Hotel SA Jan 2023-Feb 2024

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN HOTELS ASSOCIATION (SA BRANCH) DEC 2023-JAN 2024 

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2 | Hotel SA | W W W . A H A S A . A S N . A U Back to Contents

Shortcut to Stories 

DECEMBER 2023 - JANUARY 2024 

President's Column 

Click here 

SA Hotels Shine On 

National Stage 

Click here 

Inside Hotel Royal’s 

$8m Renovation 

Click here 

Women in Hotels 

Click here 

Click here 

Peter Hurley AO awarded 

Burnett Medal 

Click here 

High Court rejects challenge 

to Public Holidays request. 

I N T H I S I S S U E 

04 From the President 

10 From the CEO 

12 SA Hotels Shine On National Stage 

16 Scott's Spots 

19 Loyal local Fassina supports 

“Buy SA. For SA 

20 Regional Meetings 

22 AHA | SA President's Lunch 2023 

26 Women in Hotels 

28 Peter Hurley Awarded Burnett Medal 

32 Inside Hotel Royal’s 


46 Hostplus introduces new 

investment options 

48 RBT: Ravo’s Bush Telegraph 

49 High Court rejects challenge to Public 

Holidays request 

54 Corporate Partners 2023/24 

55 AHA|SA Corporate Partner Directory 

56 Licensee Transfers 

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Back to Contents W W W . A H A S A . A S N . A U | Hotel SA | 3

KEY ISSUES 

From the President 

DAVID BASHEER 

The following is the speech I gave to 

politicians and key decision makers 

at the AHA|SA’s recent Christmas 

Lunch. In a room crowded with 

people who affect our daily lives 

– and businesses – the aim is to 

table key issues our industry needs 

addressed. 

It is a very great pleasure to echo 

Annas ’s earlier sentiments and 

welcome dignitaries and friends. 

Thank you to the Premier for his 

kind words. 

This annual lunch has been held 

continuously since 1960 when 

political and industry leaders first 

gathered at the Feathers Hotel . 

It presents an opportunity to 

celebrate the hotel and pub 

culture that employs 26250 South 

Australians. 

So too, it is a time when the AHA 

President is afforded the luxury 

of offering Governments some 

gratuitous advice. 

And, in the spirit of the Xmas 

season, noting who has been 

naughty and who has been nice. 

The AHA enjoys an excellent 

working relationship with members 

of the current State Parliament 

This Government deserves credit for 

being willing to consult - and have 

largely produced positive outcomes 

for our members – with Public 

Holidays being the exception. 

More on that shortly. 

Equally, we thank the opposition and 

cross benchers for their readiness 

to work together on our key issues. 

RED TAPE 

Headlining the naughty list this 

year is a rampant bureaucracy. Like 

never before, our industry is being 

strangled by red tape! 

Elected politicians must intervene 

to curtail the unreasonable growth 

of regulation and compliance that is 

now an exhausting burden. 

Our members are frustrated by the 

uncoordinated approach of local, 

state and federal agencies, who 

seem incapable of ever speaking to 

each other. 

Escalating obligations have left our 

family operators being asked to 

have a back office more resembling 

the size of BHP. 

Some examples: 

Existing compliance obligations 

from local and State Governments 

ensure our hotels already have high 

standards of food safety. 

Now the Federal Government has 

jumped in to add its own food safety 

standards. 

They require highly qualified chefs 

- who may be famed leaders in 

their field - to do a food safety 

101 course. 

For 8 hours! 

That includes uploading a video of 

themselves washing their hands. 

Once uploaded, a public servant – 

probably working from the comfort 

of their own home – will assess if 

our chef’s hands are clean enough 

to return to the Chargrill. 

A further training course is required 

for any bar staff whose only food 

role may be to occasionally toast 

a pre-made cheese and tomato 

sandwich. 

To me, that makes about as much 

sense as requiring a politician 

to do a Manual Handling In The 

Workplace course merely because 

– once every 4 years during the 

electoral cycle – they lift a box of 

election pamphlets. 

There is not a shred of evidence this 

extra cost is required. 

Common sense dictates ANY 

new layer of obligation would see 

duplicate Government requirements 

removed. But that is never the case 

for this growth industry. 

Losing key staff for 8 hours 

during an acute labour shortage 

to demonstrate they can wash 


F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T 

their hands is not an isolated 

example. But it does highlight the 

disconnect between Industry and 

the bureaucracy. 

No presents under the tree for the 

Fair Work Ombudsman. 

Their compliance department 

presumes our hoteliers are guilty 

until proven innocent. 

In September, Fair Work officials 

from Victoria descended upon 

Adelaide and raided a series of 

hospitality venues. 

Surprised and anxious staff were 

aggressively told to abandon 

serving their customers. They 

must have been troubled by what 

hideous crime their employers had 

committed, not realising the raids 

were entirely random. 

The raid was just the start of the 

ordeal. The follow up letters to 

these victim business owners 

assumed they had little else to do 

but answer inane questions for the 

entertainment of bureaucrats. 

One demand was for - and I quote: 

“correspondence, including 

those recorded by text, email, 

electronic messages, WeChat, 

Facebook messenger, WhatsApp or 

smartphone applications, detailing 

shift times and availability for work”. 

Translating that from Sir Humphrey 

Appleby speak, they require us to 

provide evidence from two-anda-half 

years ago - the time when 

we were consumed by the Covid 

nightmare - to provide evidence 

how a hotel contacted a casual 

employee asking them to start their 

shift 30 minutes earlier. 

It is record keeping to the absurd. 

The law of the land does not require 

us to maintain such records. 

There are some who drool over the 

joys of red tape. 

Those of us in the real world of 

employing staff, paying our taxes 

and keeping the economy turning 

have more pressing matters to 

attend to. 

The hotel industry has never 

shirked its responsibility for strong 

compliance in liquor and gaming. 

But like the Crows in that fateful 

game, the goalposts keep 

narrowing. 

When State Government legislation 

scrutinised by parliament does not 

suit the bureaucracy’s agenda, they 

turn to their new weapons – namely, 

“guidelines” and “codes of practice’. 

The clumsy implementation of extra 

obligations for our gaming-based 

loyalty customers has been an 

embarrassment. 

Loyalty is a very useful tracking 

device to assist in gambling harm 

minimisation. The overreach by the 

bureaucracy has seen it kick an 

own goal. 

Hotels and their customers have 

deserted loyalty in droves. 

This has diminished an existing 

harm minimisation tool. 

History says hotels will pay the cost 

for the bureaucracy to fix this issue. 

In addition, we now have the 

investment killer of ill-conceived new 

rules for any hotel redevelopment 

that includes modifications to a 

gaming room. 

This over cautious approach signals 

delays and added costs for building. 

Two criteria that scare investors into 

keeping their money in the bank or 

to invest in another State. 

The laundry list of added 

Government obligations is long, and 

I will spare you the ordeal of hearing 

them all. 

We are envious of the refreshing 

approach taken by the Minns 

Government in NSW. 

They have appointed a Minister 

for the Night-time economy and 

a commissioner for the 24-hour 

economy, then set about reinvigorating 

Sydney’s nightlife. 

They’ve introduced legislation 

to stop NIMBY neighbours from 

shutting down pubs with vexatious 

noise complaints, including 

protections from complainants who 

move into an area where a hotel 

has been long established. 

Hear hear to that! 

NSW are also providing 

encouragement for venues that 

HOST live music by reducing their 

licensing fees, and allowing them 

to stay open beyond their licensed 

hours. 

Premier Minns said the moves 

were: 

“simply common sense and another 

step in removing Nanny state 

restrictions and red tape that have 

stifled the fun out of Sydney.” 

Once, we prided ourselves on being 

the fun loving larrikin Aussies. 

Today, we have lost all proportion. 



In an environment where alcohol 

consumption is falling - especially 

amongst the young – somehow 

we have become the most uptight 

country on earth. 

After a post covid bump, bank 

credit card data confirms our 

industry is now in negative territory 

with demand falling by 20% in 

some areas. 

Despite this, Governments have 

formed have an unhealthy appetite 

to exert unreasonable control over 

how we run our businesses. 

EASTER SUNDAY 

The AHA was extremely 

disappointed to see legislation 

rushed through the last sitting 

week of State Parliament to add an 

additional public holiday in South 

Australia every year from 2024. 

Four consecutive days of public 

holidays over Easter will force pubs 

to restrict their trading for that 

period - or close. 

The AHA proudly supports its 

workers. 

Recently we were traveling partners 

with Governments on a range of 

issues including Wage Theft and 

pay day super. 

We were isolated by ALL other 

employer groups and big business 

when- we were only ones - THE 

ONLY ONES - to not scream from 

the sidelines but to have the 

temerity - to be at the table with 

Minister Bourke working together on 

the Federal Government’s signature 

Closing the Loopholes bill. 

We are not here to punish our 

workers who give up their time on 

Easter Sunday. 

So, on the presumption that the 

intent of the revised legislation was 

not simply to add an additional 

public holiday to the calendar, the 

amendment moved by the Liberal 

Party to swap Easter Saturday with 

Sunday made perfect sense. 

Someone has to pay for the extra 

public holiday. 

“Critical to our labour shortage are the 

key pillars of migration and housing. 

The Malinauskas government 

deserves a tick for their efforts in 

both these areas.” 

Or those of you who voted for this 

legislation without realising who 

that someone is - it is the publican 

sitting right next to you today. 

Don’t give me the consistency 

argument that “every other 

mainland state and territory has 

Easter Sunday as a Public Holiday, 

therefore so should we”. 

That argument conveniently ignores 

the fact only SA & NT workers enjoy 

BOTH the 2 day part day public 

holidays for Xmas Eve and New 

Years Eve. 

Of the 11 stakeholder submissions 

received as part of the 

Government’s brief flirtation with 

consultation back in January, only 

one advocated for Easter Sunday to 

be declared a public holiday. 

One out of 11! 

It is never too late to change unfair 

legislation. 

If the Government remains 

unmovable on both Easter Saturday 

and Sunday being public holidays, 

it can still show the consistency 

it craves. 

It can restore the balance by 

abandoning the two part day public 

holidays from 2024. 

The revised public holiday 

schedule is a first strike against 

the Malinauskas’ Government’s 

‘business friendly’ credentials . 

LABOUR SHORTAGE 

Our industry desperately requires 

more staff in our workplaces. 

The world is now filled with 

influencers. The influencers our 

industry requires come in the form of 

career counsellors and parents. We 

need them to understand a career in 

hospitality – or any other trade, is as 

noble as a university degree. 

In this regard, I acknowledge the 

supportive efforts of the Education 

Minister Blair Boyer, and his 

predecessor, John Gardner. 

Critical to our labour shortage are the 

key pillars of migration and housing. 


The Malinauskas government 

deserves a tick for their efforts in 

both these areas. 

There is a lot of elitist talk about 

skilled migration. A job that 

cannot be filled is no less valuable 

because it does not require formal 

qualifications. 

The person who invented the wheel 

never held a Masters’ degree. 

Local Government must accept 

their responsibility to ease the 

housing shortage by assisting in the 

facilitation of new developments. 

That assistance can be as simple as 

getting out of the road. 

The AHA has a five-point plan 

we will soon present to the State 

Government to seek assistance 

and funding to alleviate our labour 

shortage. 

Firstly, support us in our advocacy 

with your federal colleagues to 

modernise training requirements – 

to better reflect today’s society and 

be truly competency based. 

The current 50% Apprenticeship 

dropout rate is an alarm bell that the 

system is broken. 

For today’s Generation Zeds, a fouryear 

apprenticeship belongs to their 

parents’ era. 

Shortening apprenticeships by 

removing unnecessary training 

modules will save, rather than 

diminish this State’s fabulous 

food reputation. 

Pubs don’t butcher their own 

carcasses or bake their own bread 

– yet these redundant skills are 

required to complete your Chef 

qualifications. 

