QHA-Review_April

q u e e n s l a n d h o T E L S a s s o c i a t i o n 

A p r i l 2 0 2 2 e d i t i o n 

Live music comeback 

BRING ON A ROCKING 2022 

FEATURE: 

SWING INTO BOONOOROO 

FOCUS: 

FIVE STARS FOR AMORA 

CRAFTY BUNCH: 

MAKING A BROUHAHA

Super Rugby 

Pacific 

Every Match. Ad-free. 

Now Available for Venues 

Visit: stan.com.au/sport/venues

Stephen Ferguson (AHA Chief Executive), The Hon Trevor Evans MP (Member for Brisbane), Bernie Hogan (QHA Chief Executive), 

Tom McGuire AM (QHA President), the Hon Michael Sukkar MP (Assistant Treasurer), Suzanne Jacobi-Lee (Eumundi Group), 

Mel Porter (Porters Plainland Hotel) and Sam Ingham-Myers (Rocklea Hotel) 

PREDICTING THE FUTURE 

HOPEFULLY THE 

QUEENSLAND 

GOVERNMENT 

WILL HOLD THEIR 

NERVE AND 

COME TO FULLY 

UNDERSTAND THE 

TERM “LIVING 

WITH COVID”. 

By the time this column goes to print and comes out to our members it will be 

April 2022. As such, we at the QHA have to regularly look into our crystal ball 

and predict the future. For our members, this future could have a few rather 

large impacts on their businesses. 

Firstly, hopefully by April, Queensland will have followed the other states of 

Australia and abolished the check-in apps and vaccine mandates for hospitality 

workforces or patrons. It is outrageous that once again the hospitality industry 

has been hamstrung by a restriction that is not widely complied with across the 

community and is becoming more irrelevant by the day. 

Hopefully the Queensland Government will hold their nerve and come to fully 

understand the term “living with COVID”. It doesn’t mean starting all over again 

as if it is March 2020. 

We will have also had the Federal Budget handed down, and, if reports 

emerging from Canberra are true, our industry could be successful in reducing 

the tax on draught beer. This will be a win for hospitality venues everywhere 

that are the major employers in so many cities and towns across Australia. 

QHA and Australian Hotels Association continue to encourage our members to 

pass on the benefits of this change to their patrons, to their communities and 

staff as best they can. Every community can share in this. 

The last prediction is that the Federal Election will be in full swing. In May 2022, 

there will be an election and, as usual, the hospitality and tourism industry must 

stand tall and demand good representation in the halls of Canberra. 

QHA again asks our members to only support those candidates that obviously 

and repeatedly support our industry. You would never rely on flaky tradespeople 

or suppliers that only show up every four years when they need something – 

so don’t settle for that in your politicians either. They will ask for your support, 

often financially, so make sure you are getting what you are promised. 

BERNIE HOGAN 

QHA CHIEF EXECUTIVE/EDITOR 

QHA REVIEW | 3

FEATURE: 

SWING INTO BOONOOROO 


A p r i l 2 0 2 2 e d i t i o n 

FOCUS: 

FIVE STARS FOR AMORA 

CRAFTY BUNCH: 

MAKING A BROUHAHA 

Live music comeback 

BRING ON A ROCKING 2022 

o u r c o v e r : 

Sandstone Point 

Hotel, This That 

Festival 

3 EDITOR’S LETTER 

5 CONTRIBUTORS 

A p r i l 2 0 2 2 e d i t i o n 

QHA 

Level 14, 270 Adelaide Street 

Brisbane, Queensland 4000 

GPO Box 343 

Brisbane, Queensland 4001 

Phone: 07 3221 6999 

1800 177 594 

Fax: 07 3221 6649 

Web: www.qha.org.au 

Email: info@qha.org.au 

Office Hours 

8.30am – 5.00pm Monday to Friday 

President 

Mr Tom McGuire AM 

Senior Vice President 

Mr Richard Deery 

Vice Presidents 

Mr Scott Armstrong 

Mr Brad Fitzgibbons 

Mr Matthew Coorey 

Chief Executive and Editor 

Mr Bernie Hogan 

www.qha.org.au 

6 NEWS 

24 INSIGHTS 

LIVE MUSIC 

36 FEATURE 

BOONOOROO GOLF COURSE 

44 FOCUS 

AMORA BRISBANE 

47 ACCOMMODATION UPDATE 

48 TOP DROP 

50 A CRAFTY BUNCH 

BROUHAHA 

60 WINE & PUB TALK 

62 TRADE DIRECTORY 

64 PARTNERS & CORPORATE MEMBERS 

QHA REVIEW | 4 

QHA REVIEW is published by the Queensland 

Hotels Association ABN 54 878 166 941. 

All information is correct at time of going to press. 

The publishers cannot accept responsibility for 

errors in articles or advertisements, or unsolicited 

manuscripts, photographs or illustrations. 

The opinions and words of the authors do not 

necessarily represent those of the publisher. All 

rights reserved. Reproduction in part or whole is 

strictly prohibited without prior permission. 

EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING 

For all editorial and advertising queries: 

Simon Cross 0413 698 630 

qhareview@qha.org.au

DAMIAN STEELE 

QHA Industry 

Engagement 

Manager 

A hospitality industry 

professional with over 

30 years’ experience 

in liquor, gaming and 

operations. Damian 

has a strong focus 

on compliance and 

legislation. 

KELLIE HOURIGAN 

QHA Senior Training 

Officer 

Kellie manages the 

development and 

delivery of industry 

related training courses 

for QHA member hotels 

and other hospitality 

venues. 

PAUL ST JOHN-WOOD 

QHA Membership Officer 

Paul is the face of the 

Association to many QHA 

members as he travels the 

length and breadth of the 

state visiting, advising and 

assisting publicans. 

MAEVE MCKENZIE 

QHA Accommodation 

Membership Officer 

Maeve has joined 

QHA as our new 

Membership Officer 

for Accommodation. 

Maeve grew up in and 

around the industry and 

is here to provide advice, 

advocate and support 

members. 

JOANNA MINCHINTON 

QHA Employment 

Relations Manager 

Joanna has spent her 

career developing a 

broad knowledge and 

skill base, providing 

formal representation 

in jurisdictions such as 

Fair Work Commission, 

the QIRC, and the 

ADCQ. 

THE HON SHANNON 

FENTIMAN MP 

Attorney-General and 

Minister for Justice 

Shannon Fentiman 

is the Labor member 

for Waterford in the 

Queensland Legislative 

Assembly. She is also 

the Minister for Women 

and the Minister for the 

Prevention of Domestic 

and Family Violence. 

VICTORIA THOMSON 

Commissioner for 

Office of Liquor and 

Gaming Regulation 

Queensland 

Victoria is responsible 

for the regulatory policy 

and strategic direction 

of product safety, 

licensing, compliance 

and enforcement 

activitiestoprotect market 

integrity and keep 

Queenslanders safe. 

CURT SCHATZ 

Managing Partner, 

Mullins 

With over 30 years’ 

experience in property, 

liquor and gaming law, 

Curt is recognised 

as a leader in this 

field. He advises pub, 

club, nightclub, 

restaurant, resort and 

accommodation venue 

owners and operators. 

PAUL WATSON 

Hostplus, Group 

Executive, Member 

Experience 

Paul provides key-executive 

strategic leadership, 

development, and 

management of Hostplus’ 

Member Experience 

division, responsible 

for the achievement of 

high-quality membercentric 

experiences and 

outcomes for Hostplus’ 

members, employers and 

stakeholders. 

NICK BAINBRIGGE 

State Manager (Qld) 

Aristocrat 

Nick has a proven 

history in wholesale 

liquor, electronic 

gaming, and hotel and 

restaurant operation. 

