Member Soapbox – Adelaide Hills

OAKBANK HOTEL – HALEY AND CRAIG

“We’re proud to be a part of our local community. We support them because they support us. When you walk into a pub, all the social barriers come down and you feel like you belong. We especially love our venue – no one’s better than anyone else. We’re a team.”

“Last year, we gave about $30,000 back to the community through sponsorships and we can see the positive flow-on effects from that.”

“Alcohol excise, electricity, and increases in supply costs are the biggest issues for us.”

“There’s a fine line we need to tread between absorbing costs into the business and putting prices up for

our customers. When we look at the number of taxes our industry pays, we often ask ourselves, doesn’t the government realise this puts prices up for customers - Don’t they want us to trade more? Ultimately, higher costs for us means less turnover, which means less money into the economy. We do feel like the industry is making more noise about things like excise and that’s good to see.”

“We have a shortage of staff and skills in our industry. The Government also needs to look at changing the skills system a bit and maybe look at rebates to help employers support younger people looking at getting a job in hospitality.”

GERMAN ARMS – STEPHEN

“Tourism is going gangbusters and people know we’re a prime destination. The Premier is doing a good job bringing in tourism but that’s not enough – we need lower taxes so we can keep costs down and people having a good time. We need to bring back the front bar vibe.”

“When I look at the alcohol excise, which is our biggest issue, I think we’re taxed enough. It’s just endless. We need a Prime Minister that will take the bull by the horns and get rid of this excise. We absorb these costs into our business and

only increase beer prices once per year to help keep costs down for patrons.”

“We support local beer and cider brewers wherever we can but they’re doing it tough too.”

“The other big issue for us is migration. I’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to get people in on working visas only for them to be ‘stuck in the system’. Add on wages, fees, annual leave, and the cost becomes massive. Skilled migration seriously needs to be looked at.”

LOBETHAL HOTEL – NICOLE AND TRAVIS

“We’re 18 months into owning this pub. We’re more settled now and a lot more comfortable – protecting ourselves and patrons.”

“Advocacy wise, it’s all about the alcohol excise for us! Once pints get too expensive across our industry, patrons will be faced with tough decisions. We’ve always absorbed the alcohol excise into our

operating costs to avoid passing it onto customers but doing that is becoming problematic.”

“We’re looking forward to growing the business further. We’re building a new beer garden and it’s being landscaped – that’s happening very quickly and the AHASA helped us a lot with getting the licensing and council approvals for that.”

WOODSIDE HOTEL – DOUG AND CHELSEA

“We’re so proud of our food and service. What we deliver to patrons is excellent and has come a long way.”

“The cost of living is having an impact on our locals though. Small country pubs like ours are still recovering from the losses we suffered during Covid. On top of that, CPI is going up, and beer prices are going up because of the alcohol excise. The Government and some people don’t realise that we absorb a lot of these increasing costs into our business to keep prices from going up for patrons. The alcohol excise in particular is actually a tax on socialising and jobs. It’s a hidden tax.”

“So many events are being attracted to South Australia, and that’s great but to grow further, we need a break from high costs.”

“Leading up to Christmas last year, trading went really well, but it’s inconsistent throughout the year. We need to get people back into pubs and socialising.”

“The AHASA help us out a lot - I can lean on Council members like Sam McInnes for advice and staff are always a phone call away.”

BEDFORD HOTEL – DALE AND MARV

“The alcohol excise is the biggest issue we face as a small country pub. When you look at all the other

taxes and operating costs we pay, we think – We’re taxed enough. When will it stop?”

BALHANNAH HOTEL - GREG

“We’re growing and building a new beer garden to attract more people into the venue. We’ve engaged architects and local builders to keep the garden within the aesthetic of the town – keeping that rural feel with picket fencing, as well as easy access and exit points on the perimeter.”

“Regulation and compliance take up too many resources for us at a time when we’re trying to grow.”

“Inflationary pressures and the twice per year alcohol excise doesn’t just hurt us, it hurts customers. The more we see our customers hurting, we have no choice but to find cost saving measures that essentially just ‘rob Peter to pay Paul’. We need at least a freeze on the excise. We can offer loyalty programs and happy hours but again, those saving measure just increase costs for us elsewhere in the business.”

"We are a small country pub. The AHA|SA help us out a lot."