Hotel SA September 2023
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F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T<br />
And for the daily lives of our<br />
members trying to fill their<br />
employment vacancies and grow<br />
their own businesses, they need to<br />
know governments and councils are<br />
sensitive to their urgent needs and<br />
remove any unreasonable barriers<br />
to get the houses built.<br />
AIRBNB CHANGES NEEDED<br />
Adding to the scarcity of housing<br />
stock is the letting of short-term<br />
rentals by Airbnb, which in Australia<br />
avoids regulations imposed in most<br />
other parts of the World.<br />
So what do London, Amsterdam,<br />
Paris, San Francisco, Barcelona,<br />
Berlin, Hong Kong and New York<br />
have in common? They have<br />
regulatory structures to manage<br />
Airbnb in these international cities.<br />
Many restrict Airbnb properties to<br />
a maximum of 90 days a year. A<br />
similar regulation here would free<br />
up valuable long-term rental stock<br />
COOKING WITH GAS<br />
Simmering under the surface<br />
is a move from some State<br />
governments and local councils<br />
to want to phase out gas<br />
from kitchens.<br />
For hotel operators, this is both<br />
a financial and an operational<br />
nightmare.<br />
In early <strong>2023</strong>, there was much<br />
media speculation that the Federal<br />
Government as part of its deal to<br />
pass its energy price cap legislation,<br />
wanted to remove gas as part of the<br />
energy mix. The media speculation<br />
was that this would in turn mean<br />
commercial kitchens would have<br />
to shift from cooking with gas to<br />
cooking with electricity.<br />
The AHA has sought to be ahead<br />
of the curve. We have spoken to<br />
key players federally and at State<br />
level for them to understand<br />
how crippling this would be for<br />
our members.<br />
Apart from political engagement on<br />
this issue, the AHA has also brought<br />
in other affected parties to garner<br />
their support.<br />
Who will make the decisions to turn<br />
off gas?<br />
Decisions are currently being<br />
made at all levels of government<br />
to restrict natural gas. The Federal<br />
Government wants 82% renewable<br />
energy by 2030.<br />
In the ACT, from 1 January <strong>2023</strong>,<br />
all gas connections to new builds<br />
(including older suburbs) are<br />
banned - that represents about<br />
two-thirds of Canberra homes that<br />
currently use natural gas.<br />
Victoria, which is the highest<br />
gas user in the nation, will ban<br />
gas connections from next year<br />
for new builds, subdivisions,<br />
schools, hospitals and public and<br />
social housing.<br />
The Sydney City Council in August<br />
<strong>2023</strong>, voted to investigate how to<br />
change the council’s local planning<br />
rules to ban new gas connections.<br />
Pleasingly, NSW Premier Minns<br />
has ruled out banning new gas<br />
connections, saying the state<br />
already has enough energy<br />
supply issues.<br />
(But in Sydney’s elite eastern<br />
suburbs, a new type of power is<br />
being trialled, with the first step<br />
taken in creating Australia’s poopowered<br />
gas industry. My best<br />
advice to members is not to<br />
promote that energy source too<br />
heavily on menus!)<br />
In <strong>SA</strong>, discussions with both major<br />
parties regarding gas, suggest<br />
neither has currently expressed any<br />
interest in going down this route.<br />
But this is still an area where not<br />
a lot of actual information exists.<br />
Decisions are being made ad hoc at<br />
all three levels of government. But<br />
the consequences for our members<br />
are real.<br />
AHA members, like the entire<br />
community, have obligations around<br />
environmental responsibility. But our<br />
small and family business should<br />
not be expected to be the financial<br />
spear carriers, and just because this<br />
issue is not getting a lot of attention<br />
does not mean we are not an<br />
interested party to the discussions.<br />
Watch Video <br />
VALE RUSSELL ELMES<br />
The hotel industry was saddened by<br />
the passing of Russell Elmes.<br />
Russell was a pioneer in our<br />
industry, highlighted by his<br />
introduction of the highly successful<br />
Charlie’s Diner buffet concept at the<br />
Scott Elmes Group of <strong>Hotel</strong>s. He<br />
also served our industry in his role<br />
as Chairman of the Liquor Smart/<br />
Thirsty Camel<br />
Liquor Group for<br />
a decade.<br />
On behalf of the<br />
industry, I would<br />
like to extend my<br />
condolences to<br />
Raelene and family.<br />
CONGRATULATIONS<br />
Finally, in what has been my most<br />
pleasing duty of the last month,<br />
I was honoured to witness the<br />
induction of Lisa Matthews and<br />
Loretta Wilmshurst into the Women<br />
In <strong>Hotel</strong>s Hall of Fame.<br />
Strong, intelligent, innovative – the<br />
list of their shared attributes could<br />
fill this entire page. Both Loretta and<br />
Lisa are very worthy recipients of<br />
this high honour and their stories<br />
will be told over the next two issues<br />
of <strong>Hotel</strong> <strong>SA</strong> magazine.<br />
The entire Women In <strong>Hotel</strong>s event<br />
was a stunning success. It is further<br />
evidence that the AHA|<strong>SA</strong> plays<br />
a leadership role in ensuring that<br />
women are valued, supported and<br />
treated equally throughout our<br />
industry.<br />
David Basheer,<br />
AHA|<strong>SA</strong> President<br />
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