1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:03,160 Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie Wolf on Mixed one oh four 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: point nine thanks to Joyce main Darwin. Joining me on 3 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: the line right now is the Chamber of Commerce CEO 4 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 1: Greg Island. Good morning to you, Greg. 5 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 2: Good morning Katie. How are you today? 6 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:16,599 Speaker 1: You really well? Hey, Greg? We just caught up a 7 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:19,639 Speaker 1: little while ago with NT Airports. Rob Porter joined us 8 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: on the show. He's the general manager of operations and 9 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:25,439 Speaker 1: said that for the month of May, we're anticipating through 10 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 1: Darwin one hundred and seventy eight thousand passengers. Next month 11 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:34,159 Speaker 1: going up to around two hundred and thirty thousand, and 12 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,600 Speaker 1: we're expecting or they are expecting to be at ninety 13 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: seven percent capacity by July. Pretty good news, isn't it. 14 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:46,159 Speaker 2: It's certainly fantastic, Katie. We've been expecting those numbers with 15 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 2: quantus increasing white frequencies as well as the size of 16 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:53,599 Speaker 2: aircraft in the future, we're expecting it to go over 17 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 2: one hundred and one hundred percent after that. 18 00:00:56,840 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: And Greg, what are businesses telling you? Are they feeling? 19 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: So things are going quite well when it comes to 20 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: you know, when it comes to people visiting the territory 21 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:08,119 Speaker 1: and the number of visitors we're seeing around the place. 22 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, look, I think we're all experiencing that, Katie. If 23 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:13,960 Speaker 2: you're out and about the street, you're seeing a lot 24 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 2: of activity, hotel rooms, of chokkers, you can't get a 25 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 2: car higher, and you're just seeing all of that activity 26 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,320 Speaker 2: with people attending based on the grass and the upcoming 27 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:27,320 Speaker 2: the apes and other functions that are happening. It's going 28 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 2: to be great. 29 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: And we know that that worker shortage has been an 30 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:34,399 Speaker 1: issue that I've spoken to hospitality and also spoken to 31 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 1: Tourism Top End and Tourism Central Australia about on numerous occasions. 32 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:42,560 Speaker 1: Seven thousand was the number that had been touted a 33 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,479 Speaker 1: little while back. How are things going when we talk 34 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: about that worker shortage from your perspective, Greg. 35 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 2: Well, we're still struggling to get the volume of workers 36 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 2: that we need to meet those targets, and some of 37 00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 2: the capacity reaching that we're seeing thatcommodation space is not 38 00:02:01,240 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 2: so much because all the rooms are full just because 39 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 2: of the capacity to service them. So we need more workers. 40 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 2: And the adjustments to the international student visa requirements was 41 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 2: certainly a step in the right direction, and we'd also 42 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 2: like to see that go further and see some of 43 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 2: the great nomads that are visiting us to be able 44 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 2: to work without impacting on their pensions. So that'll be 45 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 2: a good avenue to follow up on as well. 46 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, that changing the taxing system is something that I 47 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: reckon would go a long way in terms of helping greg. 48 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:34,639 Speaker 1: What areas like, what industries are finding it toughest at 49 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:37,640 Speaker 1: the moment. Is it hospitality and tourism or does it 50 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 1: go a bit further than that. 51 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 2: It's very widespread, Katie, in terms of immediacy. The hospitality 52 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 2: and tourism sectors are struggling and they just need people 53 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:51,240 Speaker 2: to help out with front of house and waiting and 54 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 2: cooking and all those sorts of things. But general industry 55 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 2: is really struggling with skilled labor as well. That's the 56 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:00,919 Speaker 2: perennial territory problem. When we get busy, we need more 57 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 2: workers than trying to find qualified people is pretty difficult. 58 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 2: So especially when there's a national competitive environment around all 59 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 2: the infrastructure builds that are going to be happening over 60 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 2: the next few years. 61 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I've even been told, you know that in 62 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 1: retail and airdressing, some of those beauty industries, various industries 63 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 1: that they're sort of really struggling and trying their best 64 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: to think outside the box in terms of filling jobs. 65 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 2: Yeah. Absolutely. One of the things that we've got to 66 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 2: do is really target our homegrown opportunities for employment. So 67 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 2: getting our kids into trade school, into those type of 68 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 2: learning environments where we retain them for the longer term 69 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 2: is important as well. 70 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 1: Now. I know that there has been a proposal that 71 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 1: was put forward on a on a federal scale to 72 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: the federal government about vaccinated Aussies potentially being allowed to 73 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 1: travel to medium risk countries and not have to quarantine 74 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: on return. It's under a new plan which had been 75 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 1: sprouted by well by a couple of different industries. But 76 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 1: the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has warned that 77 00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: billions of dollars are being lost in international tourism, education 78 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 1: and other export industries as the hard boarders remain in place. 79 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: I know that the acting Chief Executive, Jenny Lambert from 80 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 1: the Australian Chamber of Commerce had told nine News that 81 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,799 Speaker 1: we already we've already got quarantine free travel with New Zealand, 82 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: so it's looking at ways that we could maybe extend 83 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:33,280 Speaker 1: that travel free travel to other countries which are only 84 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 1: a medium risk, Greg, do you reckon that this is 85 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:39,920 Speaker 1: something that we realistically need to be looking at. 86 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 2: Well. A time is certainly going to come, Katie. We 87 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:50,360 Speaker 2: know that Australia trading with other nations derived significant economic 88 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 2: benefit as well as the social impacts of being able 89 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 2: to see family and friends from overseas. It is an 90 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 2: area that we're going to need to consider in the future. 