Secondly, establish financial 

incentives to encourage apprentices 

to complete their training. 

Milestone payments are a proven 

inducement to keep Apprentices in 

the job. 

Furthermore, tools of the trade 

allowances for those in training was 

a small cost to the budget that was 

cruelly abandoned by the Weatherall 

Government. 

“Events have become a critical part of 

our $9.9 billion visitor economy, and 

this State does it better than anyone.” 

Assisting chefs of the future with 

knives or uniforms would be a 

quick win in this cost-of-living 

environment. 

Thirdly, we must rescue the regions. 

• Apprentices must pay 

for transportation and 

accommodation to go to trade 

school in Adelaide when local 

facilities or staffing does not 

allow adequate training. 

• That is hardly an incentive to 

bolster completion rates. 

Technical colleges in the regions 

are a step in the right direction. The 

AHA is liaising with the Education 

Department – to assist regional 

centres to have the appropriate 

training pipeline. 

Fourthly, the data clearly shows 

that employing formal mentors 

for trainees substantially lifts 

completion rates. 

Finally, COVID shutdowns branded 

hotels as an unreliable employer. 

We did the hard yards back then for 

the greater good. 

Now help us to recover by providing 

assistance to promote our industry 

and the employment opportunities 

that lie within. 

Fixing the long-standing labour 

shortage requires serious 

political will. 

Without it, hotels continue to 

find themselves under resourced 

and poorly placed to meet future 

workforce needs. 

EVENTS 

Events and conferences in South 

Australia fill our hotels, bars 

and restaurants. 

Tourism equals jobs. 

Those at the Industry coalface will 

tell you there is STILL work to be 


done to fill the formidable black hole 

in our winter months. 

This can best be relieved through an 

expanded bid fund, targeting major 

conferences during that period. 

Data from Business Events Adelaide 

reveals a conference delegate 

will spend $650 a day compared 

to $200 per day from the leisure 

tourist. 

Beyond a conference, delegates 

extend their stay to explore the 

regions and become advocates 

for the State - returning with 

their families. 

We applaud the State Government’s 

strategic priority and the $40 

million Major Events Fund that has 

introduced on-going events such as 

Gather Round and Liv Golf. 

Events have become a critical part 

of our $9.9 billion visitor economy, 

and this State does it better 

than anyone. 

That’s why LIV at Grange was 

named the World’s Best Golf Event 

for 2023. 

But there is one glaring omission 

from our glittering events calendar 

and that is a show stopping horse 

race that attracts the best jockeys, 

trainers and horses from around 

the country. 

We are the only mainland State not 

to be playing in this space. 

There is a deal to be done to make 

this happen. It’s a deal around 

taxation equality with a long list of 

winners: regional tourism, wineries, 

SA racing, an improved State 

budget, and our pubs. 

SA racing does not operate on a 

level taxation playing field. 

Foreign-owned bookies, like 

Sportsbet and Ladbrokes, pay a tax 

rate less than our local TAB. 



The tax benefit offshore bookies 

enjoy assists them to bombard us 

with those endless betting adds, 

along with other marketing and 

sponsorship initiatives. 

I have never understood why 

a punter on his phone at a pub 

backing a horse with a foreign 

owned bookie, pays less tax than his 

mate backing the same horse with 

our local TAB. 

Our hotels who rely on pub Tab 

revenue are missing out. 

If foreign based multi-nationals 

are making a living from South 

Australians having a bet-they must 

contribute their fair share of tax. 

We call upon our State Government 

to follow the lead of other 

jurisdictions and move to a more 

level taxation playing field. 

That deal should include coercing 

TABCORP to put serious money 

into a headline grabbing race in our 

State-as they have done elsewhere. 

The $16million TAB Everest which 

takes over Sydney each October is 

racing’s best example of what can 

be achieved. 

Our race can differentiate itself 

from other States by taking it off 

Broadway. 

Why not run it at Balaklava paired 

with a Barossa Valley wine festival? 

Or we run the Coonawarra Cup in 

Mt Gambier to celebrate that 

famous wine region. 

TAB has a unique ability to provide 

world-wide betting pools, bringing 

in unprecedented attention on our 

regions from Asia. 

This is one tax increase the AHA can 

support because it is based around 

fairness and only affects a handful 

of multinational betting companies 

who make an undersized 

contribution to South Australia. 

GAS 

An obsession with the premature 

phasing out of gas in our kitchens is 

a worrying development. 

A forced transition from gas to electricity in pubs could lead to the $40 schnitzel. 

The Victorian and ACT Governments 

are removing gas from new 

connections. 

Now the Greens have announced 

South Australia should follow suit. 

We thank the Legislative Council for 

its swift response to head off that 

threat last month. 

Only last week, it was reported the 

Adelaide City Council has the early 

extinction of gas high on its agenda. 

Energy policy must be established at 

State and Federal level, not rest with 

Local Government. 

It is absurd to think one hotel would 

be operating under an energy policy 

completely different to the pub in the 

neighbouring Council area. 

To this end we are comforted by the 

assurances from both our Premier 

and State Energy Minister Tom 

Koutsantonis on their view of our 

State’s future reliance for gas. 

Over 95% of our commercial 

kitchens run on gas. 

The cost of retrofitting kitchens 

to electricity would be tens of 

thousands of dollars per hotel. 

That cost must be passed on. 

Prepare for the $40 Schnitzel. 

The Holy Trinity of any energy 

policy must be reliability, price 

and emissions. 

Energy policies must be based 

around technology and demand – 

not blinkered by ideology. 

Natural Gas is increasingly 

underpinning this country’s energy 

security. 

It needs to remain as Australia’s 

transitional energy source as we 

usher in the low carbon fuels of 

the future. 

Hotels are part of this journey. 

We have embraced solar. We 

have brought in more efficient 

refrigeration and air conditioning to 

reduce our carbon footprint. 

The AHA is working with Green 

Industries SA to deliver a world 

leading Sustainability Program to 

guide our hotels. 

If gas is abruptly disconnected, it will 

become government’s responsibility 

to compensate venues as part of 

an orderly transition to an alternate 

energy source. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

The long-term face of the AHA, 

Ian Horne, retired in July. 

One of the most formidable 

business figures in South Australia, 

Ian’s strong relationships with 

influential stakeholders allowed him 

to change policy direction in this 

State like few others could hope to 

from outside Parliament . 

During his 31-year career, Ian 

was at the centre of some of this 

State’s most divisive debates. But 

it speaks volumes of the man that 

he departed with the full respect of 

both friends and adversaries. 

Jay Weatherall, whilst Premier, 

noted: “Ian Horne is the best and 

most trustworthy political lobbyist in 

this State”. 

In recognition of Ian’s legacy, he has 

become the first non-publican to be 

awarded AHA Life membership. 

Post AHA, Ian has not chosen the 

slow lane. He sits on a number 

of key Industry boards including 

Tourism Australia. 

The transition to Anna Moeller as 

CEO has been seamless. 

Anna is very much her own person, 

with a clear vision for how the 

Association can best represent 

our membership. 

And any of our political friends 

thinking dealing with the AHA may 

become more comfortable, quickly 

discovered Anna can give as much 

grief as Ian did on his very best day! 

Anna is blessed to have inherited an 

outstanding team who service our 

members with distinction. 

The membership thanks each and 

every one of you for your dedication 

and commitment. 

I am proud to lead the AHA State 

Council Industry leaders all who 

advance the cause of our members 

with passion, care and intellect. 

Particular thanks to Senior Vice 

president Matt Binns, Vice President 

Luke Donaldson, and Secretary/ 

Treasurer Sam McInnes. 

“Peter became the first South 

Australian to be recognised for this 

prestigious award.” 

For 16 years, Jayne Jeffries has 

chaired the AHA’s self-funded 

early intervention agency Gaming 

Care. Jayne transformed Gaming 

Care into a Nation- leading model 

for harm minimisation and staff 

training. Jayne retired from her 

position in October, and we thank 

her for her outstanding contribution. 

To our corporate partners, you truly 

are industry friends and we thank 

you for your support. 

Congratulations to the major 

category winners at this year’s 

Awards for Excellence: Mount Lofty 

House, The McLaren Vale Hotel and 

The Cremorne. In a coup for the 

Duxton Pub Group, the Cremorne 

was awarded Best Hotel in Australia 

at our National Awards 

I am pleased to acknowledge three 

industry trailblazers. 

Congratulations to Lisa Matthews 

and Loretta Wilmshurst, who were 

inducted into our Woman in Hotels 

Hall of Fame. 

And a special congratulations to 

Peter Hurley. The Peter Burnett 

medal is as an AHA National award 

that recognises an individual 

who has served our industry 

with distinction in advocacy, 

operational and philanthropic 

work. Peter became the first South 

Australian to be recognised for this 

prestigious award. 

MERRY XMAS! 

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you 

for the honour of your attendance 

today. Your invitation confirms your 

value to our Association. 

We wish you and your families a 

safe and happy Christmas. 

Having previously heard from the 

Premier, it is now my pleasure to 

introduce to the stage the Leader 

of the Opposition David Speirs 

to respond. 

David Basheer, AHA|SA President 

CLICK THROUGH TO ALL THE PHOTOS OF THE EVENT ON 

PAGES 22-25 


Reason For 

Optimism 

From the CEO 

ANNA MOELLER 

A US president once said “the price 

of freedom is eternal vigilance” – 

and this rings true for our sector. 

While we are going through a 

relatively settled period post COVID, 

there is no room for complacency. 

As our President, David Basheer, 

says in his column (see previous 

pages), there are many issues we 

work on very publicly for the benefit 

of members. That is only part of 

the story. Behind the scenes, the 

AHA|SA works even harder on 

issues we want to keep out of 

the headlines. 

However, as we enter the busy 

Christmas trading period, the 

current outlook is largely favourable. 

We are approaching 2024 with an 

“opportunity mindset”. 

Many venues are making a steady 

recovery from COVID – but State 

and Federal decision makers also 

need to remember that our industry 

suffered losses during that period 

and most operators are still playing 

“catch up”. 

Another positive aspect to note is 

that the introduction of major events 

to the state is providing much 

needed sugar hits to industry. LIV 

“Notwithstanding growing wages 

and full employment, cost of living 

is going up, inflationary pressures 

remain, and that has a pinch.” 

Golf, Gather Round, Rugby and of 

course the Matildas added to 

pre-existing events such as the 

Fringe, Festival, WOMADelaide and 

the cricket. 

This increased activity is wonderful 

for our food and beverage 

offering. It also strengthens our 

accommodation sector, which is 

particularly important for the CBD 

hotel scene that has seen significant 

development and increased 

available bed nights. 

At the same time it has been 

pleasing to see that South 

Australians are continuing to visit 

the back yard they discovered 

during border closures. Regional 

accommodation and pubs, 

particularly those with a destination 

experience, are continuing to reap 

the rewards. 

Gaming has also experienced a 

strong rebound with a significant 

upgrade of the EGM fleet off the 

back of the introduction of ticket in 

ticket out and bank note acceptor 

technologies. We close out the year 

with gaming revenue plateauing at a 

new high. 

I look forward to identifying and 

embracing new opportunities 

together with industry in 2024. 

I know that this will not be without its 

challenges. Ongoing skills shortages, 

scarcity of accommodation and the 

cost of living being just some. 

But we should be proud to be part 

of a state that is now seeing yearon-year 

growth, stimulation in 

reinvestment and venue sales and 

a renewed optimism throughout 

the industry. 


F R O M T H E C E O 

POLITICAL ADVOCACY 

During Covid, it sometimes felt as 

if we had been abandoned by our 

elected politicians. 

Both government and the opposition 

have been sending the clear 

message that they understand the 

importance of hotels and hospitality 

to the success of South Australia. 

Evidence of that was swift 

parliamentary action to shut the 

door on a Greens attempt to stop 

new gas connections in SA. 