He now heads up the 

state team for one 

of Australia’s leading 

manufacturers of 

gaming machines. 


NEWS 

WELLSHOT WIN 


The mighty Wellshot Hotel at Ilfracombe has been 

awarded a Gold medal in the 2021 Grey Nomad 

Awards for the Best Grey Nomad Pub Stay. 

The pub itself shares a nomadic past with the guests 

who have voted in its favour. 

Built prior to 1890 it was originally a travelling hotel, 

pulled along on sleds to serve the workers building the 

next railway station on the line. 

It’s known that it was once in the main street of 

Barcaldine, 80kms to the east, and suspected that its 

real life started further down the line, about 300km to 

the east. 

The hotel offers a range of powered and unpowered 

sites for guests next to the beer garden, as well as 

seven airconditioned rooms, a donga and two selfcontained 

units nearby. 

Owned by Tracy Hatch and her husband Paul since 

October 2016, the pub has made a name for itself 

on social media for its quirky bar stools shaped like 

cowgirl’s bottoms and a unique fundraising system 

that involves throwing money at the ceiling. 

The Wellshot was one of 20 tourism experiences 

named the annual awards program which is designed 

to shine a light on the best places for older travellers to 

stay and play around Australia. 

Awards director Liz Rivers said the Awards provide 

verified information for Grey Nomads, helping to 

guide decisions on where to stay and play around the 

country. 

THE WELLSHOT WAS ONE OF 20 TOURISM 

EXPERIENCES NAMED THE ANNUAL 

AWARDS PROGRAM WHICH IS DESIGNED 

TO SHINE A LIGHT ON THE BEST PLACES 

FOR OLDER TRAVELLERS TO STAY AND PLAY 

AROUND AUSTRALIA. 

“Australians have long enjoyed epic trips, starting in 

the post-war period when economic prosperity and 

the launch of Holden collided,” Ms Rivers said. 

“That love of the open road has never dimmed, and 

as Australia is a big country knowing where to visit to 

experience something extraordinary is highly valuable.” 

She said Australians over the age of 55 represent 

one of the biggest opportunities in domestic tourism 

recovery, possessing 32% of Australia’s disposable 

income, along with the flexibility and motivation to 

travel. 

Tourism operators enter the Awards and are judged 

by tourism leaders from across the country who 

offer feedback to each entrant in each category and 

practical tips to improve their tourism offering in the 

future. 

The judges said: “This year’s winners reflect the 

exceptional experiences on offer to senior travellers. 

Each winner is playing a small yet critical role in 

assisting the Australian tourism sector recovery.”

NEWS 

Other Gold medal winners were: 

• Best Grey Nomad Attraction: Paronella Park, 

Tropical North QLD 

• Best Grey Nomad Historic Attraction: Mary 

Valley Rattler, Gympie QLD 

• Best Grey Nomad Tour: Go Ballooning Gold 

Coast Hot Air Balloon Flight, Gold Coast QLD 

• Best Grey Nomad Trail: Explore 

Rockhampton Self-Guided Audio Tours App, 

Central QLD 

• Best Grey Nomad Festival or Event: Hervey 

Bay Seafood Festival, Fraser Coast QLD 

• Best Grey Nomad Community Stay: Berri 

Riverside Holiday Park, Riverlands SA 

• Best Grey Nomad Council Free Stay: Kimba 

Recreation Reserve, Eyre Peninsula SA 

• Best Grey Nomad Farm or Station Stay: 

Charlotte Plains Outback Magic, Outback 

QLD 

• Best Grey Nomad Pub Stay: The Wellshot 

Hotel Ilfracombe, Outback QLD 

• Best Grey Nomad Small Caravan Park: Point 

Turton Caravan Park, Yorke Peninsula SA 

• Best Grey Nomad Large Caravan Park: 

Queens Beach Tourist Village, Bowen QLD. 

Pictures: Courtesy Keesey's Pub Adventures 


NEWS 

Mel Porter pours a beer for the 

Perfect Pour Competition 

PUBS, POTS 

Macca (Bororen Hotel Motel), Benito Zussino, 

Bernie Hogan, Heath Browning & Peter 

Hawkins from the Light Group 

PUBS, POTS 

& PROFITS 

Whilst 2022 has seen much of the south-east corner 

under water, the QHA waded its way north to present 

Pubs, Pots & Profits at the Grand Hotel in Gladstone. 

The event began with an industry roundtable, cochaired 

by the Brewers Association of Australia, as 

the QHA continues to take action against the climbing 

cost of beer to our industry. Local sitting members 

and candidates were invited to attend the discussion, 

with LNP Candidate for Flynn, Colin Boyce, showing 

his strong support for a draught beer tax cut. 

The ongoing weather conditions kept the crowd small 

but enthusiastic, enjoying a presentation by Danny 

Nixon-Smith from DNS Specialist Services and a 

Publican’s Panel featuring Mel Porter from Porters 

Plainland Hotel and Stephen Stoios from CQ Hotels 

Group. 

All attendees participated in the highly competitive 

‘Perfect Pour’ competition which saw Benito Zussino 

from the Light Group take out the bragging honours. 

The next Pubs, Pots & Profits event will take place in 

Townsville on 10th May. 

OFITS 

Stephen Stoios pours a beer 

for the Perfect Pour Competition 

Cassandra White, Cassandra Pradella & 

Mikaela Bruce from The Grand Gladstone

NEWS 

BUY A PIECE OF CAIRNS 

Tropical Queenslander Motel in Cairns is up for sale 

via expressions of interest through JLL Hotels & 

Hospitality. 

The venue, on the same street as Cairns Base 

Hospital, includes 58 rooms, two resort-style 

swimming pools and a restaurant facility (currently 

closed). 

Its proximity to the hospital has financial benefits too. 

JLL’s Gareth Closter said the hotel participated in the 

Patient Travel Subsidy Scheme (PTSS) which provides 

financial assistance to eligible patients referred to 

specialist medical services not available in their local 

public hospital or health facility. 

“Whilst the Cairns accommodation market has 

experienced pressure throughout the COVID 

pandemic, the Tropical Queenslander has enjoyed 

strong occupancy and great cashflow as a result of the 

consistent hospital-related business,” Mr Closter said. 

A total of 20 rooms in the hotel are offered to eligible 

patients who apply for the subsidy which produces 

around 35% of the income the Tropical Queenslander 

generates. 

“With Cairns being a major regional hub with a primary 

referral hospital there is a huge catchment for these 

types of medical based uses which drives demand for 

the Tropical Queenslander,” he said. 

Enjoying three street frontages on a substantial site of 

3,708sqm, the Tropical Queenslander has substantial 

development upside whilst the existing building and 

business provides excellent income. 

“Cairns is such an iconic tourism destination. Clearly 

the region will benefit from the re-opening of Australia’s 

borders combined with the pent-up demand for 

people to travel,” Mr Closter said. 

Accommodation providers in Cairns are reporting 

higher occupancy in March with strong forward 

bookings in April given the Easter Holiday period. 

“I see 2022 as being a strong year for the FNQ region 

given our newfound freedom to travel. It’s a destination 

that offers so much for tourists to enjoy,” he said. 

Anyone keen to find out more can contact Gareth 

on 0423 182 766 or via email at 

Gareth.Closter@ap.jll.com 


NEWS 

OLYMPIC MOVE FOR QUEST 


With the Olympics on the way, overseas travel making 

a comeback, and changes to working visas, there is a 

sense of good things to come creeping back into the 

hospitality market. 

For the team at Quest Apartment Hotels, 2022 is 

shaping up to be a busy one with the news that the 

group will be taking control of 81-rooms across five 

levels of a mixed-use development currently under 

construction in Brisbane’s busy Spring Hill precinct. 

