The Australian Hotels Association (AHA) has commended the Government’s announcement of an innovative $752 million Youth Jobs PaTH (Prepare-Trial-Hire) Programme aimed at helping young job seekers to move off welfare and into employment. AHA National CEO Stephen Ferguson said, “Previous employment programmes had not quite lined up the needs of young job seekers with the needs of business”. “Minister Michaelia Cash has taken the time to discuss with employers the best way of getting young Australians into employment.” “The PaTH Programme delivers a package that will really help our hotels help young people who may not be quite job ready”.
Read More

The Australian Hotels Association (AHA) has commended the Government’s announcement that the small business entity annual turnover threshold will be increased from $2 million to $10 million from 1 July and that the corporate tax will decrease by 1%. AHA National CEO Stephen Ferguson said, “The previous threshold of $2 million for immediate deductions was welcomed last year; however the lifting of the threshold to $10 million will enable far more hotels to invest and grow”. “The 1% reduction in the corporate tax rate for small business will really help small to midsized hotels”. “Hotels operate in the highly competitive
Read More

AHA today welcomed the release of the Federal Government’s response to the review of illegal offshore wagering as delivered by the Hon Barry O’Farrell. AHA National CEO Stephen Ferguson said, “Importantly, the Government recognised the need for consumer protections for online gambling and the need to strengthen existing laws against illegal operators.” “The decision to maintain the prohibition of ‘online in play’ gambling will be welcomed by the vast majority of Australians.” “‘Click to call’ in play betting is clearly a breach of the intent of the Interactive Gambling Act and the Government is commended for its intention to block
Read More

Government’s review of ‘backpacker tax’ welcomed to maintain tourism growth momentum – Tourism Accommodation Australia Australia’s peak accommodation body, Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA), has welcomed the announcement this morning by the Minister for Tourism, Senator Richard Colbeck, that the Government would review its plans regarding the ‘backpacker tax’. Under the original proposal, the Government planned to scrap the tax‐free threshold for visitors on working holiday visas, meaning backpackers and other working holidaymakers would pay 32.5 cents tax on every dollar they earned. TAA has made strong representations to Government that the measure would significantly affect hotels in regional and remote areas and their ability to attract
Read More

Accommodation industry responds to NSW inquiry into short-term letting time to level playing field for commercial short-term accommodation Australia’s accommodation sector has called on the NSW Government to level the playing field for all accommodation including commercial property owners using on-line distribution channels to rent houses and units for short-term letting. In response to the rapid rise in the unregulated short-term accommodation sector, accommodation providers are advocating for the NSW Government committee to recommend: Increasing transparency of supply in the sector by implementing a register for all short-term accommodation providers, and advocating for the Federal Government to implement permanent research tools to better understand the extent
Read More