Speaker 2: kind of hitting like what actually happens in pubs because

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Speaker 2: at this stage, it is still a public holiday and

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Speaker 2: people who aren't working on that day will head down

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Speaker 2: to the pub and enjoy a beer.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and look, you've sort of you've gone into you

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Speaker 1: know what I was planning on asking, which is you know,

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Speaker 1: whether you whether you think it is sort of an

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Speaker 1: interesting move, I guess, or whether we may see others

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Speaker 1: follow suit. So, I mean, we know that the date

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Speaker 1: does remain the same for Australia Day. There's not sort

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Speaker 1: of been a change from the government, so you know, yeah,

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Speaker 1: I guess what it kind of means for businesses. I

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Speaker 1: guess in terms of what they decide to do on

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Speaker 1: that day.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, well that's right. You know, this decision will probably

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Speaker 2: prompt a few other venue owners to think about what

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Speaker 2: they were planning to do. We're I've been considering it before.

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Speaker 2: They're just planning a event and whether they want to

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Speaker 2: I guess participate in that cultural conversation a bit a

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Speaker 2: bit more. I certainly won't be telling my members what

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Speaker 2: to do on that level, you know, just supporting each

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Speaker 2: of them whichever way they decide to go. But yeah,

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Speaker 2: like to your point, I can't see either the cop

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Speaker 2: territory government or the labor federal government banning the day exactly.

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Speaker 2: So you know, if my advice to punters on the

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Speaker 2: day would be like, if they don't like what a

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Speaker 2: particular venue is pitching on the day, doesn't mean their

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Speaker 2: their their values or their opinion of the conversation. Just

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Speaker 2: find a venue that does well.

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Speaker 1: And as you touched on, you know, it sounds as

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Speaker 1: though it does really come down to a commercial decision

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Speaker 1: for most venues as well, how they do or do

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Speaker 1: not choose to celebrate on that day and what they

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Speaker 1: choose to do. I guess on that day, that's it.

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Speaker 2: That's that's pretty much what happens. You know. It's the

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Speaker 2: same with other other days, you know, maybe, but yeah,

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Speaker 2: I guess less fraud you know, like Saint Patrick's Day

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Speaker 2: celebrated it that Irish Irish pubs and a lot of

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Speaker 2: pubs Irish will not tend to do something that some

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Speaker 2: of them choose not to when it's on a statement.

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Speaker 2: It's just you know, something that they choose to do

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Speaker 2: that goes with their brand, I suppose. So I think

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Speaker 2: that's the case here as well.

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Speaker 1: Well. Look, I've no doubt there'll be plenty of people

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Speaker 1: keen to talk about it this morning. I'm betting that

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Speaker 1: we're going to get plenty of messages. Kathy, how's it

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Speaker 1: all been going since you've taken on the role as

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Speaker 1: the Hospitality and t CEO.

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Speaker 2: It's been fantastic. It's my third week in the job,

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Speaker 2: so you know, a lot of topical discussions coming up now.

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Speaker 2: This one is definitely an interesting one to talk about

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Speaker 2: as well on Australia. But yeah, it's been fantastic and

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Speaker 2: I'm really looking forward to getting out meeting more of

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Speaker 2: the members and punters and hearing what they want to

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Speaker 2: see in the industry going forward.

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Speaker 1: Well, good to speak with you this morning, Appreciate your

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Speaker 1: time and no doubt we'll talk to you again.

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Speaker 2: So thanks Krati, great, thank you,