As Victoria today moves to reopen its borders, the Victorian Liberal Nationals announce a new plan to help get restaurants, cafes, bars, hotels and motels across Victoria back up and running.
After suffering the world's longest lockdown and the harshest restrictions in the nation, Victoria's hospitality and accommodation industries are on their knees.
Labor's lockdowns axed tens of thousands of jobs in the sector, while those staff still struggling to pay the bills were left with no choice but to leave the industry in search of a more certain future.
Months of unviable patron limits, closures of domestic and international borders, and now staff shortages – worsened by a lack of international students and backpackers – leaves many venues and accommodation providers crying out for new, positive ideas to bring workers back.
Today's reopening of the Victoria-New South Wales border – with other states not far behind – we need a new plan to meet demand from an influx of visitors, to get workers into jobs and to give these critical industries the staff they need.
Therefore, theVictorian Liberal Nationals are calling on the State Government to leverage the $250 million Jobs Victoria Fund to attract new employees to Victoria's hospitality and accommodation sectors.
Under this plan, new employees hired and retained within Victoria's hospitality and accommodation sectors would receive:
- Metropolitan Melbourne - $250 after 10 days of work within a 30 day period and a further $250 after another 30 days work within a 90 day period.
- Regional Victoria - $500 after 10 days of work within a 30 day period and a further $500 after another 30 days work within a 90 day period.
This sign-on bonus would help attract and retain new staff within Victoria's hospitality and accommodation sectors and remain available until 30 June 2022.
As stated by Leader of the Opposition, Matthew Guy:
"After two lost years of lockdowns and red tape the last thing small businesses need is a staff shortage to hold them back.
"Our plan will help get people into great jobs and help businesses across the state reopen, recover and rebuild."
As stated by Shadow Minister for Liquor Regulation, Steph Ryan:
"Labor's lockdowns decimated Victoria's hospitality and accommodation industries by forcing tens of thousands of workers to find other work.
"We need new, positive ideas to bring workers back and revive our struggling hospitality and accommodation businesses so they can quickly get back on their feet."
