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By Jenny Lambert, National Policy & Research Advisor
There has been plenty happening in accommodation policy and advocacy in my first few months working at AA. Issues around migration, airline capacity and pricing, short-term rental accommodation (STRA), tourism and workplace relations have all been front and centre in the national discourse and we have been active representing your views and needs to decision makers.
The battle over the Victorian bed tax was an important case in point, and our President has well highlighted in this newsletter the effectiveness of a collective voice in ensuring that the 7.5% levy did not apply to commercial accommodation (see also our two-page advocacy statement which went to Victorian MPs here). The debate over this new levy was symptomatic of an increasingly active discussion about whether the relatively unfettered growth in platforms like AirBNB have gone too far, particularly as the evidence is overwhelming that the increase in short-term rental accommodation (STRA) has impacted both the cost of rents and the availability of properties for long term rentals. We have seen increased regulatory action not just here but overseas, including the approval for Byron Shire to introduce a 60-day cap from 2024, and Waverley Council calling for 60-day cap across NSW. In New York City, they have effectively banned non-hosted short-term rentals for any period below 3 months. AA considers the time is right for a more nationally consistent approach to STRA regulation, with scope for regional variations, and we will be strongly advocating this over the coming months.
The Fair Work “Closing Loopholes” Bill introduced into Parliament in September includes a significant and complex change to the definition of a casual which, if enacted, will result in a major modification to how casuals are engaged by accommodation employers. AA has worked with our colleagues at AHA to ensure that our concerns are well articulated and have met with Minister Burke and his office on a number of occasions. The Bill is currently the subject of a Senate Inquiry, and the AHA submission can be found here. This advocacy document includes an alternative definition which would be more workable and allow casuals to keep regular shifts that they can fit in with their studies or family duties, and still remain as casuals if they wish to do so.
The Federal Government has also been under pressure to reveal why they refused extra Qatar flights into Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Transport Minister Catherine King, and other Cabinets Ministers, created more confusion than clarity as to why the Government made the decision. AA joined many other tourism organisations in expressing concern over the decision as the extra flights would have resulted in a lot more inbound tourists and lower airfares. We put in a submission to the Senate Inquiry on Bilateral Airservices Agreements which can be found here.
Another policy area that is never far from the headlines is migration. The Labor government initiated an independent review of migration policy this year and have committed to release a comprehensive strategy by the end of the year. They have also been active in legislation and a review of exploitation of migrants. AA put forward a range of important recommendations on migration in its submission into Tourism and International Education (see here), including a strong statement about the importance of the retaining the ability for working holiday makers to work for their second and third year in the regions. We also supported a reduction in complexity and cost of employer sponsored migration.
With domestic tourism waning as more Australians travel overseas, we hope that the return of the Approved Destination Status in China will bring in more Chinese tourists and that overseas arrivals generally continue their climb back to the pre-COVID numbers. With more hotels opening, let us hope that increasing tourism demand delivers good returns for members over the next few months and beyond.
Regards,
Jenny Lambert
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