EDITORIAL
Labor Leader and Shadow Minister for Tourism, Hospitality and Events Rebecca White
Summer season brings hope of better times for hospitality industry
No matter where a business is located – in a city or a regional area – the lack of affordable housing and the increase in rents have combined to put something as fundamental as housing out of reach for thousands of Tasmanians. The lack of affordable rentals is also making it difficult for communities to attract the workers they need to support local businesses and regional economies. People can’t move to an area to work if there is nowhere to live – and this affects businesses that need staff and the communities that rely on those local businesses. And it’s not just skyrocketing rents – the number of properties being turned into short-stay accommodation has made it increasingly difficult to find a rental property. Labor has long called for better regulation of Tasmania’s short-stay accommodation market and a statewide pause on any new ‘whole home’ short-stay permits, but the Liberal government’s refusal to act has only deepened the crisis. At a time when local businesses are struggling with soaring power prices and record inflation, there is no excuse for not providing our local businesses with every support we can. Our hospitality and tourism operators have been through enough in the past three years and they deserve to move forward with confidence – to know that their livelihoods will not be ripped away from them again. I wish all hospitality operators a prosperous season ahead and encourage anyone with concerns to reach out for support. Together, we can ensure our local operators, our communities and our state thrive as they should.
After almost three years of instability and uncertainty, many of Tasmania’s hospitality and tourism operators will be looking forward to a real return to normality as the summer high season approaches. The mum and dad operators, café owners, casual hospitality workers and many others in the industry have had to navigate unfamiliar territory since Covid first arrived in our island state in March 2020. Even, with the borders reopened in time for Christmas last year, the uncertainty remained, as all Tasmanians anticipated the return of Covid and how best to manage it. But this year, even as we remain vigilant about Covid, there is a real air of optimism among business operators. The latest visitor data shows there’s already been a good recovery in domestic visitor expenditure in Tasmania, meaning that optimism looks to be well placed. Of course, if there is one thing we’ve learnt from the past few years it is that nothing can be taken for granted. That means we need to plan ahead, invest in the right infrastructure and services for locals and tourists alike and ensure hospitality and tourism operators and workers have the support they need to keep working and operating. We know there are businesses still under severe financial pressure having difficulty recruiting and retaining skilled workers. One of the main impediments is the lack of affordable housing – or, in some cases, any housing to accommodate employees.
For All Enquiries Contact: Northern Tasmania - jamesmacleod@supagas.com.au | Southern Tasmania - ramganganboina@supagas.com.au Call 13 78 72 or visit supagas.com.au
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