At the recent President’s Christmas 

Lunch, the Premier told attendees 

that one of the contributors to State 

growth is “undoubtably” hotels. 

“The hospitality sector, the tourism 

sector more broadly, has really 

punched the lights out.” 

He added: “Our challenge in the 

government is to make sure we’ve 

got the people to do the work. 

“Which is why so much emphasis 

is going on skills, education and 

training – something I know also 

matters to this industry.” 

“It would also be naive if not 

reckless of me, not to acknowledge 

the fact that there are some people 

in the community doing it tough. 

“Notwithstanding growing wages 

and full employment, cost of living 

is going up, inflationary pressures 

remain, and that has a pinch. 

“And that is really where the work 

that you undertake is so bloody 

important. 

“Pubs have always been a bit of an 

institution in that they are a glue 

that keep people together. They 

are a home for affordable, safe 

interaction amongst individuals 

wanting to engage with one another 

- communicate with each other. Not 

through a social media platform but 

over a drink or a nice meal. 

“And they are exceptionally 

accessible to families. 

“Yours are more than just 

businesses. They are social 

Watch Video 

“… there is new wealth and new 

opportunity for our State and you are 

very much a lifeblood of it”. 

institutions. And that’s why this is 

an industry that we are so glad as a 

government to partner with, actively 

engage with through the AHA. 

“It’s a relationship that we 

thoroughly enjoy and one that we 

hope continues for many, many 

years to come. 

“… there is new wealth and new 

opportunity for our State and you 

are very much a lifeblood of it”. 

We look forward to seeing those 

words continue to be reflected in 

the actions of government, the 

opposition and politicians of all 

persausions. 

CONDOLENCES 

I took the opportunity at the 

President’s Lunch to convey our 

members’ sincere condolences 

to the Commissioner of Police, 

Grant Stevens. 

Grant was so readily available and 

prepared to work with, rather than 

against, our industry during the 

darkest hours of Covid. He was 

empathetic and he treated us as 

people and understood our pain. 

Now we feel his pain following 

the loss of his son, Charlie. Our 

heart goes out to Grant, his wife 

Emma and their children. We grieve 

with you. 

THANK YOU 

In closing, thank you for your 

ongoing membership. Our members 

are our greatest strength and I 

acknowledge the investment that 

each of you make every year. 

Our unity is our strength. 

As we embark on this new year, on 

behalf of AHA|SA I would like to take 

this opportunity to wish you, your 

families and staff a Merry Christmas 

and safe and prosperous New Year. 

Anna Moeller, 

AHA|SA CEO 


A H A | S A N A T I O N A L A W A R D S 

SA Hotels Shine 

On National Stage 

South Australian hotels reigned 

supreme at the AHA National 

Awards for Excellence in late 

November. 

The night’s most sought-after 

award, the Overall Hotel of the Year 

– Metropolitan, was awarded to the 

Cremorne Hotel, Unley. 

Other SA wins on the night were: 

• Best Bar Presentation & Service 

– Metropolitan: Cremorne Hotel 

• Best Gaming Venue – 

Metropolitan: Cross Keys Hotel 

• Best Restaurant – Metropolitan: 

The Brompton 

• Best Meeting and Events Venue: 

Adelaide Oval 

• Best Entertainment Venue: 

Governor Hindmarsh Hotel 

• All Abilities Hotel - General 

Division: Duke of Brunswick Hotel 

• Best Wagering Venue: 

V Hotel, Virginia. 

AHA National President David 

Canny said the national awards are 

a high-level clash between venues 

which have won top awards in their 

home states and territories this year. 

“These finalists prove nothing 

compares to the atmosphere, the 

noise and the sheer joy of being out 

in a lively pub full of good people, 

good food and great drinks,” he said. 

“But our hotels are so much more. 

They are a part of our social fabric, 

a constant in a world of change and 

a real-world place for connection 

in increasingly online-focused and 

isolated communities. 

“Our industry and its hard-working 

people have never been more and 

appreciated by the communities we 

serve and we all should be proud 

of that. 

“My congratulations to all finalists, 

and particularly the winners.” 

More than 650 VIPs and industry 

guests gathered at the famous 

Adelaide Oval for the annual awards, 

with a dress code of ‘wear your 

whites’ to suit the unique venue. 

A highlight of the evening was 

the induction of industry legends, 

the Farquhar brothers from The 

Caxton Hotel in Queensland, into the 

prestigious Diageo Johnnie Walker 

Hall of Fame. 


Full List of 2023 Winners 


Excellence in Service - General 

Division: Simon Buchanan, 

Bentspoke Brewing, Canberra, ACT 

Excellence in Service – 

Accommodation Division: 

Rob Weeden, The Fullerton Hotel, 

Sydney, NSW 



Katelyn Jones, Crown Hotels 

Melbourne, VIC 


Accommodation Division: Lynda 

Bailey, Mercure Belconnen Canberra, 

ACT 

Front of House Employee of the 

Year – General Division: Declan 

Coffey, Hanky Panky Lounge, 

Darwin, NT 

Front of House Employee of the 

Year- Accommodation Division: 

Toby Lier, Pullman Melbourne on the 

Park, VIC 

Chef of the Year – General Division: 

Fernando Sanchez, Opera Bar, 

Sydney, NSW 

Chef of the Year – Accommodation 

Division: Kelly Jackson, Crown 

Hotels Melbourne, VIC 

Hotel Industry Rising Star – 

Accommodation Division: Dyan 

Suaco, The Langham Sydney, NSW 

Hotel Industry Rising Star - General 

Division: Henry Wines, The Western 

Hotel, Ballarat, VIC 

Outstanding Achievement in 

Training: The Langham Melbourne, 

VIC 

Local Legend Award: Peter Appleby, 

The Grand Hotel Warrandyte, VIC 

Outstanding Community Service 

& Achievement: The Old Woolstore 

Apartment Hobart, TAS 

Excellence in Innovation, 

Sustainability and Energy Efficiency 

Practice: The Star Sydney, Pyrmont, 

NSW 

Best Tourism Initiative: Tasmanian 

Wild Seafood Adventures, TAS 

Best Bar Presentation & Service – 

Regional: Luna, Canberra, ACT 

Best Bar Presentation & Service – 

Metropolitan: Cremorne Hotel, 

Unley, SA 

Draught Beer Quality Award: The 

Shortland Hotel, NSW 

Best Gaming Venue – Metropolitan: 

Cross Keys Hotel, Cavan, SA 

Best Gaming Venue – Regional: 

Grovedale Hotel, VIC 

Best Redeveloped Hotel – 

General Division: 

Portarlington Grand Hotel, VIC 

Best Redeveloped Hotel – 


InterContinental Sydney, NSW 

Best Restaurant – Metropolitan: 

The Brompton, SA 

Best Restaurant – Regional: 

Furneaux Restaurant, St Helens, TAS 

Best Restaurant – Accomm Mid- 

Range to Superior: 

The Wintergarden, Hydro Majestic 

Hotel Blue Mountains, NSW 

Best Restaurant – Accomm Deluxe: 

Altitude, Shangri-La Sydney, NSW 

Best Traditional Pub 

Accommodation: Oscars Hotel 

& Café Bar, Ballarat, VIC 

Best Deluxe Pub Accommodation: 

Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, NSW 

Best Meeting and Events Venue: 

Adelaide Oval, SA 

Best Sporting Entertainment Venue: 

Burleigh Town Hotel, QLD 

Best Entertainment Venue: Governor 

Hindmarsh Hotel, SA 

Best Entertainment Venue: 

Sandstone Point Hotel, QLD – 

Hall of Fame 

Best Outdoor/Non Enclosed Facility: 

Victoria Park Hotel, WA 

Best Retail Liquor Outlet: Eatons Hill 

Hotel, QLD 

Hall of Fame: The Farquhar Family, 

The Caxton Hotel, QLD 

All Abilities Hotel – General 

Division: Duke of Brunswick Hotel, 

Adelaide, SA 

All Abilities Hotel – Accommodation 

Division: Crown Perth, Burswood, 

WA 

Best Family Dining: The Marsden 

Brewhouse, NSW 

Best Wagering Venue: 

V Hotel, Virginia, SA 

Best Marketed Hotel – General 

Division: Cataract on Paterson, 

Launceston, TAS 

Best Marketed Hotel – 


Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort, 

Pokolbin, NSW 

Best Bistro – Regional: Mountain 

View Hotel, Whitfield, VIC 

Best Bistro – Metro: Harbord Hotel, 

Freshwater, NSW 

Best Mid-Range Accommodation: 

DoubleTree by Hilton Melbourne, VIC 

Best Superior Accommodation: 

Mindil Beach Casino Resort, 

Darwin, NT 

Best Suite/Apartment Hotel: 

The Langham Gold Coast, QLD 

Best Lifestyle/Resort Style 

Accommodation: RACV Cape 

Schanck Resort, VIC 

Best Hotel Bar – Accommodation 

Division: Rooftop at QT Perth, WA 

Best Deluxe Accommodation: 

COMO The Treasury, Perth, WA 

Best Luxury Accommodation: 

Spicers Sangoma Retreat, Bowen 

Mountain, NSW 

Best Hotel Group Operator: 

Comiskey Group, QLD 

Overall Hotel of the Year – Regional: 

Grovedale Hotel, VIC 

Overall Hotel of the Year – 

Metropolitan: Cremorne Hotel, 

Unley, SA 

Overall Hotel of the Year - 

Accommodation Division: The 

Langham Gold Coast, QLD 



Best Gaming Venue – Metropolitan: Cross Keys Hotel. 

Best Restaurant – Metropolitan: The Brompton. 

Best Bar Presentation & Service – Metropolitan: Cremorne Hotel. 

Best Meeting and Events Venue: Adelaide Oval. 

Best Wagering Venue: V Hotel, Virginia. 

All Abilities Hotel - General Division: Duke of Brunswick Hotel. 

Best Entertainment Venue: Governor Hindmarsh Hotel. 




O N E F O R T H E R O A D W I T H V A U G H A N Y 

SCOTT’S 

SPOT 

BY SCOTT VAUGHAN 

Hello all and welcome to the final 

edition of Scott’s Spot for 2023. 

REGIONAL MEETINGS 

There have been a number of 

regionals since the August edition. 

held in September, there were two 

regionals held with the first at the 

Victoria Hotel in Port MacDonnell 

followed by the Exchange Hotel 

in Gawler. 

Moving into October the Kent Town 

Hotel hosted the Metro Regional, 

followed by the Ardrossan Hotel 

hosting the Yorke Peninsula meeting. 

To cap off 2023, The Port Lincoln 

hosted the Eyre Peninsula regional to 

draw a final curtain over what was a 

big year. 

Thanks to all members and corporate 

partners for their attendance and 

support and looking onwards and 

upwards to 2024. 

HOTEL INDUSTRY AWARDS FOR 

EXCELLENCE 

Halloween was the night where 

record numbers attended the gala 

awards event at the Entertainment 

Centre. 

Congratulations to all the nominees 

and award winners with 2022 

recently run and won. A special 

mention must go to Mount Lofty 

House - Accommodation, McLaren 

Vale Hotel - Country and the 

Cremorne Hotel - Metropolitan for 

winning the best overall hotel in each 

of their categories. 

Enjoy a couple of stories that were 

sent anonymously to me from a 

couple of my spies! 

Who said Treasurers don’t have a 

sense of humour. Speaking at the 

AHA|SA awards night, Treasurer 

Stephen Mulligan told the audience 

he had been selected to represent 

Premier Peter Malinauskas, who had 

fallen ill. 

When he said “… it’s no mean feat 

being Peter’s body double”, I think 

many in the 920-strong crowd were 

picturing the famous photo of a 

gym-buffed “Mala” , bare-chested 

in a swimming pool during the 

State election. 

It flips the old advice that nervous 

speakers can employ the relaxation 

technique of imagining their audience 

in the nude! 