The development, by Barber Property Group, will 

include a private medical facility called Wickham 

Private as well as the Quest on Wickham Terrace with 

its mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartment style 

hotel rooms as well a ground level reception, business 

lounge, conferencing facility and rooftop pool. 

The new building will also offer retail, food and 

beverage options once completed in November 2023. 

Quest’s General Manager of Growth & Capital Strategy, 

James Shields, said Quest on Wickham Terrace will 

service a broad range of traveller segments including 

a large medical community, with numerous health 

providers already in the area and Wickham Private 

coming soon. 

“Spring Hill has a significant medical fraternity with 

Brisbane Private Hospital, St Andrews War Memorial 

Hospital and numerous medical specialists in the area, 

and Quest on Wickham Terrace will be well placed to 

service this market," Mr Shields said. 

“We also envisage that there will be some pre-andpost-operative 

guests who choose to stay at the 

new hotel, in particular those travelling to the area for 

surgery and wanting a little extra time to recuperate. 

“In addition to these ongoing and immediate 

opportunities, with the 2032 Olympics secured, 

Brisbane is set to experience an infrastructure 

and investment boom, so we’re also predicting a 

consistent increase in demand at Quest on Wickham 

Terrance over the coming years, providing long term 

stability to the prospective franchisee operator and our 

development partner alike." 

Barber Property Group Director Paul Barber said the 

developer was proud to partner with Quest Apartment 

Hotels to deliver a fully integrated medical offering, the 

largest of its kind in Queensland. 

Quest on Wickham Terrace was the sixth property 

Quest Apartment Hotels announced in 2021 and 

followed the announcement of Quest Blacktown and 

Quest Truganina last month, but Shields said there is 

more to come in the new year. 

“We’ve never been busier and have a record number 

of projects set to announce in 2022 in Australia,” he 

said.

NEWS 

PREMIUM SAFETY PUSH 

If ever there was a sign of the times we live in, the 

latest push by hotel giant Accor to reassure their 

guests they can travel safely with little fear of contact 

must be it. 

For a French-based business grown from a culture 

where the pat on the shoulder and a kiss on the 

cheeks is simply considered polite to be forced into 

finding as many ways as possible to keep guests and 

hosts apart – without feeling apart – must have been 

an extra level of perplexing. 

For hospitality businesses all around the world the leap 

in serve-yourself technology, from standalone screens 

in the takeaway giants like McDonalds, to web-based 

digital menus in restaurants, self-check-in terminals in 

the foyers of airports and mobile-based check ins for 

hotels, has been rapidly accelerated by COVID. 

As too has been the push for the ultimate cleaning 

solutions – processes, technology and schedules that 

are comprehensive enough to reassure visitors that 

the table they’re sitting in, the bed they’re sleeping in, 

the glass they’re drinking out, or the screen they’re 

swiping, won’t harbour the silent danger of whatever 

form of COVID-19 we happen to be dealing with at the 

time. 

Patrick Mendes, Accor Group’s Chief Commercial 

Officer in charge of Sales, Marketing, Distribution, 

Digital and Loyalty, said Accor had launched a safety 

campaign, Allsafe, in May 2020, as part of its focus 

on meeting the health and safety requirements of its 

travellers and global health agencies at the start of the 

pandemic. 

In the time since the group has continued to evolve 

the concept, rolling it out across its global network and 

adding new partnerships that enhance the support 

available for customers. 

“Throughout this difficult period, our teams have 

consistently enhanced our already stringent protocols 

and offered innovative solutions while continuing to 

take care of our guests and guarantee everyone’s 

safety and wellbeing,” Mr Mendes said. 

The hotels in the group that are allowed to use the 

Allsafe brand, and it has now reached 98% of the 

Group’s portfolio, must pass strict cleanliness audits 

by either Accor’s safety team, or the likes of Bureau 

Veritas which specialises in testing, inspection and 

certification. 

Accor has also partnered with insurance giant Axa 

Partners to provide its customers with free access 

to medical teleconsultations and a network of vetted 

local health professionals, including, in some cases, 

laboratories for COVID-19 testing. The Axa solution 

is available in 3600 of the group’s hotels, 78% of its 

network, in 90 countries around the world. 

Contactless solutions being used now across the 

hotels include online check-in before arrival, keyless 

entry to the rooms with Accor Key technology and 

online payment solutions like Pay By Link for in-hotel 

purchases during their stay. 

Another initiative that is rolling out around the world is 

the Group’s All Connect program that allows guests 

to book hybrid meetings that enable guests to either 

attend in person, or dial in via the All Connect system 

powered by Microsoft Teams. 


NEWS 

The Attorney-General 

addresses the crowd 

Suzanne Jacobi Lee (Eumundi Group), Mel Porter (Porters 

Plainland Hotel) and Mel Tait (Murrumba Downs Tavern) 

2022 

Hotel Symposium 

Roghan, Matthew, Chew and Cameron 

from HLB Mann-Judd 

A record crowd of more than 130 attendees enjoyed the hospitality 

of The Prince Consort Hotel for the annual Hotel Symposium. 

Starting with an address to the Industry from the Attorney- 

General, The Honourable Shannon Fentiman MP, attendees joined 

in an enthusiastic Q&A session that also included Craig Turner, 

representing the Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation. 

Supported by QHA partners IGT, Mullins Lawyers, Westpac, HLB 

Mann-Judd and Lion, the event included presentations on topics 

such as: Insights into Gaming Market & Industry Trends, Asset 

Markets in 2022, The Challenges Faced from the Rise of the 

Craft Brewery, Migration Insights, and an economic outlook with 

Uncharted Waters – 2022 and Beyond. 

Thank-you to the event partners and to all the hoteliers who took 

the time out of their businesses to attend. 

Ross Farquhar from The Caxton Hotel 

speaks to the Attorney-General 


Damien Stephen (Fitzgibbons Group) and Rick 

Kay (Aus Hotels) with Craig Harley (IGT) 

La La Land at the Prince Consort Hotel

NEWS 

Mark Kennedy (TAB), Matt Coorey (Boardwalk 

Tavern) and Andy Orbach (Taylor Collison). 

Bar stools just waiting for patrons at 

La La Land at Prince Consort Hotel. 

A record crowd of more than 130 

attendees enjoyed the hospitality of 

The Prince Consort Hotel for the 

annual Hotel Symposium. 

Andy Orbach, 

Bernie Hogan (QHA) 

and Craig Harley 

Nick Gregorski from The Port Office 

Hotel addresses the Attorney General 

Alisha Gordon (AVC), Janaya Higginson (Tabcorp), 

Jodi Cox (AVC) and Damian Steele (QHA) 


NEWS 

STATE OF THE MARKET 

THEY SAY IT TAKES 21 DAYS TO FORM NEW HABITS. THE IMPACT OF COVID IS FAST APPROACHING ITS TWO-YEAR 

ANNIVERSARY AND NEW HABITS HAVE COLLECTIVELY TURNED INTO NEW INDUSTRY TRENDS. IN THIS ARTICLE STEVE 

GAGEL OF PROSPERITY ADVISERS GROUP SEEKS TO EXPLORE THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN THRUST UPON US AT AN 

INCREASING RATE OF CHANGE AND THINGS THAT HAVE CHANGED FOREVER IN OUR INDUSTRY. 


Areas of Impact that I have witnessed generally are in 

one of three areas. Staffing is the biggest issue in all 

hospitality venues, followed by technology take up and 

the resulting work from home arrangements currently 

becoming common in society. Below we look at the 

impacts of these three areas in more detail. 

STAFFING 

• Lack of skilled staff – kitchen staff remain hard to 

find. Wage pressures are increasing. Opening of 

international borders and relaxation of current Visa 

workers should see this ease but it will take some 

years to correct. 

• Increasing competition for existing staff – sign on 

cash bonusses being offered to bar staff. 

