A majority Liberal Government will:
- Provide $8 million in support for our hospitality sector and the 22,000 Tasmanian jobs* it provides, including:
- Supporting Women in Leadership
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Support
- A new Regional Hospitality Revival Fund
- Work to develop Hospitality 2030, a long term plan and shared vision for the industry
- Supporting the THA’s Great Customer Experience, Skills and Workforce Development and Clubs Tasmania programs
The Tasmanian hospitality sector is one of the State’s largest employers.
The Tasmanian Liberals have been strong supporters of our hospitality industry and the 22,000 jobs it provides for Tasmanians. We will continue to work closely with this important industry to ensure it remains world-class, can grow and continue to provide outstanding visitor experiences.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government recognises the Tasmanian Hospitality Association as the peak body for the hospitality industry. In Government, we will continue to have a Hospitality portfolio, will work with the THA and all industry participants, to create new pathways and improve access to employment opportunities for Tasmanians.
Supporting Women in Leadership
We recognise the benefits of greater representation in leadership roles for women across the hospitality industry.
To support and empower women in the hospitality industry, a re-elected Majority Liberal Government will work with the THA and industry members to develop a program of initiatives, including mentoring, coaching and events, as well as scholarships to support leadership skills development.
We will provide $600,000 over four years to support this work.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Support
Tasmania is seeing strong recovery in our economy and the hospitality sector as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, we know there has been an ongoing mental health impact on many operators and staff.A re‑elected Majority Liberal Government will provide $600,000 over two years for the THA to deliver mental health support and assistance to operators and workers in the sector.
This funding will also support the industry to look at preventive health and wellbeing initiatives which support a healthy workforce.
This will include mentoring and support across the state and across the sector.
Regional Hospitality Revival Fund
Tasmania’s regional pubs, restaurants and cafes play an important role in our local communities, and will play an important part of our recovery, attracting Tasmanians and interstate visitors into our regions.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will provide $1 million to establish a Regional Hospitality Revival Fund.
The Fund will provide small grants of up to $1,500 to hospitality businesses outside of Hobart and Launceston.
These could include initiatives that attract visitors into the regions, hosting an event, hiring a live band, promotions and advertising, or minor works such as updating signage and amenity.
The grant scheme will be administered by the Department of State Growth, in collaboration with the THA.
Great Customer Experience
The Great Customer Experience has played a pivotal role in the hospitality sector over the past seven years, providing free support to tourism and hospitality businesses, and supporting a culture of customer experience excellence across all regions of Tasmania.
This has seen more than 1800 hospitality businesses involved with the scheme, with more than 2400 staff accessing skills development and training, and during COVID, GCE contractors had more than 7000 direct engagements, including visits and phone calls, with businesses around the state. This supported businesses with vital information and advice.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will provide $2.4 million over three years to ensure this valued program can continue.
Supporting Clubs, Sporting Clubs and RSLs
Tasmania’s clubs, sporting clubs and RSLs are the backbone of our local communities.
We know that clubs across the state play an incredibly important role in our communities, not just for promoting health and wellbeing but for the broader contribution they make to the Tasmanian economy.
They also play a vital role providing critical support services to their members and members of the community in need of assistance.
Supporting these institutions is now more important than ever, as we recover from the pandemic, and we will invest $1.15 million over the next four years to ensure clubs receive the advice, guidance and support they need to have a secure future.
Hospitality 2030 – Building Skills and Workforce Development
Tasmania’s hospitality sector employs tens of thousands of Tasmanians across the state, and we want to grow the industry further by building the skills and capabilities that are needed to support recovery and meet the needs of industry.
We will work with the THA to develop Hospitality 2030, a long-term plan for hospitality, which will have a shared vision for the industry.
It will guide how we build on our strengths and grow the industry to be world leading – driving growth in our visitor economy and creating jobs.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will back Hospitality 2030 with $2.25 million over three years, which will enable the THA to continue to support workforce development across the hospitality sector.
This is in addition our support for the establishment of Tourism and Hospitality Training Tasmania earlier this year, which included a $1.0 million investment to get it up and running.
Current work underway right now
We have delivered:
- More than $24 million to the tourism and hospitality sectors across the Small Business Grant programs, putting money back into the pockets of businesses.
- A $10 million scheme to support reimbursements for hospitality businesses against their energy bills.
- $4 million in direct financial support to tourism and hospitality businesses identified as critical to regional visitor attraction that remain in acute financial stress.
- $1 million to waive annual liquor licences for 2021.
- $500,000 to extend the business planning support program.
Our record in Government:
- Established the first ever Hospitality Unit, in the Department of State Growth.
- Establishment of Tourism and Hospitality Training Tasmania, to support skills and training specifically designed for these industries.
- Supported THA to drive continued growth of employment in the industry.
Labor-Green Government:
- In 2018, Labor and the Greens wanted to remove all pokies from Tasmanian pubs and clubs.
- In 2021, Labor changed its mind, the Greens didn’t, but some Labor candidates still want pokies removed.
Costings:
The cost of this policy is $8 million over four years.
*Job numbers pre-pandemic