Still on our fun-loving Treasurer, how 

good was his major events joke? 

He was speaking about the Adelaide 

500, Gather Round and other 

major events. 



If you have any entertaining 

stories and photos to 

share, please email them to 

svaughan@ahasa.asn.au . 

“And just this week we learnt that 

South Australia was host to the 

best golfing event in the world. 

I’m talking, of course, about the 

Coopers Golf Day this week … nah, 

the LIV Golf Festival which was held 

in April of this year.” 

Still on the awards night, the disco 

ball centrepieces took many people 

for a trip down memory lane. The 

fact that they have been repurposed 

from previous table features and 

put together by GoGo Events made 

them even more special. 

Later on the dancing started and 

Hot Dub Time Machine was such a 

smash hit that the dance floor was 

overflowing. The one thing I would 

like to see next year is if organiser 

Lucy Randall could organise a giant 

disco ball above the dance floor to 

make the dream complete. 

There was great excitement 

when the Meat Tray Raffle was 

about to be announced. We were 

all glammed up but it brought a 

touch of ‘Friday night front bar’ to 

the event. 

I’m sure there were publicans 

thinking it would be a good addition 

to their promotional larder. 

And I had to laugh when one of 

the winners was announced as 

EOS. I’m not sure they do meat 

and chook raffles in that very fine 

establishment. 

One of the most commented on 

images of the night was the image 

of Renee from the Penneshaw 

Pub that was projected onto the 

superscreens above the stage. 

There was a mysterious, highly 

polished head poking in from the side. 

Do you recognise the mysterious 

photobomber (below)? 

PLEASE ENJOY PHOTOS 

TAKEN OVER THE LAST 

COUPLE OF MONTHS. 

Lovely to meet Gulshan and Santosh posing with 

Katherine Taylor at 105 on the Park in Bordertown 

The Terrace at the Windmill in Prospect. 

Trevor Evans and Brad Perks sharing stories on 

how to catch Ardrossan crabs. 

Congrats to the team at the Elephant British 

pub on their award for winning the Best Draught 

Beer Quality. 

The striking Stamford Grand that hosted the 

Golden Chain conference in October with the 

inaugural CEO of Accommodation Australia, 

Michael Johnson presenting. 



Beautiful views at the Clare Country Club . 

The Hotel Arno and Coffin Bay Hotel crew 

watching on intently while Fricky makes an 

impromptu speech in Port Lincoln. 

Welcome, Darren Chan new Publican at the 

Commercial in Cowell. 

John striking a nice pose at the Robin Hood in 

Strathalbyn 

Brenton cooking up the traditional Wednesday 

night spit at the Franklin Harbour in Cowell. 

Loved catching up with Jade Flavell at The Wheaty. 

Congrats on winning the national champion 

small brewery award again while continually 

campaigning for and promoting the live music 

venues here in SA. 

Guess who hamming it up in Port Lincoln 

Mel Cooper 

We like to think of the AHA|SA as 

leaders and that was backed up by 

the Premier when he spoke at the 

President’s Lunch. 

“This is always an important event 

in the annual calendar here in 

South Australia … it very much fires 

the starting gun on Christmasorientated 

events,” he said. 

The Premier had to leave the lunch 

early to get to a National Cabinet, 

while many at the lunch retired 

to The Strathmore for a quiet 

beverage – including some of his 

parliamentary colleagues doing the 

hard yards on his behalf! 

Our CEO, Anna Moeller, used 

the lunch to compliment fifthgeneration 

family member, Melanie 

Cooper, on her appointment as 

the Chair of Australia’s largest 

independent family-owned 

brewery, Coopers. 

Mel becomes the first female 

Chair of Coopers Brewery in its 

161-year history and takes over 

from Glenn Cooper who is stepping 

down in December after nearly 

22 years in the position. At the 

same time, Andrew Cooper will be 

appointed to the Board – the first 

sixth-generation family member to 

become a Director of the company. 

The comments Mel made at the 

time, reflect what Anna says in her 

column in this issue of Hotel SA: 

“Our industry faces opportunities 

and challenges. I hold a positive 

outlook and look forward to working 

closely with my fellow Directors and 

senior leadership team along this 

journey,” said Mel. 


B R A N D S A 

Loyal local Fassina 

supports “Buy SA. 

For SA” 

For veteran South Australian 

liquor retailer Fassina, 

embracing Brand SA’s latest 

campaign supporting local 

businesses and producers was 

a ‘no-brainer’. 

“It aligns perfectly with our 

values of supporting local ,” said 

Elise Fassina, the company’s 

Marketing and Business Development Manager. 

Launched in August, 2023, the campaign plays on the 

fierce parochialism of South Australians by encouraging 

consumers to look for the State Brand and “Buy SA. 

For SA.” 

Elise said setting up the branding in store was simple 

and the signage looks great in the Fassina stores. 

“You reach out through the Brand SA website. They can 

send a variety of point-of-sale options that suit different 

businesses and they all look really smart.” 

A selection of point-of-sale material, designed to help 

consumers identify local products, is available from the 

Brand South Australia team. 

And campaign artwork and assets are available for 

download from the Brand South Australia website to 

help amplify the message across marketing and social 

media platforms. Those assets include window decals, 

wobblers and shelf stripping. 

Elise has no doubt the campaign is the perfect fit for 

their business and encourages other local businesses 

to get on board. “Customers really respond to the 

tagline ‘it feels good to buy local’’. It resonates for them.” 

she said. 

Fassina liquor stores look forward to celebrating their 

50th anniversary in 2025. 

“We’ve always worked with local small and medium 

businesses, building long-term relationships. It‘s one 

of the key elements of our success and longevity. “We 

love collaborating with and promoting wonderful SA 

wineries, distilleries and breweries. 

“We pride ourselves on having a huge and expertly 

curated range of South Australian wines, beers 

and spirits”. 

“We have a passion for authentic products connected 

to local people, not like the own brand & private labels 

you find in other stores.” 

The Brand SA campaign is expected to run until at least 

April, 2024. 

Brand SA and the AHA|SA encourages all local 

businesses to promote the “Buy SA. For SA.” message 

to support local businesses and help the state they 

love thrive. 

They can do that either at hotel level, by reminding 

consumers they are locally owned or at product 

level, via the promotion of South Australian brands 

and products. 

“When people are given the option, they tend to choose 

South Australian products,” Elise said. 

“It’s hard to go past SA products! “ 

“There are some big brands that everyone knows are 

South Australian like Coopers, but the craft brands like 

Big Shed Brewery deserve to be highlighted and have 

that recognition as well. 

“It’s about lifting up those small and medium local 

business that people might not be aware are local and 

once they do, they can choose to buy them and support 

regularly.” 

If your business isn’t already registered to use the 

State Brand, apply today. It’s free and using the State 

Brand will help your business leverage the benefits of 

the campaign. 

Contact the Brand South Australia team for further 

information or to register your interest in new point of 

sale items such as coasters and bottle neck tags. 


REGIONAL MEETINGS 

It was our final regional event for 2023 on 21 November in the Eyre Peninsula at the Port Lincoln Hotel . 

It was a fantastic way to wrap up a busy year! Thanks to all our members and corporate partners who support 

these events. 


R E G I O N A L M E E T I N G S 


A H A | S A P R E S I D E N T " S L U N C H 2 0 2 3 

Almost 400 guests including South Australian Business leaders, State and Federal politicians and key 

stakeholders attended the end-of-year President's Christmas lunch on Tuesday 5 December at the Adelaide 

Convention Centre . The lunch was a prime opportunity for AHA|SA President David Basheer to summarise the 

key challenges and opportunities facing the hotel industry. 



A H A | S A P R E S I D E N T " S L U N C H 2 0 2 3 



W O M E N I N H O T E L S 

W O M E N I N H O T E L S F U N C T I O N 

Women 

It was a wonderful afternoon on 15 November with 150 in attendance at 

The Griffins Hotel for the annual Women in Hotels Christmas fundraiser 

for Junction Australia. The raffle raised $3k to purchase items to 

support vulnerable women in the community and there was a wonderful 

collection of goods provided by guests. Thank you to all who attended 

and corporate partners who donated a huge list of raffle items. 


In Hotels 

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B U R N E T T M E D A L A W A R D 

Peter Hurley 

AO Awarded 

Burnett Medal 

Former AHA|SA President, Peter Hurley, has become 

the first South Australian to receive the national AHA’s 

highest honour, the Peter Burnett Medal. 

The medal recognises an individual who has served the 

hotel industry with distinction in advocacy, operational 

and philanthropic work. 

Peter served on the AHA|SA State Council for 39 years 

and was State President for a record 24 years. 

He also served two terms as National President. 

Congratulations Peter J. Hurley AO upon 

being awarded the Peter Burnett Medal 

from the A.H.A – a fitting tribute. 

From Porter & Co. Wine Merchants 

P: 8373 3010 | porterandco.com.au 


“The one time school 

teacher is a self-made 

man, who worked his way 

to the top - after starting 

out with a small country 

pub, the Wudinna Hotel 

in 1975.” 


Announcing the award, SA President David Basheer 

described Peter as a “forthright and visionary leader 

who travelled a parallel national AHA journey with Peter 

Burnett, becoming great mates along with way”. 

“The one time school teacher is a self- made man, who 

worked his way to the top – after starting out with a 

small country pub, the Wudinna Hotel in 1975. 

“Today, his family’s 11 hotels are amongst South 

Australia’s most iconic venues. The family also owns 

the Ivory Tavern in Tweed Heads.” 

Reflecting on the honour, Peter paid tribute to Peter 

Burnett AM, who he described as “a very respected and 

much missed colleague”. 

He was also shocked to learn that he was this year’s 

recipient. 

“A few lines in, it became obvious that David (Basheer) 

was talking of me,” he said. 

“The intro would have been much longer if he 

had included my mistakes and stuff ups. I was 

overwhelmed. 

“I think it bodes well for the culture of the National AHA 

that they choose to acknowledge the past service of a 

former office holder, who has long since transitioned to 

feather duster status.” 

NOTABLE BATTLES 

During his introduction, David highlighted several 

high stakes negotiations that Peter led, one being the 

introduction of GST. 

“The Howard government was not often caught with 

their legislative pants down,” recalled Peter. 

“However, the Opposition decided to exploit the 

falsehood of the Prime Minister’s assurance that the 

price of a beer would not increase as a result of the 

introduction of the GST. 

“Mr Howard had been poorly advised by those who 

didn’t realize the GST added to the higher margin on 

premise would increase the price. Around $20m had 

been collected by the time the Senate blocked the 

approval. 

“The government was in a bind. 

“It was our suggestion to create a differential excise rate 

for draught beer that enabled them to get the legislation 

through. That differential has saved beer drinkers 10 

cents a schooner for the last 23 years. 

“It’s a great shame that the government created the 

Foundation for Alcohol Research & Education (FARE) 

with the money they had wrongly collected. FARE have 

been a huge pain in the side of the industry from that 

day on.” 

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BP U RB NL IECTAT N MPERDOAFL I LAEW A R D 

“With the help of other AHA State branches, most notably 

NSW, our impressively funded campaign was so effective 

Xenophon failed to even win his own seat, and Peter had 

eradicated our industry’s greatest political threat.” 

“It also fell to me to present to Treasurer Costello the 

news that he would have to amend the legislated cut 

in time for the GST. The bureaucrats obviously had no 

idea that the night time economy does not roll its day 

at midnight and therefore the GST could not cut in at 

midnight on June 30th. 

“The last thing Mr Costello wanted to do was to have to 

re-open and amend the legislation. I convinced him over 

the lunch table that it was essential.” 

FIGHTING GILLARD-WILKIE 

The Medal was presented at a special lunch in 

November. 

David regaled the audience with several other battles 

that Peter fought on behalf of the hotel industry. 

“Peter was again National President between 2010 

and 2012 when the Gillard-Wilkie mandatory precommitment 

deal threatened our very existence,” 

he said. 