• Owners and operators are becoming more involved 

working in the business rather than on the business 

due to lack of staff. 

• At the recent 2022 QHA Symposium, I asked the 

Queensland Attorney General Shannon Fentiman 

when the Queensland Government would address 

this situation and allow unvaccinated staff and 

patrons back into hospitality venues. With high 

vaccination rates it was pleasing to hear the 

Minister's response that “everything is on the table 

and open for negotiation”. The peak bodies of the 

QHA and Clubs Queesnsland are aligned in this 

directive and have met with the CHO on multiple 

occasions over recent months to discuss this 

progression. We eagerly await an early positive 

response from government on this matter now 

that the serious risk of COVID has largely been 

addressed with adequate vaccination of not only 

Queensland, but the Australian population. Note 

that NSW has allowed unvaccinated workers and 

patrons back (as @ 15th Dec 2021) and Victoria will 

not address the issue until “well into 2022”. 

TECHNOLOGY 

• Massive initial growth of online food and alcohol 

ordering (largest change in online spending) and 

has been accelerating in the past 12 months. The 

emergence of “Dark Kitchens” (kitchens away from 

premises that supply the food) has lowered the cost 

structure of producing food. 

• Less reliance on cash as it was seen as a COVID 

transmission device. Prior to COVID, cash was 

typically 40% of trade maybe up to 60% for venues 

with a lower age demographic. Currently most 

venues are trading at 80%+ with card or device 

payment. 

• Use of digital ordering platforms in venue which 

alleviates table service pressures and payment 

handling at the bar.

NEWS 

• Gaming rooms with more space perceived to be 

safer for patrons. Clubs currently trying to be more 

like pubs, rationalising the non-performing “tails” by 

taking machines off the floor in their gaming rooms 

and increasing average machine performance. 

• Rapid development of the COVID Vaccine after a 

world-wide focus on the one problem. Never before 

in history has so much time, money and attention 

been globally focussed on the one issue facing 

us all. We have been subject to various forms of 

COVID in the past, but we have never been able to 

develop an effective vaccine. In light of this history, 

it is truly mind blowing that humanity could come 

together and focus on producing many forms of 

vaccines. There continues to be strong debate, 

as there should be, on the pace to bringing these 

vaccines to market but history shows that it is 

indeed saving lives. 

• Ability to work from home – technology has been 

the key enabler to allow our economy to continue. 

WORK FROM HOME (WFH) PHENOMENOM 

• CBD activity in past two years (Melbourne, Sydney 

and Brisbane) has dropped, ranging from its worst 

at 10% of pre-COVID levels to currently around 

60%. Rightly or wrongly, state governments have 

put the fear of God into the population to initially 

shut down economies to protect society from a 

disease without vaccination then to gradually allow 

economic activity as vaccination rates increased. 

• Video conferencing and remote working are now 

the norm for office workers. Twenty years ago, 

you were considered advanced if you could flick 

on a computer at home via your analog ADSL dial 

up phone connection (that connection noise is 

currently in your head) and log in some of your work 

applications with a 5 second delay for each key 

stroke. Now office workers expect to have complete 

access remotely around the world in real time to a 

virtual desktop from mobile devices. 

• Public transport has been seen as a COVID Enabler. 

Across the globe, the key to a good city is high 

density living and a good public transport to and 

from suburbia. Unfortunately, COVID also likes 

these two factors to replicate and spread in this 

ideal environment (think NSW cruise ship outbreak). 

Reduction in CBD activity is largely around 

reluctance to enter a small space with many people 

and to embrace public transport as in the past. 

• Various reports show that during lockdown, an 

average office worker saved approximately $50 a 

week on transport and takeaway food. Coupled 

with reduced holiday spending (especially overseas) 

it's allowed the population to increase spend on 

luxury food and household items as well as big toys 

(boats, fast/classic cars and motorbikes). With the 

return of hospitality, there are subgroups that like to 

meet to discuss good food or common interest. 

• Small batch brewing and slow cooking. During 

shutdown, I like many, got involved with the ancient 

arts of home brewing and slow cook BBQ. Many 

that I talk to have indeed found time to explore at 

home with food and drink and now are looking for 

venues that allow them to get involved with the 

production of food and beer. I recently visited the 

Gold Coast at Miami and enjoyed talking to multiple 

brewers, distillers, and artesian bakers in a relatively 

small area. I believe that those that are on premise 

are looking for an increased connection to the 

process from paddock to plate. 

• With WFH comes more flexibility in where people 

are living. Data on the mobility of the Australian 

population to June 2021 shows that population 

movements have increased in Qld up 38K, up 6K 

combined for WA/SA/ACT/TAS, down 21k in both 

NSW and Vic down 21K and down 2K in NT. 

Continued page 16 


NEWS 

Continued from page 15 

FUTURE DIRECTIONS 

• Staffing will remain tight for the mid-term with unemployment tipped to 

remain well under 4% for the coming years. 

• On device play on venue – casinos are developing back betting capability 

for table and electronic gaming machines. 

• Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) is now a topic of note. Coles 

and Woolworths have seen the pressure shareholders around the world 

are placing on operations that do not fit into society's expectations relating 

to social license on mitigating problem gambling. We have all witnessed 

the negative sentiment to coal producers with banks now largely pulling 

out of financing of coal operations to appease shareholder concerns. 

Climate Change, real or not, has a life of its own now and business large 

and small must address this move in world-wide perception. 

• QHA and Clubs Queensland's joint collaboration on protection of problem 

gamblers is evolving with a Multi-Venue Self Exclusion system being 

scoped and which has the potential to be linked to API’s (application 

programming interfaces) that promote and mitigate the risks of problem 

gambling. We can see from the problems with the more relaxed and less 

limited rules around gaming and associated potential harms currently 

occurring in NSW that there is a growing public voice (including political 

pressure) to minimise harm around gaming and wagering. 

• The Millennial generation want to support business that shows support the 

planet or a cause. Do not underestimate the importance of reducing your 

carbon footprint and getting your younger patrons involved – if you are 

doing this work, make sure you make it known to your patrons. 

• Travel overseas will be impacted for some time (and more so now with 

major international conflict) and the holiday cruising industry will struggle 

back into existence with lesser impact to onshore operations. 

• With decrease in public transport usage, more individuals are turning to 

private transport, bike riding, e-scooters, walking and running into work. 

Patrons are becoming more focused on health issues and staying healthy. 

Quality food and low/no alcohol drinks are becoming more mainstream. 

If COVID occurred 30 years ago, there is no doubt that the economic impact 

and death rates would have been much greater. Advances in technology have 

saved our economies and more importantly lives. In the past we just could 

not work from home in most cases and the only way to gain heard immunity 

was widespread contamination with death being an accepted consequence 

(refer back to the Spanish Flu outbreak at the end of World War One). 

The QHA Symposium was created over a decade ago when I sat at a bar 

with good friends Curt Schatz (Mullins), Tony Bargwanna (Savills), Daniel 

Green (ex- Westpac and now Green Finance) and Craig Harley (IGT) – after 

a few mind cleaning ales we discussed how we could contribute back to the 

QHA members to show how much we valued the association and the careers 

it had afforded us. It is heart-warming to see these people still mostly involved 

with the strengthening of the QHA and the Symposium concept. 

Hospitality venues are an important social tool that spawn creativity and 

connection. Humans are social beings that crave personal attention and 

almost guarantee the future importance and success of business within our 

industry. 

As owners and operators, our aim is to observe and adapt to changes that 

are occurring around us to allow the basic and primal social need of humans 

to interact with each other in a safe environment. This is probably the only 

constant in a world with an ever increasing rate of change.

