Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
But joining me on the line right now from Tourism
Central Australia, it is the CEO Daniel Rochford. Good morning
to you, Daniel.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Good morning Katie, and good morning to your listeners.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Daniel, before I ask you about some of the stuff
going on in Central Australia, what did you make of
the Chief Minister's speech? Have you heard much of it?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Yeah, had a good listen. I think it's great to
hear our Chief Minister mustling up on the economy. We
certainly know that the sustainability of the economy here in
the Northern Territory is something that we must focus on.
Tourisms are obviously a critical part of that, but diversifying
the economy, looking at new options is certainly something that
(00:40):
we need to see our Northern Territory government do more.
Here in Central Australia. We have our fewer resources just
to clicks up the road from Allan Springs. That's a
rarest mind. You know that's going to be an opportunity
for many decades in the future, which will be about
a huge jobs boom for Central.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Yeah, we definitely you know that diversifying the economy has
been something we've been talking about for a while now,
and I reckon it is really important. I guess the
interesting aspect of this and one of the things that
gets raised continuously is are we going to reach that
forty billion dollar economy by twenty thirty. I mean we're
not many years away now.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yeah, it's the hefty goal. And you know, I don't
begrudge your government trying to reach the stars. Look, I
think it's something that we need to be very focused on.
I think the government's putting a lot of the eggs
in one basket, but we need to also look at
other industries, certainly our own here in terms of tourism.
You know, we're just scratching the surface in terms of
(01:42):
the opportunities, and that's why we've been calling out for
things like looking at airline opportunities. You know, if we
can get more aviation into places like Central Australia, we're
going to be a boom economy for tourism. And what
we know about tourism is it's jobs, jobs, jobs, and
we're a job factory. And the more we can see that,
the more we can see our economy growing.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Yeah, and it is something that we all want to see.
We want to see the economy growing. We want to
see the Northern Territory flourishing. Daniel talk us through because
obviously these concept designs have been released for the National
Aboriginal Art Gallery in Alice Springs. It was and is
continued to be pitched to attract more tourists to the region.
It's one hundred and fifty million dollar project aimed at
(02:25):
boosting a cultural welcoming circle, top floor events based healing gardens,
ground floor cafe, and a whole lot more. What did
you make of those plans that have been released and
I guess, you know, getting a better understanding of the
concept design.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Yeah. Look, it's great to see progress happening on the
National Aboriginal Art Gallery, Katie. We have been long calling
for progress. We do appreciate it. The big project and
a lot of processes need to be undertaken that it's
great to see the initial design. Look, you know, like art,
the everyone's got a view and I think that's the
(03:04):
government is going through a consultation process so people can
put forward their views. But ultimately we want to see
a shovel in the ground as soon as possible. And
from what we hear from miniester Fake is that that
shovel will hit the ground early in twenty twenty four.
We want to see that happen. We want to see
that project come to fruition. It's going to be such
(03:25):
a great economic driver for our region and for our CBD,
which is yearning for opportunity. And I think this is
going to be that game changer.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Daniel. When is it supposed to be open and operating?
And I mean, how big a deal is this going
to make? I guess in terms of trying to get
to USTs into the Red center.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Yeah, Look, answer to your first question, I think it's
twenty seven or twenty eight later in this decade. It's
obviously going to be a big build in terms of
its economic driver. Look, I've drilled into some of their stats.
I actually think they're under I think they're being really conservative.
You know, they're effectively saying, I think the figure is
(04:10):
about one hundred and forty extra tourists a day. You know,
that's only three busloads. You know, I think they're underestimating that.
I think it will be much higher than the figure
that they're proposing. But you know, it's good to probably
be conservative, but you know, it is going to be
such an icon. I think we really need to position
(04:31):
the National Aboriginal Art Gallery is a right of passage
for students around the country to come to our springs,
to listen, to look at an amazing heritage and culture
and to sit down in the dirt and hear it
from a traditional owners. And I think that's a unique
opportunity for our tourism going into the future.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
How sort after are those real cultural experiences?
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Absolutely, especially from an national perspective. You know, our international
visitors in particular are wanting that cultural immersion. They don't
want to FAE experience. They want to sit down and
sit down with a traditional owner in the red dirt
and to be able to hear from them directly. You know.
I think we've always said from day one that this
(05:19):
is about a wider vision to Central Australia. You know,
back ten fifteen years ago you used to take a
bus from Alice Springs to the Rock with the LaRue Airport.
