06 Oct 2020 | Media Release
The needs of big-employing industries in tourism, hospitality and events must be front of mind in the run up to the Federal Budget tonight.
“Prior to the COVID crisis, the accommodation and foodservice sectors employed over 900,000 people including hundreds of thousands of young people. With over 160,000 of those jobs lost, it is essential there is support in the Budget tonight and through further easing of restrictions in the coming weeks,” Australian Chamber Tourism Chair John Hart said.
“The wage subsidies for young people to be announced tonight will be a big help in encouraging tourism and hospitality industries to consider ramping up their staffing levels despite the uncertainty that still remains.”
Border and capacity restrictions have been a big focus of the Tourism Restart Taskforce, which was established by Aus Chamber Tourism in May to address the crisis unfolding in tourism and hospitality.
One of the members of the Taskforce is restaurant owner and Business SA Chair, Nikki Govan: “The apprenticeship and young people wage subsidies will be a great help, but there is much still to be addressed by both the Federal as well as the State and Territory Governments if we are to see employment in tourism and hospitality at anywhere near pre-COVID levels.
“The announcement of the restart of quarantine free arrivals from New Zealand from 16 October is a great first step for international travel, but we urge the Federal Government to provide greater certainty in a timetable for restart from other low risk source countries for international students, skilled migrants, business travellers and leisure tourists.
“While this timetable plays out, the Federal Budget will need to deliver more cash support to businesses reliant on international tourism. The Government’s $50 million regional tourism recovery initiative announced last month, while welcome, needs to be extended to tourism businesses in other regions, including in major cities.
“We also urge all Governments to look at easing the restrictions applying to business events as well as those still maintaining the 1 person per 4 sq m rule in hospitality and event venues. Jurisdictions that have adopted 1 per 2 sq m rule have shown that this can be managed well within a COVID safe environment.
“In any roadmap, all jurisdictions need to be aiming for the capacity restrictions to be 1.5 metres between tables in a dining environment as this should be sufficient to appropriately manage the health risk given the current status of COVID in Australia.
“Tonight’s Budget will be reinforcing the message that it is all about jobs and getting people back into work. This can only happen with the right support, and in an environment where the COVID risk is well managed by sensible movement and capacity restrictions for tourism, events and hospitality.”
21/01/2021
The Australian Bureau of Statistics' latest employment figures indicate that Australia is on track for economic recovery, with total employment now just 93,000 jobs shy of...
13/01/2021
International Chamber of Commerce Australia is pleased to announce its thirteen nominees to the international body which arbitrates foreign commercial trade disputes. Joining the nine continuing Australian members...
22/12/2020
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) President Ray Sputore today announced the resignation of CEO James Pearson from the nation’s largest and most representative...
15/12/2020
Australian manufacturing production is at its highest level this year with industry jobs expected to...
14/12/2020
The business collective behind a quarantine-free two-way travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand look forward to the initiative commencing early in the New Year, following approval...
9/12/2020
Members of Parliament must lay down their swords and agree to fix some key problems in Australia's IR system if we are to save and create...
9/12/2020
Enterprise Bargaining Agreement changes foreshadowed in today's industrial relations Omnibus Bill are critically important to supporting jobs and businesses in distress, but more will need to...
8/12/2020
Simplifying modern awards and providing employers and employees with more flexibility will help achieve the common goal of saving and creating Australian jobs as we...
8/12/2020
With many business owners at breaking point in 2020, criminalising underpayments and increasing civil penalties for non-compliance risks tipping the scale against people in small...
7/12/2020
Federal Parliament needs to send a message this week to encourage employers to create jobs and hire casuals by dispelling concerns around double dipping claims and the...
2/12/2020
More than a million Australians would stand to lose a quarter of their income and freedom to choose how they work in a radical push to...
27/11/2020
Business organisations from Australia and New Zealand have teamed up to deliver an updated travel bubble plan between the countries in the hopes of uniting...
26/11/2020
Australian businesses have been thrown a lifeline today in the fight against double-dipping claims, following the High Court's decision to grant special leave to Workpac and...
24/11/2020
Labor leaders and the union movement are trying to redefine casual work, putting Australia’s small businesses and jobs at risk. Today the Victorian Government announced it will...
20/11/2020
ACCI is urging state and territory leaders across Australia to immediately drop border and travel restrictions on South Australian people, after an infected pizza worker...
19/11/2020
A new joint survey produced by ACCI and the University of South Australia has found that maintaining supply chains continues to be one of the...
17/11/2020
ACCI urges the union movement to be realistic about working from home demands, as the country tries to recover economically from the pandemic. "The ACTU’s adversarial Working from...
16/11/2020
The union movement’s scare campaign about Australia’s participation in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a paper tiger. The ACTU is attacking new opportunities for...
12/11/2020
ACCI is calling on National Cabinet to release a national scorecard on the reopening of the economy after tomorrow's meeting to coincide with the health...
26/10/2020
State Premiers and Territory Ministers now hold the key to boosting national business confidence, one of the fundamental economic and recovery drivers, following National Cabinet's meeting...