NEWS 

LEARNING FROM COVID 

WITH AN ESTIMATED 50,000 TOURISM AND 

HOSPITALITY JOBS LOST TO THE CORONAVIRUS 

PANDEMIC SINCE THE SHUTDOWNS OF 2020, THE 

HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IS NOW STRUGGLING TO 

FIND A WAY TO CATCH UP. 

While we may not be out of the woods yet, the work 

has already begun to better understand how the 

various responses to the COVID-19 challenge over 

the past 18 months were handled, what worked, what 

didn’t, and what we can learn for similar events in the 

future. 

With an estimated 50,000 tourism and hospitality jobs 

lost to the coronavirus pandemic since the shutdowns 

of 2020, the hospitality industry is now struggling to 

find a way to catch up. 

Faced with a crippled workforce, QTIC Chief 

Executive Daniel Gschwind said Queensland’s peak 

industry body has teamed up with UQ to investigate 

vulnerabilities within the tourism and hospitality 

sector, and to develop resilience plans to tackle future 

challenges. 

“It is critical that we not only identify the threats that 

have decimated our tourism’s workforce, but that we 

also learn from these unparalleled events and better 

prepare ourselves for the future,” Mr Gschwind said. 

“While a global pandemic is hopefully a once in a 

generation event, we need to ensure that our industry 

has the proper tools and measures in place to rebound 

from future crises that affect our employees. 

“Tourism contributes more than $12 billion to 

Queensland’s economy each year, so it’s essential that 

we ensure our industry is resilient and maintains the 

staff to support it.” 

Listening to industry concerns, UQ researchers 

conducted a nationwide survey of over 1,500 

tourism operators investigating the impact of policy 

interventions and differences in industry resilience 

between the states and territories. 

Project Lead and UQ Associate Professor Dr Richard 

Robinson said the study found communication, 

support, and leadership were key to resilience, and 

were required equally at the policy, organisational and 

individual levels. 

“Unsurprisingly, the survey found that policy 

interventions like JobKeeper positively impacted the 

resilience of employees. 

“Respondents also ranked the reopening of borders 

and vaccination programs as the most helpful 

government interventions. 

“It was heartening to hear that, when comparing 

Queensland to other states, employee resilience for 

Sunshine State respondents was significantly higher 

than that of employees in New South Wales, Victoria, 

and South Australia. 

“Much of this resilience is likely due to the substantially 

lower instances of prolonged lockdowns that took 

place in Queensland”, says Robinson. 

Mr Gschwind says while incentivising tourism jobs and 

luring workers back to the industry is critical, the sector 

needs to provide greater support to current operators. 

“We have listened to operators right across Australia 

and learnt what they need to stay afloat and be 

successful. The report highlights the need for 

sustained government support,” he said. 

“As we rebuild our visitor economy during the COVID 

recovery phase, it is more apparent than ever that our 

next big challenge will be managing our labour and skill 

shortages. 

“Shocks to our labour markets are nothing new 

but the pandemic has created a disruption on an 

unprecedented scale that is challenging our abilities to 

find practical solutions. 

“Tourism operators across the country are faced 

with near insurmountable problems in keeping their 

businesses operating at capacity, with many positions 

vacant or sufficiently skilled staff in short supply. 

“This research provides valuable insight into the 

dynamics at work and identifies relevant pressure 

points where action can be taken. 

“The solutions will have to be found at the policy level 

and on the shop floor and anywhere in between. 

“Armed with the right knowledge we will stand a much 

better chance of helping our industry through this and 

any future crisis.” 


NEWS 

FLOOD SUPPORT 


As the great clean up begins for those Queensland 

communities affected by flooding in recent times the 

State and Federal Government have made grants of 

up to $50,000 available to assist with rebuilding. 

The grants are to hire or purchase equipment and 

materials, clean up, remove debris, replace or repair 

damaged infrastructure and stock and for other costs 

associated with the recovery process. 

Applicants will need to show they are an eligible 

small business, within the defined disaster area and 

demonstrate they have suffered direct impact from the 

disaster. 

The grants are being administered by the Queensland 

Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA). 

Applicants must supply full details and a copy of any 

insurance policy or claim as part of the process and 

QRIDA may not be able to finalise Disaster Assistance 

Grant applications until the outcome of the insurance 

claim is determined and the claim outcome provided. 

The maximum grant amount is $50,000 and is 

available through two applications: 

• An initial amount of up to $15,000 is available 

to support an initial claim. Evidence of the direct 

damage is required such as photographs, 

quotations, tax invoices or official receipts. 

• A subsequent amount of up to $35,000 is available 

to support subsequent claims for which full evidence 

of payment is required. 

Queensland’s defined disaster areas include: 

• Brisbane City 

Council 

• Fraser Coast 

Regional Council 

• Gladstone Regional 

Council 

• Gold Coast City 

Council 

• Goondiwindi 


• Gympie Regional 

Council 

• Ipswich City 

Council 

• Lockyer Valley 


• Logan City Council 

• Moreton Bay 


• Noosa Shire 

Council 

• North Burnett 


• Redland City 

Council 

• Scenic Rim 


• Somerset Regional 

Council 

• South Burnett 


• Southern Downs 


• Sunshine Coast 


• Toowoomba 

Regional Council. 

Applications close 5 September 2022 and 

can be completed online at qrida.qld.gov.au

NEWS 

Nick Bainbrigge GAMING 

THAT'S A WRAP 

FOR AHG22 

BEER FUNDS FLOWING 

While it took the team at XXXX brewery Milton a solid 

four days to clean out the floodwater and the mess it 

created, as soon as the beer was flowing again, the 

team was sharing it with those in need. 

XXXX Brewery Director Shane McIntyre said it had 

been a huge effort to get the brewery back up and 

running. “The last couple of years have tested us in 

ways we never knew were possible, and when we 

saw the water level start rising last weekend, we 

couldn’t quite believe it, but we’re producing kegs of 

Queensland’s most cherished beer here again today 

– and we hope everyone who has had a tough week 

rolling up their sleeves and helping with the clean-up 

and recovery can enjoy a cold one over the next few 

days,” Mr McIntyre said. 

XXXX owner Lion was on the front foot with its 

customers too. 

Queensland Sales Director Patrick Donohue said 

they were working with customers across the 

impacted regions in Queensland and NSW to help 

them in recovering from the floods. 

“Last week we took the XXXX truck around 

neighbouring suburbs during the week and gave 

out some XXXX to people rolling up their sleeves to 

clean-up their businesses and properties – it’s the 

very least we can do in these circumstances,” Mr 

Donohue said. 

XXXX has donated $50,000 to GIVIT and Australian 

Red Cross and Lion has committed to matching 

every dollar donated by its employees in a 

workplace giving appeal to go towards enabling 

volunteers and staff to help with evacuations, relief 

centres, outreach services and supporting people 

and communities to recover and to build resilience 

to disasters. 

XXXX is also set to launch limited release 

merchandise which will be available to purchase 

online, with all profits to be donated to GIVIT’s flood 

appeal. 

First of all, our thoughts are with our customers, 

their family and friends who have been impacted by 

the recent flooding across Queensland. We will get 

through this together, as we always do, but please 

stay safe and let the Aristocrat team know how we can 

support you. 

It was an absolute pleasure sharing our exciting 

portfolio of games, hardware, technology and digital 

solutions at this year’s Australasian Hospitality and 

Gaming Expo (AHG). For those of you who might’ve 

missed it, our theme ‘Come Play’ came to life like 

never before. 

We showcased some of our highly anticipated 

products, Fu Dai Lian Lian, and proven performing 

games like Dollar Storm. We had a strong line up 

of games that proves why Aristocrat is your trusted 

partner. From the creators of Choy’s Kingdom and 

Grand Star, Fu Dai Lian Lian was a standout at 

AHG22. 