“Strongly supported by (AHA NSW CEO) John Whelan, 

Peter found himself navigating a compromise with 

Federal Ministers, factional powerbrokers and various 

stakeholders. 

“However, on that occasion it became evident that to ‘do 

the deal’ would have been an unmitigated disaster. 

“Instead, our team launched a strategically 

brilliant nationwide campaign and fortunately, that 

potentially ugly legislation never even made it to a 

Parliamentary vote.” 

NICK XENOPHON 

David also highlighted how Peter “changed the course 

of political history at the 2018 South Australian election”, 

describing it as his “farewell gift to the Industry”. 

“Congratulations Peter Hurley on 

receiving the Peter Burnett Medal for 

your significant contribution to the 

hotel industry” 

Studio Nine Architects 

On behalf of the Directors of Ron Goodall Refrigeration, 

Gary and Craig Goodall, it is our great honour to extend 

our heartfelt congratulations to Peter Hurley AO for 

being awarded the prestigious Peter Burnett AM Medal 

– the first South Australian to receive this esteemed 

recognition. 

Contact Gary or Craig to discuss your 

commercial refrigeration needs today. 

Gary: 0407 729 196 | Craig: 0418 829 631 

sales@goodallrefrigeration.com.au 

studionine.net.au 

Lisa with brothers Scott and Ward, grandparents Dossie and Seymour, and father Tony at the Feathers 

Hotel in 1988. 



AHA having plenty of money in it’s account, and our 

members being left with none in theirs’. 

“With the help of other AHA State branches, most 

notably NSW, our impressively funded campaign was 

so effective Xenophon failed to even win his own 

seat, and Peter had eradicated our industry’s greatest 

political threat.” 

PHILANTHROPY AND FAMILY 

“Early polling had Nick Xenophon as preferred South 

Australian Premier. That’s right … a ‘No Pokies’ Premier! 

“Peter and then CEO Ian Horne both displayed 

enormous courage to put their heads up above the 

trenches and take on such a powerful force, knowing 

the inevitable public and media flack that would come 

their way. 

“There was a collective shudder when we learnt of the 

cost of running a fully effective campaign to defeat the 

populist anti-industry crusader. But Peter Hurley, in one 

sentence, changed the course of that entire election. 

“He stated, ‘There is no point at the end of this in the 

Peter Hurley’s community and philanthropic work 

continues to leave an enduring legacy. In 1996, he 

created Hotel Care which over the years has donated 

$18 million in grants to community organisations, 

charities and sporting clubs. 

Deservedly, Peter was recognised as an of Officer of 

the Order of Australia in the 2016 Queen’s Birthdays 

Honours. 

“At a personal level, Jenny has been a formidable 

strength in her own right and backed Peter all the way,” 

said David. 

“They can be justifiably proud of the roles Nick, 

Samantha and Anna all play within our industry. Let me 

assure you, the apple does not fall far from the tree. 

“Peter has made a substantial lifelong contribution to 

the AHA and our industry is the better for it.” 

HOSPITALITY JOINERY & FURNITURE SPECIALISTS 

Workspace Commercial furniture congratulates Peter Hurley on being awarded the Peter 

Burnett Medal, one of the highest honours in the Australian hotel industry. We are proud of the 

long standing and continuing relationship with the Hurley Hotel Group, providing our expertise 

through the design, manufacture and supply of hospitality joinery & furniture solutions. 

RESTAURANTS I HOTELS I BARS I CAFES I CLUBS I PUBS I BOOTHS I BANQUET SEATING I INDOOR & OUTDOOR 


H O T E L R O Y A L 

Inside Hotel Royal’s 


DION HAYMAN 


PH EO AT K E L S ER AO SY OA NL 

The Hotel Royal on Henley Beach Road has been 

completely reinvented, with a modern wraparound 

balcony now a stunning new feature that is attracting 

attention on the busy arterial road. 

But along the way, the project has had to overcome 

blocking moves by historians, major unplanned 

earthworks and rising inflation. 

The distinctively art deco pub holds a special place 

in the Hurley Hotel Group; it was the first city venue 

bought by Peter and Jenny Hurley. 

The $8 million renovation also has a family feel to it, as 

it was overseen by Peter and Jenny’s son-in-law, Scott 

Oakley, who is married to Samantha Hurley. 

Like many major projects, it’s had its fair share of trials 

and tribulations, taking 21 months to complete. 

”Hopefully that’s the last time I see a tradie at the pub 

for the next five years,” quipped the affable Oakley. 

But he’ll soon encounter another. 

Scott has spent much of his time overseeing 

renovations at the Marion and Arkaba Hotels. 

He is also involved in the build of the new Panorama 

Hotel, which will replace the Tonsley after its 

compulsory acquisition for the South Road project. 

He and Samantha had previously spent nearly two 

years in Tweed Heads running the family-owned Ivory 

Waterside Tavern and Marina, as it too underwent a 

dramatic makeover. 

But it’s the Royal which he now looks upon with 

enormous pride and satisfaction. 

WHAT TO EXPECT 

Work began on the bottle shop and the new dual-level 

‘Back Pocket’ sports bar before ramping up to stage two 

of the project which encompassed the main bar and 

restaurant, gaming room and function room. 

“The front bar was on the other side of the drive through, 

away from the rest of the hotel,” Scott explained. 

“So we wanted to expand our bottle shop and then also 

get all our food and beverage on the same side to make 

it a lot easier to operate. 

“Also, the pub faces the wrong way for the afternoon sun. 

“We wanted to give it a lot more space that captures the 

afternoon sun so we built the north-facing courtyard to 

bring in a lot more natural light. 

“The pub now feels a lot brighter. 

Pascale Construction is proud to be associated with Hurley Hotel Group as construction 

partner for the iconic Hotel Royal redevelopment and congratulate the group for their 

outstanding commitment to excellence and remarkable industry achievements. 

2023 MBA NATIONAL EXCELLENCE IN BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION AWARD WINNER 

T 08 8362 5840 

E office@pascale.com.au 

W pascale.com.au 



Congratulations to the Hurley Hotel Group on completion of the Hotel Royal 

and to Peter Hurley on being awarded the Peter Burnett Medal 

Hotel Royal 

S2 Architects 

Photo: Lisa Dimitri Gallery 

Architects and interior designers 

specialising in tourism, 

accommodation and hospitality 

www.s2architects.com.au 



“I was trying to get the 

balance right of it still 

feeling like an outdoor 

space but making it one 

that can be used all year 

round so when it does 

rain, we can keep the rain 

out and turn on the gas 

heating.” 

“And we wanted to make the function room bigger. 

“We used to have a manager’s flat and some short-term 

accommodation like a lot of hotels have with a lot of 

walls up there. So we’ve knocked all those walls out and 

the rooms have become much larger.” 

SHOWSTOPPERS 

When asked to nominate the Royal’s new showpiece, 

Oakley finds himself torn. 

He’s a big fan of the new courtyard, complete with 

retractable roof to ensure its all-year, all-weather 

functionality, accessible from the new main bar via 

resplendent bifold doors. 

“We haven’t really had a nice outdoor space at the venue 

before,” Oakley said. 

“It’s just a sensational area and I’m really proud of how it 

looks and I think customers will love it. 

“We always talk about having outdoor spaces that are 

365-days-a-year spaces. 

“I was trying to get the balance right of it still feeling like 

an outdoor space but making it one that can be used all 

year round so when it does rain, we can keep the rain 

out and turn on the gas heating. 

“But on the nice days, we can open the roof up and 

make it feel like a real outdoor space. 

“The Alma’s got a retractable roof and that has been 

quite successful.” 

SA IS OD E 

PER SUL ARR 

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“The balcony gets a lot of exposure and it makes the pub 

really pop. We’ve put the lights on at night and the pub just 

looks fantastic from the road.” 

LOFT AREA 

But Scott Oakley also loves the ‘Torrensville Loft’, the 

Royal’s stunning upstairs function room upgrade with 

show-stopping wrap-around balcony that lights up 

Henley Beach Road. 

The room boasts a private bar and caters for up to 140 

people standing or 80 seated. 

While not a public space, it will be used for events and 

conferences as well as private functions. 

The balcony provides the room with dual functionality 

as well as giving the heritage-listed Royal the eyecatching 

facelift the Hurleys were seeking – the two 

primary motivations for the entire project. 

“Henley Beach Road is obviously a very high traffic road. 

“The balcony gets a lot of exposure and it makes the 

pub really pop. 

“We’ve put the lights on at night and the pub just looks 

fantastic from the road. 

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“We’re getting a lot more people commenting about 

how the pub looks and it definitely stands out more, 

which is what we wanted from the renovations.” 

HERITAGE CONCERNS 

Some historians voiced concerns about the effect the 

upgrade would have on the hotel’s art deco appearance. 

However, the art deco look wasn’t added until the 

1930s and the pub has undergone several renovations 

since then. 

Council saw merit in the new development and 

ultimately decided that the Hurley Group had 

“satisfactorily demonstrated that the proposal will not 

detract from the heritage value of the building”. 

Now, not only does the completed project retain the art 

deco facade, the styling on the new balcony introduces 

new art deco inspiration. 

“We wanted to keep the heritage of the pub because it’s 

something that we’re really proud of,” Scott said. 

“We tried really hard – and successfully I think – to still 

complement the original build of the hotel. 

“Everything we’ve done, we tried to keep that art 

deco feel inside and outside and I think we did that 

really well.” 

Congratulations to The Hurley Group on 

the fabulous refurbishment of The Hotel Royal 

& 

Congratulations to Peter Hurley on being 

awarded the Peter Burnett Medal by AHA Australia 

Four Seasons Fresh thanks the Hurley Group for 

its commitment to South Australian businesses and 

particularly the confidence shown in our business. 

We look forward to many years of service. 

www.fourseasonsfresh.com.au 



“Everything we’ve done, we tried to keep that art deco feel 

inside and outside and I think we did that really well.” 

ADELAIDE CROWS 

The timing of the renovations couldn’t be better, with 

the imminent move of the Adelaide Crows to Thebarton 

Oval, an easy 10-15 minute stroll or three-minute drive. 

“We think Torrensville has been an up-and-coming 

suburb for a while now,” Scott said. 

“With Thebby Oval going ahead as well, I think that side 

of the city is really going to start to hit its straps in the 

next two or three years. 

“With more people coming to the area, the new-look 

Royal will give them somewhere great to go.” 

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HA HO TA E| SL A R AOWY A RL 

D S 

“Like a lot of our pubs, we’ve 

got a Yoder smoker which 

we’re really proud of and 

use with a lot of our meats." 

NEW MENU 

Book a table at the Royal and you'll discover a beefed 

up kitchen too. 

“Like a lot of our pubs, we’ve got a Yoder smoker which 

we’re really proud of and use with a lot of our meats. 

“We’re angling towards a shared experience 

with people. 

“There are some great shared lamb and steak dishes.” 

A new-look cocktail list offers both classic and 

contemporary options, including an 1800 Pina Colada, 

Garden Gin Sour and Jalapeño Margarita. 

THE HOTEL ROYAL 

GREAT HOSPITALITY SPACES 

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Legends of the Hospitality Industry 

Congratulations Peter, Jenny and 

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again for your local patrons. 

We hope you enjoy the views from the balconies! 

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Congratulations to Peter Hurley 

being awarded the Peter Burnett Medal. 

Fantastic achievement! 

Paul Pivato 

PIVATOS 

UPHOLSTERY 

T: 0412 067 652 



Live music in the courtyard adds yet another dimension 

to the pub’s offerings. 

It’s completion has allowed Scott to take a short 

breather before being thrust into the Hurleys’ 

next project. 

He reflects that learning to be more patient, and trading 

through the chaos are both keys to a successful pub 

renovation. 

“I think that’s my main skillset – to try to keep the pub 

running to the best it can be while the renovations 

are happening. 

