6 minute read
From the President
from Hotel SA Feb 2024
by Boylen
FOCUS FOR 2024
A happy New Year to all our members, and here’s hoping 2024 is a safe, happy and prosperous year for all.
Next month signals the halfway point of the SA electoral cycle. Nationally, we are on alert for the potential of a Federal election at the end of the year, although it does appear far more likely to be in the early months of 2025.
The 2024 laundry list of items the AHA is working on - either with Government or to present to Government - is extensive.
As always, issues around accommodation, liquor and gaming will monopolise our attention, and are often in reaction to the ambitions of government and regulators.
Beyond those key pillars of our advocacy, I have listed below the types of issues you can expect to hear us talking about - and proactively raising with Government this year, either at Federal or State level.
The labour shortage and migration. We have met with both key Ministers locally and Federally and will soon present a prebudget submission to the State Education Minister, Blair Boyer.
Housing and accommodation. This issue is closely linked to the labour shortage
Red tape and over regulation
Suppor t for live music venues
Growing our tourism, conference and events budget and schedule
Alcohol excise
Industrial relations changes at both a Federal and State level
Airbnb and other short stay providers
The Container Deposit Scheme
Issues our members face around Return to Work legislation.
BEER EXCISE
It is always useful when influential people in the media articulate views aligned to those of our members. Recently, we have seen some good examples of this.
5AA breakfast presenter Will Goodings has long been a stern critic of the Federal Government’s twice-yearly alcohol excise hike.
He described the excise as “a lazy tax… that hurts small business and pub owners”.
In January, Premier Peter Malinauskas found himself in the 5AA studio as a guest host alongside Goodings. Speaking about the imminent excise rise, Malinauskas noted the harshness of the increases, but recognised the AHA’s long held view that there needs to be a differential between the tax for on-premise and off-premise.
The Premier recognised our bars are labour intensive and this should be acknowledged by the nature of the tax.
He viewed the current tax structure as encouraging people to drink at home, away from the safety of a regulated environment. And he lauded the strength of drinking on-premise due to it being a social environment where people looked out for each other.
How true!
The Premier also noted that alcohol consumption, especially in the beer category, is falling.
Sadly, Mr Malinauskas is the South Australian Premier, not the Federal Treasurer, so the AHA must continue to plead its case at that level.
Whilst the publicity surrounding excise inevitably occurs around the February and August price rises, our advocacy on this matter is relentless.
In the current budgetary environment, our best chance for a breakthrough appears to be a freeze on the current increases.
We have the third most expensive beer tax in the world. That makes a mockery of the health lobby’s push to continue to increase alcohol tax. And the health lobby have been very reticent to acknowledge the mental health advantages of mates talking at the pub.
Another strong political point is this: Why do governments index (increase) the tax on a working person’s beer – but exempt luxury goods, such as purchasing a Mercedes car?
In the current cost of living environment, that question has never been adequately answered.
NIMBY NEIGHBOURS
I have never met the Sunday Mail senior journalist Rebecca WhitfieldBaker, but I would really like to meet up with her in one of our member pubs and buy her a drink.
Before people get the wrong impression, Trina and myself are still very much happily married. Indeed, we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary this month.
In a column in the Sunday Mail last month, Rebecca brilliantly captured the frustration felt by so many pub owners from NIMBY neighbours who are intent on unreasonably restricting any noise from the pub - even at the most reasonable of hours.
She identified the positive impact people catching up with friends at the pub has on loneliness and depression, but that is all jeopardised by a “selfish singleminded and self-entitled society in which we live”.
Rebecca draws the inevitable conclusion that if someone is offended by elevated noise emanating from a pub, why would they move into that street?
The AHA|SA is envious of the refreshing approach taken by the Minns Labor Government in NSW.
As I noted at the end of last year, they have appointed a minister for the night-time economy and a commissioner for the 24-hour economy, then set about reinvigorating Sydney’s nightlife.
They’ve introduced legislation to stop NIMBY neighbours from shutting down pubs with vexatious noise complaints, including protections from complainants who move into an area where a hotel has been long established.
NSW is also providing encouragement for venues that host live music by reducing their licensing fees and allowing them to stay open beyond their licensed hours.
Rebecca Whitfield-Baker is not alone in her views. Fellow News Ltd columnist David Penberthy continued the theme, writing about those who want to stifle any suggestion of people enjoying themselves when having a drink.
He wrote: “The truth is these miserable people have now officially won. The no-fun brigade are in ascendancy and the rest of us had better straighten up.”
Penberthy quoted Clive James in his commentary, who observed “Australia fancies itself a nation of convicts, when in fact we are a nation of prison guards.”
In the pub game, we feel that all the time. Once, we prided ourselves on being the fun loving larrakin Aussies. Today, we have lost all proportion.
We will always have to endure the ‘fun police’. But in an environment where alcohol consumption is falling -especially amongst the young we need to ensure regulators and legislators are not sucked into their narrative and ambitions.
BUSINESS EVENTS ADELAIDE
Business Events Adelaide is a critical organisation in the tourism family. It is charged with the responsibility of attracting business events to Adelaide, connecting local businesses with both the interstate and overseas networks.
We were delighted to learn that our former CEO Ian Horne has been appointed Chair of that body.
Needless to say Ian will be an outstanding appointment who will build on the excellent work done by outgoing chair Jim Kouts and the entire organisation.
Congratulations Ian!