Fu Dai Lian Lian has started well in QLD Hotels with 

$5.4k average daily turnover in its first month in the 

market in QLD alone – and it’s now ready to earn its 

spot on your gaming floor. This game family is nothing 

short of exceptional as it has been built as a feature 

rich product that includes seven unique features that 

deliver an experience players won’t forget! 

Dollar Storm drew a crowd at AHG with its industry 

leading Hold & Spin experience and a Super Grand 

Chance feature that introduces player interaction. It’s 

packed with electric innovation and includes a threelevel 

SAP & Link configuration. Operators can choose 

from either the 2-level link configuration, the single level 

link option, or the standalone progressive version, to 

suit your venues needs. 

Our content strategy focused on providing a portfolio 

that offers both product depth and breadth, with a 

range of different game play experiences that caters to 

all player types. Our goal is to ensure every one of our 

games delivers an exceptional playing experience while 

giving operators strong confidence in their gaming 

investment. 

Thank you to all our customers that supported 

Aristocrat at the recent tradeshow. It was a great 

opportunity to reconnect with you all and we hope you 

enjoyed the great line up of products. 

For more information visit www.aristocrat.com/anz or 

reach out to your Aristocrat Business Partner. 

*MAX gaming data, QLD Hotels, Feb 1st-28th.

NEWS 

FLEXI FUTURE FOR 

MARRIOTT STAFF 


SPORTY HOTEL PLANS 

An exuberant enjoyment of life, or joie de vivre 

as the French would say, is the thinking behind 

a new hotel proposal in Shanghai that will be the 

first of its kind in the world. 

JdV by Hyatt will join forces with global sports 

brand FILA, to create FILA HOUSE Shanghai. 

Hyatt Asia Pacific president of growth and 

operations Stephen Ho said the hotel would be 

something for fans of the brand to enjoy. 

“We are thrilled to be working with ANTA Group 

and FILA China to develop the first FILA HOUSE 

hotel in the world. We look forward to welcoming 

guests, locals and a new generation of FILA fans 

with the JdV by Hyatt brand’s inclusive, heartfelt 

and joy-driven service,” Mr Ho said. 

FILA China CEO Brian Yiu said the company was 

excited to be involved in the collaboration. 

“Not only will the hotel be a unique expression 

of FILA’s history, culture, products and fashion 

trends, we believe that the young-at-heart JdV by 

Hyatt brand experience will be a fitting reflection 

of FILA’s spirit of vitality,” Mr Yiu said. 

The FILA brand was established in Italy in 1911. 

It became famous in the 70s as a leader in tennis 

apparel and has continued to expand its presence 

across a range of sports. The brand is managed 

by ANTA in China and it is that link which has 

prompted the development in Shanghai. 

The hotel will be part of the new Shanghai 

headquarters of ANTA Group that will include 

five independent buildings including an office for 

headquarters, shops, food and beverage outlets, 

the hotel and sports retail outlets. It is expected to 

open by 2024. 

With staff hard to come by in the hospitality industry 

and a greater push across the board for greater 

flexibility by workers, the team at Marriott International 

have taken steps to make their employment offerings 

as attractive as possible. 

Marriott’s Natasha Rasheed announced the hotel giant 

had launched an Australia-wide program dubbed 

FlexiFutures that offered unmatched flexibility, training 

hours and opportunities for career progression. 

With more than 230 jobs to fill the concept has been 

launched with a campaign “Life. With the Works” on 

youtube that highlights the positive sides of working 

around the world in some of the biggest brands 

including Marriott, W Hotels, The Ritz-Carlton, 

Sheraton and Westin. 

“This isn't work with a side of life. This is - Life. With 

the Works. Offering our 2,500 associates flexible 

access to personal and professional development 

opportunities across all aspects of our hotels,” 

Natasha wrote. 

“Grounded in insights around what our associates are 

looking to gain from their career, `Life With the Works’ 

is an inspirational program encouraging people to 

`Live Fully’, centred around Marriott’s Employee Value 

Proposition, TakeCare, people-first culture. 

“Marriott International offers unrivalled opportunities for 

people in the hospitality industry to grow their careers, 

their livelihoods and their own personal development.” 

Natasha said a key element of the program was the 

roll out of the Marriott Development Academy, a global 

initiative designed to roll out a revolutionary training 

program for staff as Australian properties return to full 

operations. 

“The Marriott Development Academy (MDA) is an 

integrated program that adopts a blended learning 

technique that allows our associates to take charge of 

their career development through a self-paced learning 

approach. 

“Designed for a diverse global audience, MDA is 

Marriott’s revolutionary approach to learning and 

development.”

NEWS 

SUPER SALE IN TASSIE 

When it comes to big real estate sales in Tasmania, the $338 

million sale of Parliament Square Hobart in February by CBRE has 

set a new record. 

Acting on behalf of the Trawalla Group, CBRE sold the property to 

Spirt Super. 

Home to the 152-room Joseph Pang designed Luxury Collection 

Hotel by Marriott Group, which only opened in December 2021, the 

property also includes office, retail and car parking components. 

The office space and car parks are leased to the Tasmania State 

Government until 2037, while the hotel was sold subject to a 15- 

year management agreement. 

The 7700sqm site was developed by Citta Property Group to 

incorporate and update the historic buildings within the precinct 

whilst adding a new, modern structure to the mix. 

YOUNG CHEF ACADEMY 

Do you have a young chef with a stunning signature dish 

at your hotel? 

The S. Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition is on 

now with applications open until April 30. 

Open to chefs under the age of 30 years the competition 

is being run for the fifth time. 

Young chef Jerome Calayag, based in Sweden, won the 

competition in 2019/2021 with a creative vegetable dish. 

Initial applications will be assessed by ALMA, the 

International School of Italian Culinary Arts, which will draw 

up the shortlist of competitors ahead of the regional finals. 

The judging criteria include technical skills, creativity and 

personal belief. 

Shortlisted signature dishes will be assessed in a series 

of regional finals with the winners of each regional 

competition qualifying for the Grand Finale in Milan. 

To find out more, visit 

sanpellegrinoyoungchefacademy.com

NEWS 

REACHING FOR THE SKY 


Having comprehensive sports coverage - on top of 

racing vision - is vital to many pubs’ success. 

But gone are the days when that’s purely about having 

the NRL or AFL. 

For some sports fans - younger people in particular - 

US sports are near the top of their agenda in terms of 

what they want to watch. 

Tabcorp’s Sky Sports is bringing top level US sporting 

leagues to more than 1500 TAB venues throughout 

Australia. 

Sky offers three, exclusive, 24 hour, seven-day-a-week 

channels showing NBA, NFL and MLB to fans of US 

basketball, football and baseball. 

TAB’s Head of Retail for Queensland Dave Dicker 

said each of the channels offered a mix of live games, 

highlights and magazine shows – with the live games 

in particular offering a unique opportunity for fans to lay 

their bets in venues as the games unfold. 

“Interest in US Sports continues to grow year on year, 

particularly in the 18-34 age bracket, and the average 

bet size outweighs that of other traditional sports,” 

Dave said. 

To illustrate, TAB figures for Queensland pubs from 1 

July last year through to the end of January this year 

showed NBA turnover up 12% (cash and digital) with 

an average bet size of $72, well in excess of NRL and 

other sports. 

Similarly, for NFL, pubs saw a 32% rise in turnover with 

an average bet size of $78. And for MLB, the average 

bet in pubs was $68. 

Dave said Sky Sports was now showing in more 

than 1550 pubs and clubs, providing a wide range of 

content that helped to keep customers in venues for 

longer.

NEWS 

The Sky Sports deal offers up exclusive content to 

venues including: 

• Up to 2 games per day of NBA plus Playoffs (60% 

of 2020/21 games featured the most popular NBA 

teams in Australia). 