“We’ve had to shut certain areas at times but we have 

been open in some capacity the whole way through. 

“It was really important to not lose contact with 

our customer base so loyal customers still have 

somewhere to go. 

“It’s also good to keep our full-time and long serving 

staff employed and engaged. 

“If you lose your staff, it’s very, very hard to reopen with 

all new staff and no experience. 

“It’s important to keep them working so you’ve got a 

good team when you reopen the doors.” 



An understanding wife is important too. 

Especially when she is finance director of the 

Hurley Hotel Group. 

That rings even truer when the budget had to be 

increased due to major stormwater issues in the car 

park and the cost of steel for the balcony. 

“She understands that sometimes you get the forecast 

wrong,” he smiled. 

“It does make invoice approval interesting at times 

when I say how much I want to spend on things. 

“As long as the end result is good and I can make sure 

that trade increases in line with the amount I’ve spent, 

all’s well that ends well I suppose. 

“It’s just putting pressure on myself.” 

But the born salesman has no fears he will meet 

that challenge. 

“Excellent food, excellent space and excellent service is 

what we really pride our pubs on. 

“If you get all those things right, people will come. 

“If they come through the doors and enjoy their time, 

they’ll keep coming back and tell their friends. 

“If you lose your staff, it’s 

very, very hard to reopen 

with all new staff and no 

experience." 

“Samantha and I learned that lesson at the Ivory. 

“We found that if we get our house in order and make 

sure that when people come in they have the best 

possible experience, that is the easiest thing that we 

can control and the best way to grow the business.” 

The pace of life in hospitality never slows. 

And with a burgeoning family following the recent 

arrival of third son Harry, Scott sometimes longs for a 

quieter day, pouring frothies at the front bar, rather than 

the pandemonium he navigates as the Hurley Hotel 

Group’s ‘rector of refurbishment’. 

“It is definitely the pigeon hole that I find myself in. 

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TORMAX South Australia is proudly 

working with the Hurley Hotel Group 

as strategic a partner in pedestrian 

safety and building security. 

Our highly skilled staff members are able to 

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for your doorway or access requirements. From 

automatic doors and gates to automated windows. 

TORMAX South Australia supports you at all times 

with our 24 hour emergency support. 

Call 08 8351 9868 to speak with our friendly staff. 

www.tormax.com 



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“I love the busyness and 

the planning of it and 

the challenge of trying to 

balance it all." 

“I love the busyness and the planning of it and the 

challenge of trying to balance it all. 

“But I do have moments when I come home and I’m in 

my work gear and I’m covered in dust and I think, ‘gee, 

it would be nice to work in a pub that is open and only 

have to worry about serving the customers and the food 

being good and the beer being cold, that would be nice’. 

“But I do love the challenge of a renovation and the 

planning of it and thinking about how the venue could 

run once it’s completed.” 

Working in pubs is a role he was long destined for, 

having learned the ropes at both Lion and Treasury 

Wine Estates. 

Initially, he completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce 

at Swinburne University. 

It was there, in Melbourne, he met one Samantha 

Hurley. 

And the rest, as they say, is history. 

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to 

Peter, Jenny, and the Entire Hurley Group, 

on the outstanding renovation of the 

Hotel Royal in Torrensville. It is with great 

pride that we acknowledge the successful 

completion of this first-class project, and 

we are honoured to have played a crucial 

role in ensuring the excellence of the hotel’s 

refrigeration systems. 

We take immense pleasure in having installed brand new, 

high-quality refrigeration units in the bottle shop and keg 

room, outfitting the walk-in freezer and coolroom in the new 

kitchen area. 

Established in 1961 by Gary and Craig’s father, Ron, Ron 

Goodall Refrigeration remains dedicated to supporting local 

establishments with our quality work and service. 

Congratulations once again on this remarkable achievement. 

We are confident that patrons will savour South 

Australia’s coldest beer in the new bars, thanks to the 

expertise and dedication of the Goodall brothers. 

Contact Gary or Craig to discuss your commercial refrigeration needs today. 

Gary: 0407 729 196 | Craig: 0418 829 631 | sales@goodallrefrigeration.com 


S P O N S O R E D I T O R I A L 

Hostplus introduces new 

investment options 

Hostplus has over 1.7 million members, each with 

unique goals when it comes to their super. While the 

majority of members invest in our award-winning 

Balanced (MySuper) option, we also offer other 

investment options to suit our members’ preferences. 

Some members want to keep costs as low as possible. 

Others want access to socially responsible investments. 

Many just want the highest possible net investment 

returns for their super. 

That’s why we’ve created these new options, providing 

your staff with an even greater range of choice. 

WHAT ARE THE NEW INVESTMENT OPTIONS? 

We’ve added six new pre-mixed options, each designed 

to focus on one of these areas: net returns, low cost, or 

socially responsible investing. 

The first new option is called High Growth. It invests in 

all growth assets. While it’s a higher-risk investment, its 

focus is on delivering the best net return over the long 

term. We’ve designed this option for members who 

have a medium to long-term investment time frame, 

and who are seeking the best net return possible. 

For members who would like to take less risk, we’ve 

developed the Defensive investment option. This option 

invests mainly in fixed interest and cash and focuses on 

delivering the best possible net return for its level of risk. 

For those who like to minimise investment fees and 

costs, we have two new options. Indexed High Growth 

invests only in shares, and is therefore higher risk, while 

aiming for higher long-term returns. Indexed Defensive 

is a lower-risk option which invests predominately in 

defensive assets like fixed interest and cash. 

Finally, we’ve also launched two new options that focus 

on socially responsible investing, known as ‘SRI’. Both 

options aim to reduce exposure to fossil fuels and some 

other sectors like tobacco production and gambling. 

SRI – High Growth invests in growth assets and is 

higher risk, while our SRI – Defensive option invests in a 

portfolio with a strong bias to defensive assets such as 

fixed interest and cash. 

These six new options add more choice to our existing 

range of pre-mixed investment options. Now your staff 

can choose the level of risk they’re comfortable with, 

and the investment style they prefer. 


These investment options have the ability to give your 

employees greater control of their super. They can 

invest in one option or spread their investment across 

multiple options. And they can switch into or out of 

these options at any time at no cost. 

Anyone can invest in these options as long as they’re 

a Hostplus member! They just log in to their Hostplus 

Member Online account and select to manage their 

investments. 

ADVICE FOR MEMBERS WHO NEED IT 

Best of all, your employees don’t have to make 

investment decisions on their own. Hostplus members 

have access to financial advice – online, over the phone 

and face to face. Members can call our dedicated 

Hostplus advice number on 1300 303 188 or visit 

hostplus.com.au/financial-planning and one of our 

superannuation advisers can help them work out which 

investment option may be right for them. That’s a plus. 

This information is general advice only and does 

not take into account your personal objectives, 

financial situation or needs. You should consider if 

this information is appropriate for you in light of your 

circumstances before acting on it. Please read the 

relevant Hostplus Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), 

available at hostplus.com.au before making a decision 

about Hostplus. For a description of the target market, 

please read the Target Market Determination (TMD), 

available at hostplus.com.au . 

Net investment returns represent the rate of return on 

investments after investment-related fees, costs and 

taxes have been deducted. Other fees and costs may 

apply. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of 

future performance and should never be the sole factor 

considered when selecting a superannuation fund. 

Hostplus has engaged Industry Fund Services Limited (IFS) 

ABN 54 007 016 195, AFSL 232514 to facilitate the provision of personal 

financial advice to members of Hostplus. Advice is provided by Hostplus 

financial planners who are Authorised Representatives of IFS. Fees may 

apply for personal financial advice; for further information about the cost of 

personal advice, you can speak with your Hostplus financial planner or visit 

our website www.hostplus.com.au. Information to help you decide whether 

you want to use personal financial advice services being offered is set out 

in the relevant IFS Financial Services Guide, a copy of which is available 

from your Hostplus financial planner. Hostplus has engaged Link Advice 

Pty Ltd ABN 36 105 811 836, ASFL 258145 to facilitate the provision of 

limited personal financial advice to members of Hostplus via the web-based 

product SuperAdviser. 

Issued by Host-Plus Pty Limited ABN 79 008 634 704, AFSL 244392 

as trustee for the Hostplus Superannuation Fund (the Fund) 

ABN 68 657 495 890, MySuper No 68 657 495 890 198. 

CHS: Your All-in-One Cleaning, 

Climate, and Electrical Hospitality Partner. 

In the competitive world of hospitality, CHS stands out 

by ensuring venues operate at their peak. 

CHS has grown to offer comprehensive 

refrigeration, air-conditioning, electrical, and cleaning 

services that keep hospitality businesses ahead of the 

curve. Their preventive maintenance schedules are 

designed to maintain seamless operations, essential for 

the safety and comfort of guests. 

Hospitality managers looking for an edge turn to 

CHS for reliable facility services that reflect their 

commitment to quality. CHS is the silent force behind 

the scenes, enabling businesses to shine with 

outstanding environments. By choosing CHS, leading 

hospitality venues invest in excellence, ensuring their 

guests enjoy flawless experiences with every visit. 

• Refrigeration 

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• Facility Services 

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R B T 

RBT: Ravo’s Bush 

Telegraph 

The re-emergence of normal life 

for hotel staff and owners from 

the Covid 2019 era has had a very 

cautious response from us all, and 

justifiably so. In a way this Covid 

health issue was a difficulty we 

reluctantly had to embrace. We had 

no option. 

Once again, the AHA governing 

body provided a strong backbone 

to all in the industry, providing 

advice, updates and negotiating 

with governments which was 

appreciated by all. We had no 

serious health issue previously to 

compare with. 

Regrettably we do still remain under 

arguably reduced duress, with Covid 

cases still hovering, and certainly 

we are not completely “out of the 

woods”. Reflecting in 10 years’ 

time, we will probably look back on 

this era and wonder “what the hell 

happened to us then” in a sour way! 

Basically, we have been robbed of 

several years of normal life with still 

no real genuine end in sight. 

Luckily the general professionalism 

of our industry has been forced to 

again remain united and resilient 

as a true guardian of our localised 

communities. The broader hotel 

industry remains the main hub and 

meeting place of so many people in 

our communities. 

Apart from the Covid issue, the 

industry has also had to deal with 

the effect of the great River Murray 

flood this year, of which much 

hardship, and worry and expense 

has been incurred by all involved 

– a double whammy with Covid I 

guess. Stay strong everybody. 

This year also witnessed the 

BY IAN RAVENSCROFT 

departure of our great AHA 

servant Ian Horne, who was 

rightfully farewelled with much 

fanfare and tremendous accolades 

of thanks. What a stable influence 

he was to us all over many years. 

Being an avid supporter of the 

Port Districts Football club – an 

Amateur league Division one club 

(Premiers in 2022 season) – I have 

been watching intently the pubs in 

the Port/ Semaphore /West Lakes 

area. A couple that stand out are 

the Semaphore Palais, The Monkey 

House, Largs Pier, The Semaphore, 

Birkenhead Tavern, which are all 

very popular hotels. Then close by, 

the professionally run Lakes Resort 

and of course the iconic Alberton 

Hotel, each of which you are always 

made to feel welcome in when 

walking through the doors. 

Talking about hotel rumours though, 

(there are always plenty of them 

around), I did hear rumblings from 

someone that the Brien family may 

be considering retirement from the 

Alberton Hotel . So I went straight 

to the top! 

Peter Brien discounted this 

vehemently stating “We have 

been here non-stop as a family 

for 83 consecutive years running 

the centre of the universe and 

are now making plans to add a 

further 17 years to bring up – in 

cricket parlance – the Century of 

ownership.” 

So you have heard it direct from the 

RBT in this article - nothing has or 

will change at the Alberton Hotel. 

You just have to discount rumours 

at times. Unfortunately, I can’t 

remember the guy who gave me 

that one. 

