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THE ALPINE
BRIGHT - POREPUNKAH - MT BEAUTY - TAWONGA - TAWONGA SOUTH Wednesday, June 7, 2023
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Sport
Getting stretched Bright venues con Brigh continue inue to o face s staff aff shor shortages ages from accommodation accommoda ion crisis crisi BY BRODIE EVERIST beverist@ nemedia.com.au
LOCAL hospitality venues are nearing a breaking point from staff shortages, with workers facing burnout while they struggle to find enough employees to fill roles, according to a local hotelier. Tim Briggs, director of a Bright hotel, said years of staff shortages due to a lack of accommodation was taking its toll on local businesses, with some still feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I think a lot of the businesses are still trying to redeem cash flow over the last three years,” he said. “Last ski season was sporadic, which then came off the previous ski season, which was non-existent. “You can see around Bright a lot of the restaurants are just under the pump all the time.” Mr Briggs said his hotel is struggling to find enough employees to fill roles, with few applications for advertised jobs, leaving them to consider cutting hours to alleviate staff burnout. “A lot of our employees are doing well over their full time contracts - our chef’s coming off a 62-hour week this week,” he said. “We’re trying to at least take a third of our budget off, from a wages point of
UNDER THE PUMP: Local hotel director Tim Briggs, pictured with venue host Virginia Feito, said many venues are struggling with the ongoing staff shortage across the town. PHOTO: Brodie Everist view, just to get through this three week period before school holidays, because we know in the school holidays we’ll get smashed.” Scott Brandon, president of the Bright and District Chamber of Commerce, said small business were
particularly at risk of burnout due to a lack of staff. Both Mr Briggs and Mr Brandon said the venues they manage have found homes for staff, but it’s an added cost on business. “That’s a huge expense for the business, and a lot of
time and effort involved in something that’s not really our core business,” Mr Brandon said. “Suddenly we’re trying to deal with the accommodation and rental sector rather than hospitality and making beer
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- so it’s a distraction.” Mr Brandon said the chamber of commerce is regularly in discussion with the Alpine Shire Council regarding the accommodation shortage. “I don’t think there’s any easy solutions but we’re
continually work through that with them,” he said. “We’re trying to come up with a long term solution that will help to address these issues down the track. “Bright especially is just going to become more and more popular.”
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