• Up to 2 games per day of MLB plus playoffs and 

World Series. 

• Up to 1 game per week of NFL plus the very 

popular NFL Redzone program. 

• Coverage of US sports all year round that dovetail 

each day into the racing vision post lunchtime. 

One pub group taking full advantage of the Sky Sports 

offering to bring in new customers and satisfying 

existing customers is Sunshine Coast Hotels. 

Managing Director Scott Armstrong said investing in 

the sports bars of the group’s three venues - backed 

by the Sky Sports and Sky Racing offering - has been 

a key part of the business strategy. 

Not only have Sunshine Coast Hotels built bars around 

large screen technology and surround sound, Scott 

said, where possible, they try and have staff rostered 

behind the bar at different times of the day who have 

a basic knowledge of the sports being shown on the 

shifts they work. 

"WE’VE GOT A GREAT VIDEO WALL AT 

PARKLANDS AND WE’VE INVESTED IN GETTING 

THE SOUND RIGHT TO ADD TO THE AMBIENCE... 

It’s all part of building the atmosphere and becoming 

known as the place to go for sport. 

A popular catchphrase in the Sunshine Coast Hotels’ 

advertising plays to that strength – “Your Home for Live 

NBA” and “Your Home for Live NFL”. 

Scott said for the sports element of their venues, it 

was about catering for all manner of fans, not just 

traditional sports lovers. 

Expanding their offering beyond the traditional sports 

that were often shared with free to air television in the 

home and finding ways to offer exclusive content that 

fans would be willing to make the trip into the hotel to 

see. 

“It’s one of those things. If you have it on, and people 

know you will have it on, they are confident to turn up 

and enjoy the game day atmosphere in your sports 

bar, rather than watch it at home. 

“We’ve got a great video wall at Parklands and we’ve 

invested in getting the sound right to add to the 

ambience. 

“We’ve had a bit of a crack at Super Bowl too and 

other key sports events days. You become known 

locally as the place to go for big events in sport – 

major fights, big race days, Origin nights, etc but 

importantly at other times too.” 

Another strength for those operating other offerings 

from TAB is that the Sky Sports coverage compliments 

Venue Mode, including its recently launched food 

offers of discounted meals and bonus bets, plus its 

personalised offers direct to customers. 


INSIGHTS 

ROCK 


INSIGHTS 

WAS A TIME WHEN DROPPING 

BY YOUR LOCAL FOR A DRINK, A CATCH 

UP WITH MATES AND A GOOD DOSE OF 

LIVE MUSIC WAS THE BEST CHANCE OF 

HEARING SOMETHING NEW. 

IT WAS A TIME BEFORE LIVE STREAMING, 

SPOTIFY, APPLE MUSIC AND THE MYRIAD 

OTHER OPTIONS OUT THERE NOW. WHEN 

RADIO STATIONS WERE FEW AND FAR 

ONTHERE 

BETWEEN, AND STATIONS PLAYING 

ANYTHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT TO THE 

CHART HITS REALLY DIDN’T EXIST. 


INSIGHTS 


It was also a time where our suburbs and cities 

were not so tightly packed with estates, high rise 

apartments and duplexes. 

Pubs were pubs and pub noise was a given for a 

couple of nights a week at the very least. 

Anyone buying a house within earshot of a pub with 

live music knew what they’d signed up for and were 

less inclined to complain to Councils. And, if they did 

complain, Councils were also less inclined to listen. 

Time, economics, technology, and most recently, 

COVID-19, have conspired to put enormous pressure 

on the local live music scene. 

Thankfully, music fans, developers and publicans have 

continued to innovate and find ways of bringing live 

music to their customers. While some venues, such as 

The Arena in Brisbane, are no more, others, such as 

The Fortitude Music Hall have sprung up to fill the void. 

Slowly but surely the touring scene is starting to pick 

up, with the industry hoping, with fingers crossed, 

that the COVID-19 capacity restrictions are dropped 

sooner rather than later to make it more economically 

viable to host bigger shows. 

If capacity restrictions remain, the only really viable 

alternative will be markedly higher ticket prices to 

cover the myriad costs involved in putting on a show. 

The good news for music lovers is to be found in the 

strong support for entertainment in venues by some of 

Queensland’s biggest operators including AusVenueCo 

and the Comiskey Group. 

Across AusVenueCo’s 180 or so venues throughout 

Australia in 2021 they hosted 11,201 local gigs 

including live music, comedy, trivia and drag bingo. 

Of those gigs, 6505 were local music and DJ gigs, 

which put nearly $3.5m into the pockets of musicians 

and DJs. 

In addition to the 11,201 local gigs, the venues hosted 

597 ticketed and touring shows across the country 

that generated $1.95m in ticket revenue for touring 

artists. 

AusVenueCo’s National Entertainment Manager Ian 

Smith said while the last two years had been tough, it 

had also forced everyone to innovate to find ways of 

remaining viable. 

“We have a lot of venues in Queensland (88) in 

particular, and during COVID we had to turn them into 

seated venues to make them work,” Ian said. “The 

economics of that make it really difficult. 

ACROSS AUSVENUECO’S 180 OR SO VENUES 

THROUGHOUT AUSTRALIA IN 2021 THEY HOSTED 

11,201 LOCAL GIGS INCLUDING LIVE MUSIC, 

COMEDY, TRIVIA AND DRAG BINGO. 

OF THOSE GIGS, 6505 WERE LOCAL MUSIC AND 

DJ GIGS, WHICH PUT NEARLY $3.5M INTO THE 

POCKETS OF MUSICIANS AND DJS. 

“You go through the funnel and the production team 

need to be paid, staff need to be paid. The costs 

are set and profitability is really affected. We had to 

reach out to the artists and their management and the 

production companies to find ways to make it work.” 

One solution that had worked for country music artist 

Brad Cox was to do two shows, back-to-back on the 

one night. 

“We’d sell out the first show, and then open the 

second. We were able to be compliant with the 

government regulations. Everyone knew that it wasn’t 

ideal.” 

It was the ability for all parties to come together to find 

a solution that Ian thinks will continue in a post-COVID 

environment. 

“A lot of the cowboys in the industry have left. You’ve 

got to have trusting relationships to make this work,” 

Ian said. 

“I think there’s going to be a lot more sharing of ideas 

and working together. It’s the sum of the parts that 

makes a successful music industry”. 

Coming into 2022 Ian said the Omicron variant, and 

the public’s response to it, had taken the industry by 

surprise. 

While the government regulations had lifted to a certain 

extent, people were still reluctant to come out, and the 

musicians themselves were contracting the virus and 

having to isolate at the last minute. 

Ian said ticket sales had been on the rise in the second 

last week of February, with things looking up, and then 

the floods hit South-East Queensland and momentum 

slowed. 

“Two weeks ago, just in Queensland alone, we had 

20 ticketed shows – including Thirsty Merc, The Black 

Sorrows, The Whitlams and Ross Wilson and they 

were all really successful.”

INSIGHTS 

Above: Thirsty Merc hit the stage at 

Fridays Riverside in Brisbane’s CBD 

in February for AVC. 

Left: A jubliant crowd at Thirsty 

Merc Below: AusVenueCo’s National 

Entertainment Manager Ian Smith. 


INSIGHTS 


For Ian and AusVenueCo the strategy remains one of 

growing the live music scene and developing tours for 

artists in each state across the venues they own where 

the crowds will appreciate what the bands have to 

offer. 

“Live music is the fabric of what we do, as a pub, in 

our local communities,” he said. 

“By the end of the year we’re going to have some 

really solid circuits across our venues that will be really 

helpful. We’ve got a really big emphasis on creating 

these memories and the right atmosphere. 

“If you have the Screaming Jets on in Rockhampton, 

that’s the only place in the whole world that particular 

audience are going to see that band.” 