Whilst on the Port, pubs that are 

benefitting from much housing 

development in that region include: 

The Port Admiral was closed, 

has been redeveloped and now 

reopened again. Good to see. 

The Lighthouse Hotel has 

undergone a very expensive reno 

which I believe is very pleasing to 

the eye. 

The Colac Hotel , owned 

previously by the Labor Party, but 

been closed for many years is 

apparently reopening again soon. 

A very historic hotel and landmark 

in the Port area. 

And finally, the British Hotel 

near the Birkenhead Bridge is, 

I understand, to be incorporated 

in a motel style accommodation 

development very soon. 

Things are happening at The Port! 

Great to see! 

I recently caught up with an old 

West Adelaide footballer and 

District cricket mate John Burkett, 

who has been in the old city pub 

the Earl of Aberdeen, now known 

as the Coopers Ale House, for 

over 15 years. He reports good 

bookings for pre-Christmas 

functions and trade generally. Nice 

to hear John. 

I hope also that similarly, the 

pre-Christmas trade is strong 

throughout the AHA hotels in the 

city, suburbs and country areas of 

our state. You all certainly deserve 

that for the effort you put in each 

and every year. 

I truly wish you all the very best 

with your families for a very 

Merry Christmas and a happy and 

positive trading period in the New 

Year ahead and beyond. 

See you all next year! Here comes 

2024. 

Xmas cheers from the RBT. 


W O R K P L A C E R E L A T I O N S 

High Court rejects challenge 

to Public Holidays request 

OWEN WEBB - AHA|SA WORKPLACE RELATIONS MANAGER 

In April this year the AHA|SA 

provided advice to members 

on a decision of a Full Court of 

the Federal Court of Australia 

(Construction, Forestry, Maritime, 

Mining and Energy Union v OS 

MCAP Pty Ltd [2023] FCAFC 51 (28 

March 2023) (“Decision”)) regarding 

employer requests for employees 

to work on public holidays. The 

Full Court found that BHP’s labour 

hire division had contravened 

the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) 

(‘FW Act’) when it unreasonably 

required employees to work over 

the Christmas and Boxing Day 

public holidays. 

The key issue of this Decision was 

that the employer had not complied 

with the requirement to request 

an employee to work on a public 

holiday per section 114(2) of the 

FW Act. The Full Court held that an 

employer must make a reasonable 

request for the employee to 

work on a public holiday and that 

the employee be provided an 

opportunity to make a choice to 

either accept or refuse the request. 

BHP sought special leave to appeal 

the Full Court’s Decision in the High 

Court, but the special leave request 

was declined on 21 November 

2023. This means that the Full 

Court ruling will continue to stand 

and will not be subject to challenge 

in the High Court. 

So given that the Decision will not 

be challenged in the High Court, 

what should members be doing to 

ensure they are compliant with the 

Federal Court ruling? 

REQUESTING AN EMPLOYEE 

TO WORK A PUBLIC HOLIDAY 

Work on a public holiday is a 

common feature in the hospitality 

industry and is recognised through 

penalty rates and additional public 

holiday entitlements contained in 

the Hospitality Industry (General) 

Award 2020 (‘HIGA’). 

Section 114(3) of the FW Act 

provides that an employee 

may refuse to work on a public 

holiday if the request to work was 

unreasonable or the employee’s 

refusal was reasonable. Importantly, 

this Decision does not remove 

an employer’s ability to require 


holiday if the request to work was 

reasonable, and the employee’s 

refusal was unreasonable. 

Section 114(4) refers to what 

factors must be considered to 

determine whether a request, or a 

refusal of a request to work on a 

public holiday is reasonable. Such 

factors include: 

• The nature of the employer’s 

workplace including its 

operational requirements 

• The nature of the work performed 

by the employee 

• The employee’s personal 

circumstances, including family 

responsibilities 

• Whether the employee could 

reasonably expect that the 

employer might request work on 

the public holiday 

• Whether the employee is entitled 

to receive overtime, penalty rates 

or other compensation for, or a 

level of remuneration that reflects 

expectations of, work on the 

public holiday 

• The type of employment of the 

employee 

• The amount of notice in advance 

of the public holiday given by 

the employer when making the 

request 

• The amount of notice in advance 

of the public holiday given by 

the employee when refusing the 

request 

• Any other relevant matter 

If an employer has reasonably 

requested an employee to work on a 

public holiday and the employee has 

responded by refusing the request, 

the employer can again refer to 

section 114(4) to assess if the 

employee’s refusal was reasonable. 

REQUESTING AN EMPLOYEE 

TO WORK A PUBLIC HOLIDAY 

When requesting an employee to 

work a public holiday, members 

must ensure that their employees 

are provided with an opportunity to 

accept or refuse the request. The 

request to work on a public holiday 

has to be a question, not a direction. 



For example, 

• Providing a draft roster to 

employees and allowing 

employees to indicate if they 

would accept or refuse the shift, 

or 

• Making the request in the form of 

a question. 

Hotels should also review existing 

employment contracts. It is 

recommended that employment 

contracts make it clear that the 

employee is entitled to be absent on 

public holidays, however due to the 

hospitality industry, it is likely that 

they will be requested to work. This 

will be useful to foreshadow any 

later request from the employer. 

IF AN EMPLOYEE REFUSES TO 

WORK THE PUBLIC HOLIDAY 

Section 114(3) of the Act provides 

employees with the option to refuse 

the request to work on a public 

holiday, on reasonable grounds. If 

an employee refuses the request, 

members are encouraged to have 

discussions and negotiations with 

their employee about the refusal of 

the request. 

If after those discussions and 

negotiations the employer 

determines their request for the 

employee to work on the public 

holiday was reasonable and that 

the employee does not have 

reasonable grounds to refuse the 

request, the employer can require 

the employee to work the public 

holiday. This is consistent with 

the Federal Court’s Decision at 

paragraph 5: 

“Ultimately, after discussion or 

negotiation, the employer may 

require an employee to work on 

a public holiday if the request is 

reasonable and the employee’s 

refusal is unreasonable.” 

CASUAL EMPLOYEES 

Section 15A of the Act provides 

that casual employees have the 

discretion whether or not to accept 

shifts that are offered to them, 

irrespective of whether it is a public 

holiday or just a standard day of 

the week. By virtue of the nature of 

casual employment, the employer 

cannot compel a casual employee 

to work any shift that the casual 

employee does not want to work. 

However, the employer still has an 

obligation under section 114(2) 

to request that an employee work 

on a public holiday regardless of 

whether the employee is full-time, 

part-time or casual. 

SUMMARY 

The key issue in the Full Court’s 

Decision was that the employer had 

not in the Court’s view complied 

with the requirement to request 


holiday per section 114(2) of the 

FW Act. The Full Court held that an 

employer must make a reasonable 

request for the employee to 

work on a public holiday and that 

the employee be provided an 

opportunity to make a choice to 

either accept or refuse the request. 

Importantly, the decision does 

clarify that if an employer makes 

a reasonable request and the 

employee unreasonably refuses, 

the employer can still require 

the employee to work on the 

public holiday. 

A REMINDER FOR HOTELS 

TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE 

WITH NEW FOOD SAFETY 

STANDARD. 

Hotels are reminded that they need 

to ensure that they are compliant 

with Food Safety Standard 3.2.2A 

– Food Safety Management Tools 

(Standards 3.2.2A). 

Standard 3.2.2A commenced on 

8 December 2022 and it placed new 

obligations on food businesses in 

Australia that handle unpackaged, 

ready to eat, and potentially 

hazardous foods. 

Under the Standard, Category one 

businesses such as hotels need to 

comply with three new food safety 

management tools which includes: 

• Food handler training; 

• The appointment of a certified 

food safety supervisor; and 

• Substantiation of critical food 

safety controls (evidence). 

A 12 month transitional period was 

provided to ensure that businesses 

implement these new management 

tools before 8 December 2023. 

Information and resources to 

assist members including a Food 

Safety Fundamentals Package are 



“Ultimately, after discussion or negotiation, the employer 

may require an employee to work on a public holiday if 

the request is reasonable and the employee’s refusal is 

unreasonable.” 

contained in the members only 

portal of the AHA|SA website under 

the Food Safety tab. 

LIMITATIONS COMMENCE ON 

FIXED TERM CONTRACTS 

The Federal Government’s Fair Work 

Legislation Amendment (Secure 

Jobs, Better Pay) Act 2022 (Cth) 

introduced changes with respect to 

the use of fixed term contracts of 

employment. 

From 6 December 2023 onwards 

an employer that engages an 

employee on a fixed term contract 

of employment, will need to: 

• Provide the employee with a 

Fair Work Fixed Term Contract 

Information Statement. The 

Statement will be available to 

download off the Fair Work 

Ombudsman’s website from 6 

December 2023. Employers will 

need to provide employees with the 

Fixed Term Contract Information 

Statement as well as the current 

Fair Work Information Statement. 

• Ensure that they do not provide 

an employee (excluding casuals) 

with a fixed term contract that is 

for a period of greater than 2 years 

for the same role, including any 

extensions or renewals of contract. 

• Ensure the fixed term contract 

cannot be extended or renewed 

more than once for the same role, 

even if the combined period is 

less than 2 years. 

There are further limitations in 

relation to consecutive contracts. 

There are also exceptions to 

these new fixed term contract 

limitations such as those working 

on government funded contracts, 

high income earners, temporary 

absences, traineeships and 

apprenticeships and where a 

modern award allows for multiple 

contract renewals. 

For further advice on fixed term 

contracts we recommend that 

members contact the AHA|SA 

workplace relations team. 

Reach the decision makers in SA hotels 

by advertising in Hotel SA. 

08 8233 9433 

boylen.com.au 


The AHA|SA wishes 

all Members and 

Corporate Partners 

a Merry Christmas, 

Happy New Year and 

a prosperous 2024. 


GAMING CARE 

GAMING CARE works with all South Australian Hotels with gaming 

machines to reduce the harm caused by problem gambling. 

Providing the hotel industry with the capacity to respond to community concerns related 

to the harm associated with gambling by contributing to early intervention and support 

for problem gamblers and their families. 

Minimising the harm caused by problem gambling behaviour by fostering a compliant 

and proactive industry that works with regulators, gambling help services and gaming 

patrons to minimise harm caused by gambling. 

Assisting licensees and hotel staff with their compliance obligations, and supporting 

venue staff through education and training regarding the recognition of problem 

gambling indicators and assisting in accurately documenting patron behaviour. 

Providing licensees and hotel staff with the confidence and skills required to engage 

directly with patrons who are showing indicators of potential problem gambling, enabling 

them to intervene early and refer the patron to a gambling help service, or other support 

options if required. 

Contact your local Gaming Care Officer, or our Office, for 

information on how Gaming Care can assist your venue. 

For any assistance or support 

please contact your local 

Gaming Care Officer, or our office 

for information on how Gaming 

Care can assist your venue. 


