Accommodation Australia has welcomed the announcement that hotels and pubs offering accommodation and regulated accommodation providers will not be targeted by the Victorian Short Stay Levy.
This has reinforced the important distinction that hotels and pubs do not contribute to the removal of housing stock from the long-term rental market.
In the lead-up to this announcement, Accommodation Australia adopted a targeted approach to educate and inform key industry and government stakeholders, providing a detailed policy position, and outlining the concerns of members.
General Manager for Accommodation Australia in Victoria, Dougal Hollis, congratulated the Victorian Government for engaging with and listening to our industry, adding that not including hotels and pubs in the short-stay levy is a common-sense approach to the matter.
“Hotels are huge employers and are a key part of any vibrant city. Victoria has led Australia’s new hotel development boom since 2020, with almost 9,000 new hotel rooms now available across Melbourne alone,” said Hollis.
Offering commercial accommodation comes with significant regulatory requirements and related costs. Hollis said that the sector is still recovering from the pandemic.
“We appreciate the government has taken this into account when shaping these policy settings.”
Accommodation Australia National CEO, Michael Johnson, said the announcement will enable Victorian commercial accommodation providers to remain competitive against other states and territories when pitching for business.
“It will also provide investors with the confidence and certainty they need to encourage future development of new hotel accommodation infrastructure across Victoria,” he said.
