Minister for Hospitality and Events and Minister for Skills, Training and
EDITORIAL
Workforce Growth SARAH COURTNEY
Hardy has also worked internationally in Indonesia on surf charter boats and at a Fijian Island surf resort, but it was stints alongside Luke Burgess at former Hobart city hot spot Garagistes and at Brae in country Victoria, with well renowned chef Dan Hunter, that really helped plant the seeds for Van Bone. “That [the Brae experience] really set us in a good place to potentially come home and we wanted to do something similar to what they were doing, something in the country, out of the rat race,” Hardy says. “The dream was to set something small up and do set menus, grow our own food, keep it super local, sustainability is at the very forefront of everything we do. “We compost all our food scraps which eventually goes back into the garden, which eventually grows the next crop. “We have this really wonderful, small scale, sustainable, closed loop thing going on with our restaurant. We make about a household wheelie bin of rubbish per week. “For any restaurant to say that is an amazing achievement when waste is such a big thing.” Highlighting Tasmania’s premium products is also front of mind. “We really want to champion small scale, Tassie producers and predominantly within our area. “We always wanted to open something where we could really showcase that region and I think it is working.” The Gourmet Traveller 2022 Restaurant Awards winners will be announced Sunday October 24. “We opened with nothing to our name, we didn’t have a cent in the bank, we weren’t even sure if we were going to be able to pay our- selves but we just stuck true to the vision.”
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is a strong supporter of the State’s hospitality sector which has a significant presence in our regions. While the industry had experienced strong growth in recent years, few industries have been impacted as significantly by the Covid-19 pandemic as Tasmania’s tourism and hospitality businesses. While we are on the road to recovery, there is a way to go, with success being contingent on the combined efforts of Industry and Government. As we rebuild our economy, Tasmania’s capacity to cater to increasing visitor numbers and deliver outstanding visitor experiences will be driven by the skills and capabilities of our workforce. This is why the Tasmanian Government is firmly focused on prioritising training and development to fill immediate skill gaps as well as building future capacity. In last year’s Budget, we committed $1 million to support the establishment of a new not-for-profit hospitality and tourism training organisation, jointly establishedby theTasmanianHospitality Association and the Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania. Visitor Experience Training (VXT) is now up and running and offers accredited and non- accredited training options which complement TasTAFE’s Drysdale existing courses. As the Minister for Skills, Training and Workforce Growth, I am genuinely excited about the next evolution of TasTAFE which will see the Government invest $98.6 million over the next four years, providing more opportunities for Tasmanians who want to gain new skills or enhance existing ones across a range of industries including hospitality. This includes the SKILLUP! program which is now delivering free hospitality short courses through TasTAFE and is a wonderful initiative that is giving people who are considering
hospitality as a career, the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in Food Preparation, Front of House, Café Operations and Tourism Customer Service courses. To deliver quality training we need quality facilities which is why we have invested in TasTAFE’s new Drysdale Claremont College to allow students to train in a modern facility, and gain expertise in areas such as barista, responsible service of alcohol, front of house, and housekeeping, with the opportunity for some to gain a Certificate II in Hospitality. Another important piece of work being led by Government is the Tourism and Hospitality industryResearchProjectwhich is investigating the barriers for industry, the importance of qualifications, and the motivations for Tasmanians who choose or don’t choose to work in Tasmania’s hospitality sector. As part of the project, industry has been invited to contribute via a survey which has is being distributed by peak bodies, including the THA, and I strongly encourage everyone to take the opportunity to contribute. Findings from the research will help guide the development of Hospitality 2030 which is part of the Government’s recent $8 million commitment to Build a Brighter Future for Hospitality through the Tasmanian Hospitality Association (THA). As the responsible Minister, I’m excited that Hospitality 2030 will be a first for our State, with a shared industry vision and a long- term plan for the sector that will address the immediate, short and long-term priorities that are fundamental to rebuilding a strong, resilient and prosperous industry for the future. (Source: THA Hospitality 2019 Statistical Update).
Photo Credit: Adam Gibson
Photo Credit: Adam Gibson
Hospitality Review: October 2021 11
Hospitality Review: October 2021 10
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