That doesn't happen anymore. So now we have to reconnect
Alice Springs back to the Rock. That's why we need
to build the Marine Loop Road. That's why we need
to build the National Aboriginal Art Gallery We're going to
have two book INDs, two iconic book ends, an amazing
(05:42):
experience in between that is going to be one of
the world's great drive tourism experiences. And you know that's
the reason why we've been so strongly advocating for it.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Yeah, and you know, look, this is something that I
will certainly agree with it, the Chief Minister said yesterday
during a speech. You know, there is the opportunities are
endless in the Northern Territory. But sometimes I feel like
we stop ourselves or hold ourselves back in some ways.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
I look where sometimes yes we're our own worst eneman.
Yes there's processes, there's you know, there's a lot of
a lot of checks and balances that need to go
through and sometimes we do, you know, we do get
in our own way. But yes, we do have a
huge amount of potential just a ma tourism industry alone.
We want to be a billion dollar industry just here
(06:33):
in Central Australia. You know, that's something we're very we
have strong aspirations for. But we've got to do more.
There are a lot of projects that have been sitting
on the shelf, things like the Red Ccenter Mountain bike ride.
You know the marine feeling of the Many loop. All
of these projects have been funded, we haven't got a
(06:53):
shovel in the ground. I think the most exciting thing
about hearing the Chief Minister yesterday is her muscling up
on the economy. The next thing we need her to
do is discover a shovel and get these projects moving forward.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
I reckon, that's a really, really good point, Daniel, Mate,
tell me how things going in terms of getting some
additional flights into the Northern territory. The last time you
and I spoke, i'd caught up with Tim Jordan from
Bonza and he'd said that, you know, he is open
to doing business in the territory, but he was worried
about some of that red tape, green tape, whatever color
(07:28):
tape you want to call it.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Well, the only color that we should be focusing on
is purple and rolling out the purple carpets and Bonder,
that's the color of their planes. And you know, we here,
as I said to you previously, we have obviously next
to the airlines and are now flying into Darwin, and
now Bonds are wanting to fly in serve An Organ territory.
(07:50):
We need to be moving Heaven and Earth, and we
certainly you know, I'm certainly aware that Minister Manison, the
Airport Development Group are in these meetings and we need
them and now more than ever, to have that can
do attitude. And you know, it's great to see these
meetings happening, but we need to get the result and
it's going to be great to see that additional capacity,
(08:13):
but also the competition, so that's going to decrease airfares
but increase opportunities for people to get in and out
of places like Central Australia.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Now, tell me how have things been going in Central Australia.
I know Rob's just called in. He was wondering if
I can ask you if tourists will still come to
Elie Springs with some Campravanners and caravan has raising concerns
among their networks about crime and some of the companies
opting to not even send their sales reps there at
the moment.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Oh look, there's no doubt. I think I've been saying
for a long time that we need to get on
top of the youth crime issues. We certainly have seen
an increase as you're seeing up in Darwen. As things
a's time to get warmer. You know, a lot is
being done by the government in the alcohol space, but
you and I have took many times on this is
(09:05):
the issues that we were advocating for at the start
of this year was more proactive work on the youth
crime issue. I'm not seeing a lot of evidence of
that happening, except to say the police are saying that
with extra resources they can because of the alcohol reforms,
they can throw at the youth crime issue. I'm not
(09:27):
seeing evidence of that. Cad We're now starting to warm
up and guess what's happening again, And that's exactly what
we've been saying from day dot. We need to have
a focus on this. We need to deal with the
cause or issues and deal with overcoming those challenges because
otherwise we're just going to see those issues rise. And
(09:48):
when it gets warmer, especially over the summer months, you know,
we're going to see the same issues arise time and
time again. And the definition of insanity is just doing
exact thing and hoping for a different result.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Yeah, spot on. Well, I really hope that we do
see that change because everybody wants, like I said earlier,
everybody wants the Northern Territory to flourish. We want things
to be going really well and we want the place
to be safe and everybody to enjoy living here. You know,
we just want to be able to live to our
full potential.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
One thing I can say is that I track positive
negative comments pretty closely on our blocks and travel sites.
The amount of people who are coming to the Red
Center and speaking it up is now almost eighty twenty.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
So that's good.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
It was a much lower figure in the start of
the year and it's great to see those people who
are having amazing experience here in Central Australia speaking it up,
so hopefully that will continue.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Yeah, I'm really pleased to hear that. I think that
that is good, really good news. Well. Tourism Central Australia
CEO Daniel Rochford always great to catch up with you, mate,
Thanks so much for your time this morning.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Thanks Katie, Thank you.