CORPORATE PARTNERS 2023/24 

GAMING CARE 

D I A M O N D 

P L A T I N U M 

G O L D 

S I L V E R 

131 733 

AED Authority 

Ainsworth Game Technology 

Boylen 

Campari Group 

IGT pfdfoods.com.au 

For full product range and details 

of your nearest branch 

Konami Australia Pty Ltd 

Oatley Fine Wine Merchants 

Options Craft Liquor Merchants 

Australian Liquor Marketers 

Digital Marketing AOK 

Light & Wonder 

PFD063 Hotel SA Advert (1/4 Page).indd 1 

18/05/09 11:47 AM 

Samuel Smith & Son 

BankSA 

Empire Liquor 

Liquor Marketing Group 

Stoddart Food Equipment 

Big Screen Video 

Bluize 

Foxtel 

GFR Pro 

Novatech Creative Event 

Technology 

Tanda 

B R O N Z E 

1800 ON HOLD 

Adelaide Institute of Hospitality 

Alliance College 

Consillion 

Alsco 

Banktech 

Bentleys Accountants 

Billsons 

Big Shed Brewing Concern 

BK Electronics 

T 

BOC 

08 

Limited 

8100 2499 F 08 8232 JLL 4979 

Bunnings Group 

Bunzl 

Cashzone 

Class A Energy Solutions 

Compnow 

COMS Systems 

Concept Collections 

Eckermann Lawyers 

GBay/Aruze Gaming 

Independant Gaming Analysis 

E INFO@GAMINGCARE.ORG.AU 

H O T E L I N D U S T R Y S U P P O R T E R 

4TH FLOOR AHA|SA HOUSE 

60 HINDMARSH SQUARE, ADELAIDE SA 5000 

Knight Frank Valuations & 

Advisory SA 

Langfords Hotel Brokers 

McGees Property Hotel Brokers 

Mister Lincoln 

Next Payments 

ORTC Clothing Co 

Perks Accountants & Wealth 

Advisers 

Piper Alderman Lawyers 

Power Maintenance Group 

Ryan & Co. Solicitors 

A Cleaner World (ACW) 

Art Images Gallery 

Solstice Media 

Statewide Gaming 

St John 

Studio Nine Architects 

Supagas 

The Banner Crew 

The Kingsmen 

The Card Network 

54 | Hotel SA | W W W . A H A S A . A S N . A U Back to Contents 

Bupa 

Trans Tasman Energy Group 

Vix Vision 

Wallmans Lawyers 

Winnall & Co 

Maxima 

Migration Solutions 

Think ST Solutions

A H A | S A C O R P O R A T E P A R T N E R S 

ACCOUNTANCY SERVICES 

Bentleys SA 8372 7900 

Perks Accountants & Wealth Advisers 

08 8273 9300 

Winnall & Co. 8379 3159 

ARCHITECTS & INTERIOR 

DESIGNERS 

Mister Lincoln 0402 777 326 

Studio Nine Architects 8132 3999 

ART & FRAMING 

Art Images Gallery 8363 0806 

ATMS 

Banktech 0408 462 321 

Cashzone 1300 305 600 

Next Payments 1300 659 918 

AUDIO VISUAL 

Big Screen Video 1300 244 727 

Novatech Creative Event Technology 

8352 0300 

BACKGROUND MUSIC 

Foxtel Music 1300 148 729 

Moov Music 1300 139 913 

Zoo Business Media 07 5587 7222 

BANKING & FINANCE 

Bank SA 0403 603 018 


08 8273 9300 

BEVERAGE GASES 

Billsons 0451 531 580 

BOC Limited 0424 647 568 

Supagas 8252 7472 

BEVERAGES 

Accolade Wines 8392 2238 

Australian Liquor Marketers 8405 7744 

Big Shed Brewing Concern 8240 5037 

Campari Group 02 9478 2727 

Carlton & United Breweries 13 BEER (13 2337) 

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners 8416 9547 

Coopers Brewery 8440 1800 

CUB Premium Beverages 8416 7819 

Diageo Australia 0401 120 872 

Empire Liquor 8371 0088 

Lion 8354 8888 

Liquor Marketing Group 8416 7575 

Oatley Fine Wine Merchants 1800 628 539 

Options Craft Liquor Merchants 8346 9111 

Pernod Ricard Australia 8208 2400 

Samuel Smith & Son 8112 4200 

Treasury Wine Estates 8301 5400 

BOOKKEEPING 


08 8273 9300 

Winnall & Co. 8379 3159 

CASH HANDLING / TERMINALS 

Banktech 0408 462 321 

BK Electronics 0431 509 409 

Cardtronics 03 9574 4878 

Coms Systems 0408 462 321 

Consillion 1800 500 994 

GBay/Aruze Gaming 0424 700 888 

Next Payments 1300 659 918 

CLEANING & HYGIENE SUPPLIES 

Bunnings Group 0435 630 660 

Bunzl 08 8245 6222 

CLEANING COMPANIES 

A Cleaner World 0426 887 364 

Alsco 8346 1391 

COFFEE SUPPLIERS 

Grinders Coffee 1300 476 377 

COMPUTER & IT SERVICES 

Boylen 8233 9433 

Compnow 8133 8000 

DEFIBRILLATORS 

AED Authority 03 8710 8666 

Alsco 8346 1391 

St John 1300 78 5646 

ENERGY & SOLAR SOLUTIONS 

Class A Energy Solutions 8391 4853 

Power Maintenance Group 1300 700 500 

Trans Tasman Energy 1300 118 834 

EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES/HARDWARE 


Bunzl 08 8245 6222 

FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY 

COMS Systems 1800 324 918 

Vix Vision 0400 310 326 

FINANCIAL PLANNING 


08 8273 9300 

Winnall & Co. 8379 3159 

FIRST AID 

Alsco 8346 1391 

St John 1300 360 455 

FOOD SAFETY 

Think ST Solutions 0422 285 720 

FOOD SERVICES 

Bidfood 0427 099 558 

Galipo Foods 8168 2000 

PFD Foodservice 8114 2300 

Thomas Foods 8162 8400 

FURNISHINGS 

Concept Collections 1300 269 800 

Mister Lincoln 0402 777 326 

GAMBLING SERVICES 

GFR Pro 0408 186 540 

The Lott 132 315 

UBET 8354 7300 

GAMING ANALYSIS 

Independant Gaming Analysis 8376 6966 

Winnall & Co 8379 3159 

GAMING FLOAT RECONCILIATION 


GFR Pro 0408 186 540 

GAMING LOYALTY 

Bluize 1300 557 587 

GAMING MACHINE SERVICES 

Ainsworth Game Technology 0409 171 616 

Aristocrat Technologies Australia 8273 9900 

Coms Systems 0409 283 066 


IGT 8231 8430 

Independant Gaming Analysis 8376 6966 

Konami Australia Pty Ltd 0409 047 899 

MAX 8275 9700 

Light & Wonder 0400 002 229 

Statewide Gaming 0448 076 144 

GIFT CARDS 

The Card Network 1300 375 346 

HEALTH INSURANCE 

Bupa 1300 662 074 (#2146982) 

HOTEL BROKERS 

Langfords Hotel Brokers 0410 605 224 

McGees Property Hotel Brokers 8414 7800 

HOTEL MANAGEMENT 

H&L Australia Pty Ltd 1800 778 340 

HOTEL MARKETING 

Digital Marketing AOK 1300 658 543 

INFORMATION SYSTEMS/SITE PREP 

Max Systems 8275 9700 

INSURANCE 

Aon Risk Solutions 8301 1111 

KITCHEN & BAR EQUIPMENT 


Bunzl 08 8245 6222 

Stoddart Food Service Equipment 

0468 923 320 

LOTTERIES 

SA Lotteries 13 18 68 

LEGAL SERVICES 

Eckermann Lawyers 8235 3990 

Piper Alderman Lawyers 8205 3318 

Ryan & Co Solicitors 0421 595 815 

Wallmans Lawyers 8235 3018 

LINEN & UNIFORM SERVICES 

Alsco 1300 659 892 

ORTC Clothing Co 0422 515 213 

LINEN SERVICES 

Alsco 8346 1391 

MEDIA 

FIVEaa 8419 1395 

Foxtel 1300 138 898 

Solstice Media 8224 1600 

MIGRATION 

Migration Solutions 8210 9800 

ONHOLD/MESSAGING 

1800 ON HOLD 8125 9370 

PAYROLL & HR RESOURCES 


08 8273 9300 

Tanda 1300 859 117 

Winnall & Co. 8379 3159 

POS SYSTEMS 

Bepoz 1300 023 769 

Bluize 1300 557 587 

H&L Australia Pty Ltd 1800 778 340 

PROPERTY VALUATIONS 

Knight Frank Valuations & Advisory 

8233 5222 

RETAIL LIQUOR MARKETING 

Liquor Marketing Group 8416 7575 

SIGNAGE & PROMOTIONAL ITEMS 

The Banner Crew 8240 0242 

SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA 

Foxtel 1300 790 182 

STAFF TRAINING & RECRUITMENT 

Adelaide Institute of Hospitality 8338 1492 

Alliance College 1300 665 065 

The Kingsmen 0410 416 655 

Maxima 8340 7766 


08 8273 9300 

St John 1300 360 455 

SUPERANNUATION 

HostPlus 0418 327 607 

WEBSITES 

Boylen 8233 9433 


L I C E N S E E T R A N S F E R S 

NOVEMBER 2023 

HOTEL LOCATION EFFECTIVE DATE NEW LICENSEE 

Commercial Hotel Cowell 06.11.23 SA Country Pubs Pty Ltd 

Colonel Light Garden Adelaide 09.11.23 South Australian Hotel Pty Ltd 

King William Hotel (formerly 

Ambassadors Hotel) 

Adelaide 14.11.23 Darren Paul Brown & Sotirios Albert Stoios 

Edithburgh Hotel Edithburgh 17.11.23 Ventureholics Pty Ltd 

Pirie Social: The Venue (formerly 

The Fam Pirie) 

Port Pirie 20.11.23 Hidden Events Pty Ltd 

Sundowner Hotel Motel Whyalla Norrie 27.11.23 Duxton Risdon Custodian Pty Ltd 

OFFICE HOLDERS 

CONTACT 

OFFICE 

Level 4, 60 Hindmarsh 

Square, Adelaide SA 5000 

POSTAL 

PO Box 3092, 

Rundle Mall SA 5000 

P (08) 8232 4525 

P 1800 814 525 Toll Free 

F (08) 8232 4979 

E information@ahasa.asn.au 

W www.ahasa.asn.au 

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL 

DAVID BASHEER 

President 

MATTHEW BINNS 

Vice President 

LUKE DONALDSON 

Deputy Vice President 

COUNCIL 

BRAD BARREAU 

ANDREW BULLOCK 

SIMONE DOUGLAS 

TREVOR EVANS 

JASON FAHEY 

TRENT FAHEY 

SAM McINNES 

Secretary Treasurer 

MATTHEW BRIEN 

Executive Council 

ANNA HURLEY 


COREY FARMER 

ELISE FASSINA 

JAMES FRANZON 

TONY FRANZON 

JOHN GIANNITTO 

TOM HANNAH 

ANDREW KEMP 


MATT ROGERS 


PETER JOHNSON 

JASON KELLY 

GUY MATTHEWS 

KAREN MILESI 

ANDREW PLUSH 

DARREN STEELE 

ADMINISTRATION 

ANNA MOELLER 

CEO 

NATARSHA STEVENSON 

Chief of Staff 

ALISA WENZEL 

Financial Controller 

OWEN WEBB 

Workplace Relations, Liquor 

Licensing & Gaming 

GARY COPPOLA 

Legal and Advocacy 

SCOTT VAUGHAN 

Membership & Business 

Services 

KATHERINE TAYLOR 

Accommodation 

Australia (SA) and 

Tourism 

Communications 

LUCY RANDALL 

Events & Partnerships 

DIDIER VOLLERIN 

Liquor & Gaming 

LIZ TURLEY 

Views expressed in Hotel SA are not necessarily those of the AHA|SA or the publisher and neither can accept, and therefore disclaims any liability, to any party for loss or damage 

caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause. We do not endorse any advertising materials, services offered within advertisements or products, 

special offers or goods promoted therein. 

+ 

Training Coordinator 

BELINDA RICHARD 

Executive Assistant 

PUBLISHER 

+ 

3/288 Glen Osmond Road, Fullarton SA 5063 

P (08) 8233 9433 W www.boylen.com.au 

TIM BOYLEN Managing Director 

tboylen@boylen.com.au 

JAMIE RICHARDSON Advertising 

sales@boylen.com.au 

PATRYCJA WHIPP 

Studio Manager/Graphic Designer 

We design, build and host beautiful 

hotel websites that link with your 

third-party software. 

boylen.com.au 

08 8233 9433

Hotel SA Jan 2023-Feb 2024

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