91 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,159 Speaker 2: The vaccination programs roll out within Australia and we become 92 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 2: less of a risk of being infected by either traveling 93 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 2: overseas or by business coming in here that are potential exposure. 94 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 2: I guess the margin for safety increases all the time. 95 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 2: So as that naturally occurs not only in the Australian 96 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:22,479 Speaker 2: immunization process but those of overseas, that risk factors in 97 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:25,279 Speaker 2: the profile is going to reduce over time. So the 98 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:28,359 Speaker 2: Chamber is certainly recommending that we plan for that activity 99 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 2: and start to get opportunities to bring foreign workers in 100 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:34,719 Speaker 2: or provide exporter and trade going out. 101 00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 1: So by the sounds of things, it's not something that 102 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:40,479 Speaker 1: you want happening immediately. It's more something that as the 103 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 1: vaccine roll out continues on and as things become hopefully 104 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: a bit safer. It's something that you'd like to see 105 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:48,679 Speaker 1: at that point. 106 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:53,039 Speaker 2: Yeah, everything that the Chamber is recommending is based on 107 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 2: the health advice that's appropriate for the risks. So we 108 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:01,919 Speaker 2: certainly understand that the vaccinations as we move from minimum 109 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 2: people vaccinated into the majority of people vaccinated, that that 110 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:08,160 Speaker 2: risk profile will reduce accordingly. 111 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 1: And I know that bringing workers in from other countries 112 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:14,480 Speaker 1: as well is something that a lot of industries are 113 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: sort of trying to look at at this point in time. 114 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: In Tea, farmers have spoken to us on several occasions 115 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 1: about this, Is there something that we could be doing 116 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 1: a bit differently do you think in the territory in 117 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: order to do that. 118 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 2: Certainly there's opportunities In Tea farmers are working hard at 119 00:06:31,440 --> 00:06:35,279 Speaker 2: getting quarantine options through other locations other than how It springs, 120 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 2: because obviously it's fairly highly occupied with returning Australians at 121 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 2: this point in time. There's also options to quarantine on location. However, 122 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 2: that proves difficult sometimes with general workers who can't just 123 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 2: be isolated a lot of farm or so forth. But 124 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 2: there has to be a way, particularly through immunization and 125 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:58,880 Speaker 2: getting those sort of COVID passports up and happening over 126 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:04,280 Speaker 2: time that these people can effectively join us quarantine and 127 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:07,600 Speaker 2: then join the workforce because we're crying out for those skills, 128 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 2: particularly in the more industrial trade. 129 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 1: Yeah. We caught up with convat Scaralis, the Lord Mayor, yesterday, 130 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 1: and he said that they'd actually been contacted by some 131 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 1: representatives in Dempasa about the potential of maybe bringing workers 132 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 1: across from Indonesia, the likes of Ballei, where we know 133 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 1: that Ballei's doing it really tough at this point in 134 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 1: time with no tourist trade, you know, a very much 135 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:34,520 Speaker 1: a tourist town, and he'd sort of, you know, he'd 136 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: said that that's something that they'll be looking at down 137 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: the track. They're expecting a formal request or something formal 138 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: to come across. But you know, is that something that 139 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 1: we could potentially be looking at bringing some workers across 140 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 1: from somewhere like Ballei to fill the jobs that we 141 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: can't fill and you know, to hopefully help people who 142 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 1: are struggling work wise at the moment over there. 143 00:07:55,640 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 2: I think that's absolutely a possibility, Katie. We're seeing as 144 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 2: a very fluid environment from what we're seeing happening in 145 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 2: Victoria today, through what happened in Pig a week ago 146 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:10,080 Speaker 2: to what's happening in Bali right now. It's a matter 147 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 2: of assessing the medical side of the risk and then 148 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:18,520 Speaker 2: reducing it through the vaccinations and the quarantine program. So 149 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 2: as long as we can do it safely, those are 150 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:22,720 Speaker 2: the skill sets we absolutely need. 151 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:25,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, and your spot on it does come down to 152 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:28,040 Speaker 1: that safety side of things, making sure that territories and 153 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:30,960 Speaker 1: audit risk greg anything else going on that we should 154 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 1: be aware of. 155 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 2: Well, then this heat's happening, Katie. Your life seems to 156 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:39,680 Speaker 2: just back to back meetings at the moment, which is 157 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:42,199 Speaker 2: all very encouraging. And we've seen that in today's NT 158 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 2: news about some of the economic figures in unemployment reducing markedly, 159 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:49,360 Speaker 2: and that's a sign that everybody that is keen to 160 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 2: get a job is being snapped up. 161 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:55,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, I reckon, well, the only people not working at 162 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: the moment, So I don't know, if you want a job, 163 00:08:57,920 --> 00:08:59,680 Speaker 1: it does seem as though they're there for the taking. 164 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:03,080 Speaker 1: I know that's easier said than done sometimes. 165 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, And we'd encourage anyone that's looking for those 166 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:10,440 Speaker 2: opportunities to be prepared to be as flexible as possible 167 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 2: and get back into the work environment. It'll do everyone 168 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:15,199 Speaker 2: good well. 169 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 1: Greg Ireland, the Chamber of Commerce CEO, good to speak 170 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 1: with you this morning. Thanks so much for your time. 171 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 2: No problem at all, Katie, thank you.