But joining me on the line right now from Tourism
Central Australia, it is the CEO Daniel Rochford. Good morning
to you, Daniel.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Good morning Katie, and good morning to your listeners.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Daniel, before I ask you about some of the stuff
going on in Central Australia, what did you make of
the Chief Minister's speech? Have you heard much of it?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Yeah, had a good listen. I think it's great to
hear our Chief Minister mustling up on the economy. We
certainly know that the sustainability of the economy here in
the Northern Territory is something that we must focus on.
Tourisms are obviously a critical part of that, but diversifying
the economy, looking at new options is certainly something that
(00:40):
we need to see our Northern Territory government do more.
Here in Central Australia. We have our fewer resources just
to clicks up the road from Allan Springs. That's a
rarest mind. You know that's going to be an opportunity
for many decades in the future, which will be about
a huge jobs boom for Central.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Yeah, we definitely you know that diversifying the economy has
been something we've been talking about for a while now,
and I reckon it is really important. I guess the
interesting aspect of this and one of the things that
gets raised continuously is are we going to reach that
forty billion dollar economy by twenty thirty. I mean we're
not many years away now.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Yeah, it's the hefty goal. And you know, I don't
begrudge your government trying to reach the stars. Look, I
think it's something that we need to be very focused on.
I think the government's putting a lot of the eggs
in one basket, but we need to also look at
other industries, certainly our own here in terms of tourism.
You know, we're just scratching the surface in terms of
(01:42):
the opportunities, and that's why we've been calling out for
things like looking at airline opportunities. You know, if we
can get more aviation into places like Central Australia, we're
going to be a boom economy for tourism. And what
we know about tourism is it's jobs, jobs, jobs, and
we're a job factory. And the more we can see that,
the more we can see our economy growing.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Yeah, and it is something that we all want to see.
We want to see the economy growing. We want to
see the Northern Territory flourishing. Daniel talk us through because
obviously these concept designs have been released for the National
Aboriginal Art Gallery in Alice Springs. It was and is
continued to be pitched to attract more tourists to the region.
It's one hundred and fifty million dollar project aimed at
(02:25):
boosting a cultural welcoming circle, top floor events based healing gardens,
ground floor cafe, and a whole lot more. What did
you make of those plans that have been released and
I guess, you know, getting a better understanding of the
concept design.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Yeah. Look, it's great to see progress happening on the
National Aboriginal Art Gallery, Katie. We have been long calling
for progress. We do appreciate it. The big project and
a lot of processes need to be undertaken that it's
great to see the initial design. Look, you know, like art,
the everyone's got a view and I think that's the
(03:04):
government is going through a consultation process so people can
put forward their views. But ultimately we want to see
a shovel in the ground as soon as possible. And
from what we hear from miniester Fake is that that
shovel will hit the ground early in twenty twenty four.
We want to see that happen. We want to see
that project come to fruition. It's going to be such
(03:25):
a great economic driver for our region and for our CBD,
which is yearning for opportunity. And I think this is
going to be that game changer.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Daniel. When is it supposed to be open and operating?
And I mean, how big a deal is this going
to make? I guess in terms of trying to get
to USTs into the Red center.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
Yeah, Look, answer to your first question, I think it's
twenty seven or twenty eight later in this decade. It's
obviously going to be a big build in terms of
its economic driver. Look, I've drilled into some of their stats.
I actually think they're under I think they're being really conservative.
You know, they're effectively saying, I think the figure is
(04:10):
about one hundred and forty extra tourists a day. You know,
that's only three busloads. You know, I think they're underestimating that.
I think it will be much higher than the figure
that they're proposing. But you know, it's good to probably
be conservative, but you know, it is going to be
such an icon. I think we really need to position
(04:31):
the National Aboriginal Art Gallery is a right of passage
for students around the country to come to our springs,
to listen, to look at an amazing heritage and culture
and to sit down in the dirt and hear it
from a traditional owners. And I think that's a unique
opportunity for our tourism going into the future.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
How sort after are those real cultural experiences?
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Absolutely, especially from an national perspective. You know, our international
visitors in particular are wanting that cultural immersion. They don't
want to FAE experience. They want to sit down and
sit down with a traditional owner in the red dirt
and to be able to hear from them directly. You know.
I think we've always said from day one that this
(05:19):
is about a wider vision to Central Australia. You know,
back ten fifteen years ago you used to take a
bus from Alice Springs to the Rock with the LaRue Airport.
That doesn't happen anymore. So now we have to reconnect
Alice Springs back to the Rock. That's why we need
to build the Marine Loop Road. That's why we need
to build the National Aboriginal Art Gallery We're going to
have two book INDs, two iconic book ends, an amazing
(05:42):
experience in between that is going to be one of
the world's great drive tourism experiences. And you know that's
the reason why we've been so strongly advocating for it.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Yeah, and you know, look, this is something that I
will certainly agree with it, the Chief Minister said yesterday
during a speech. You know, there is the opportunities are
endless in the Northern Territory. But sometimes I feel like
we stop ourselves or hold ourselves back in some ways.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
I look where sometimes yes we're our own worst eneman.
Yes there's processes, there's you know, there's a lot of
a lot of checks and balances that need to go
through and sometimes we do, you know, we do get
in our own way. But yes, we do have a
huge amount of potential just a ma tourism industry alone.
We want to be a billion dollar industry just here
(06:33):
in Central Australia. You know, that's something we're very we
have strong aspirations for. But we've got to do more.
There are a lot of projects that have been sitting
on the shelf, things like the Red Ccenter Mountain bike ride.
You know the marine feeling of the Many loop. All
of these projects have been funded, we haven't got a
(06:53):
shovel in the ground. I think the most exciting thing
about hearing the Chief Minister yesterday is her muscling up
on the economy. The next thing we need her to
do is discover a shovel and get these projects moving forward.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
I reckon, that's a really, really good point, Daniel, Mate,
tell me how things going in terms of getting some
additional flights into the Northern territory. The last time you
and I spoke, i'd caught up with Tim Jordan from
Bonza and he'd said that, you know, he is open
to doing business in the territory, but he was worried
about some of that red tape, green tape, whatever color
(07:28):
tape you want to call it.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Well, the only color that we should be focusing on
is purple and rolling out the purple carpets and Bonder,
that's the color of their planes. And you know, we here,
as I said to you previously, we have obviously next
to the airlines and are now flying into Darwin, and
now Bonds are wanting to fly in serve An Organ territory.
(07:50):
We need to be moving Heaven and Earth, and we
certainly you know, I'm certainly aware that Minister Manison, the
Airport Development Group are in these meetings and we need
them and now more than ever, to have that can
do attitude. And you know, it's great to see these
meetings happening, but we need to get the result and
it's going to be great to see that additional capacity,
(08:13):
but also the competition, so that's going to decrease airfares
but increase opportunities for people to get in and out
of places like Central Australia.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
Now, tell me how have things been going in Central Australia.
I know Rob's just called in. He was wondering if
I can ask you if tourists will still come to
Elie Springs with some Campravanners and caravan has raising concerns
among their networks about crime and some of the companies
opting to not even send their sales reps there at
the moment.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Oh look, there's no doubt. I think I've been saying
for a long time that we need to get on
top of the youth crime issues. We certainly have seen
an increase as you're seeing up in Darwen. As things
a's time to get warmer. You know, a lot is
being done by the government in the alcohol space, but
you and I have took many times on this is
(09:05):
the issues that we were advocating for at the start
of this year was more proactive work on the youth
crime issue. I'm not seeing a lot of evidence of
that happening, except to say the police are saying that
with extra resources they can because of the alcohol reforms,
they can throw at the youth crime issue. I'm not
(09:27):
seeing evidence of that. Cad We're now starting to warm
up and guess what's happening again, And that's exactly what
we've been saying from day dot. We need to have
a focus on this. We need to deal with the
cause or issues and deal with overcoming those challenges because
otherwise we're just going to see those issues rise. And
(09:48):
when it gets warmer, especially over the summer months, you know,
we're going to see the same issues arise time and
time again. And the definition of insanity is just doing
exact thing and hoping for a different result.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Yeah, spot on. Well, I really hope that we do
see that change because everybody wants, like I said earlier,
everybody wants the Northern Territory to flourish. We want things
to be going really well and we want the place
to be safe and everybody to enjoy living here. You know,
we just want to be able to live to our
full potential.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
One thing I can say is that I track positive
negative comments pretty closely on our blocks and travel sites.
The amount of people who are coming to the Red
Center and speaking it up is now almost eighty twenty.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
So that's good.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
It was a much lower figure in the start of
the year and it's great to see those people who
are having amazing experience here in Central Australia speaking it up,
so hopefully that will continue.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Yeah, I'm really pleased to hear that. I think that
that is good, really good news. Well. Tourism Central Australia
CEO Daniel Rochford always great to catch up with you, mate,
Thanks so much for your time this morning.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Thanks Katie, Thank you.
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