The group has more than 200 ticketed shows on 

sale already for the rest of the year and the list is 

growing. Highlights include upcoming tours by Jungle 

Giants, Hockey Dad, Illy, The Angels, James Reyne, 

Screaming Jets and Dragon. 

For the Comiskey Group, entertainment is at the heart 

of their offerings, particularly at Eatons Hills Hotel and 

Sandstone Point Hotel. 

Group Director Rob Comiskey said their two biggest 

venues were designed with live music in mind, 

including band rooms inside the building, and large 

open air spaces adajacent where festival style gigs 

could be held. 

“We’ve got outdoor areas where one can hold 20,000 

people, the other 9,000 people,” Rob said. 

“At our venues, we sell atmosphere. Everyone sells 

food and alcohol. The entertainment, the service, the 

experience, that’s what we sell,” he said. 

The music side of the Comiskey’s business has grown 

to the point where they now have a dedicated music 

department that helps with the booking, promotion 

and event management of its strong list of regular gigs. 

He said there was a lot of work that went into putting 

on shows, and an element of risk. 

“Quite regularly we’re putting in $1 million of our own. 

“We’ve lost millions over the past two years, but we’ve 

had our successes as well. 

“I’m really proud that we never really stopped. We kept 

trying to put on shows. 

A strong positive sign for the Comiskey’s was the 

audience of 13,000 who turned out to the This That 

Festival at Sandstone Point on March 5. 

Rob said it was the first time the festival had come 

to Queensland and the organisers have already said 

they’d love to bring it back for a second hit later this 

year. 

For booking agent and producer Marius Els, of Artist 

Network, the past two years have certainly been a 

challenge. 

Marius, who has nearly 40 years’ experience in the 

industry, mirrors Ian’s sentiments around the upside of 

the COVID experience in producing a more social and 

collegiate music industry, more transparent, and more 

focused on ensuring all involved make a sustainable 

living. 

He said the biggest impediment to touring bands 

again remained the capacity restrictions on venues 

that meant what may once have been a crowd of 

1000 cheering fans would become 500 seated fans. 

Not only did less tickets sold mean less money to 

share around - a half-full venue created a very different 

atmosphere to one where the crowd were standing at 

the front of a stage. 

Marius noted there had been a trend for artists to tour 

solo, or acoustically, if they toured at all in the past two 

years as they could not afford to pay for a band. 

The industry had also been hit by the COVID 

cancellations – with shows being cancelled or 

postponed numerous times as new restrictions came 

into place on travel in each state. 

“I’m only doing shows this month that I’d booked in 

March 2020. We’ve had to move the tours three to five 

times. When you did your original numbers, it was on 

1005 tickets, suddenly, it’s 50 per cent.” 

“I’ve had tours where an act has arrived at the airport 

at noon and suddenly it’s a case of `you’re not coming 

in’.” 

As well as booking tours such as Glen Shorrock and 

Brian Cadd, who had a show at Eaton’s Hill Hotel on 

March 17, Marius’ other business involves putting on 

specialist music cruises. 

“I do ships here and in London, things like Rock the 

Boat and Country Cruise,” he said.

INSIGHTS 

“BY THE END OF THE YEAR WE’RE GOING TO HAVE 

SOME REALLY SOLID CIRCUITS ACROSS OUR 

VENUES THAT WILL BE REALLY HELPFUL. WE’VE 

GOT A REALLY BIG EMPHASIS ON CREATING THESE 

MEMORIES AND THE RIGHT ATMOSPHERE. 

Pictures: The Comiskey Group’s venues Sandstone Point 

Hotel and Eaton’s Hill Hotel have launched into 2022 with 

a return of large scale outdoor music events. 


INSIGHTS 


“I’ve had people like Foreigner, Status Quo, dozens 

and dozens of international acts, and on each ship, 

I’d personally engage about 120 people. None of that 

work has been available. 

“There’s a large, very defined group of people with the 

skills in the industry. They can’t just pick up their trade 

and become a plumber.” 

Marius said the lack of live performance opportunities 

around the world in the last two years would be a 

major set back for new music and musicians coming 

through. 

“The new Ed Sheerans of the world. If you don’t 

give them the chance to perform live. Music’s about 

engaging with your audience. The new, fresh acts, they 

haven’t had that opportunity. We may not see a lot 

of new acts for a while. That cycle, where you would 

normally have new acts come through – we lost 2-2.5 

years in that cycle.” 

For Hutchinson Builders Chairman Scott Hutchinson 

live music in the heart of his city of Brisbane is 

something he believes everyone should have the 

opportunity to experience. 

As the owner / builder of seven venues in Brisbane, 

including the $46million The Fortitude Music Hall, Scott 

is quick to admit his foray into the music space is more 

of a passion than a commercial venture. 

In fact, the Music Hall that cost his $46million to 

create, was recently valued at $27million – a result 

Scott put down to the single use available for the 

commercial space, and a financial world that struggled 

to put a price on the value of entertainment at the best 

of times. 

Scott is the landlord for venues including Triffid, The 

Fortitude Music Hall, Outpost, Lutz, Black Bear, Kick 

Ons and Soundgarden. 

He sees his support for the industry as an investment 

in the acts of the future, and for music lovers who 

simply want to go to town to see a great act rather 

than being forced to drive long distances or catch 

trains to attend locations like the Entertainment Centre 

at Boondall. 

During Scott’s formative years Festival Hall in Brisbane 

was a favourite destination. He lists performances 

by Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Sex Pistols, Groove 

Amada, and Michael Franti in his most memorable 

concerts. He was there when Franti played late into 

the night for the final concert ever at the venue. 

It was when Festival Hall was sold in the Brisbane 

CBD to become a high-rise tower that the seed was 

planted with Scott to find a replacement not too far 

away and The Fortitude Music Hall was imagined. 

The venue, which can cater for a crowd of 3000, 

opened just before the March 2020 COVID 

shutdowns.

INSIGHTS 

IN ANOTHER NOD TO THE STRENGTH OF THE 

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PUBS AND MUSIC THE 

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY IS TOURING ITS PUB 

ROCK EXHIBITION IN QUEENSLAND RIGHT NOW... 

“We only got a few months out of it. We had the Pixies 

and The National,” Scott said. 

“It’ll come back though, and it’ll come back strong”. 

For those in the music scene, the importance of 

having great venues and supportive operators is well 

recognised. 

The 2022 QMA (Queensland Music Association) 

People’s Choice Awards include categories for the 

musicians, but also Best Regional Venue and Best 

Venue. 

At the time of going to print, NightQuarter (Sunshine 

Coast), Solbar (Sunshine Coast), Eleven Dive Bar 

(Sunshine Coast) and Tanks Art Centre (Cairns) were 

listed as finalists in the regional category. 

In the Best Venue category entrants including, The 

Princess Theatre, The Tivoli, The Junk Bar, The 

Fortitude Music Hall, The Triffid, Lefty’s Music Hall, 

Tomcat Bar, The zoo, Studio 188, Mo’s Desert 

Clubhouse, HOTA Home of the Arts, and Miama 

Marketta, were vying for top spot with winners due to 

be announced on March 29. Visit scenestr.com.au 

In another nod to the strength of the relationship 

between pubs and music the National Portrait Gallery 

is touring its Pub Rock exhibition in Queensland right 

now. 

The exhibition, which features staged portraits, 

publicity shots, and live shots from acts including 

The Easybeats, Little Pattie, Johnny O’Keefe, AC/ 

DC, Midnight Oil, Cold Chisel, INXS, Nick Cave, The 

Bee Gees, Kylie Minogue, Paul Kelly, Yothu Yindi, 

Marcia Hines and more will be at Emerald Art Gallery 

from April 14 to May 20, before moving on to Roma 

on Bungil from June 3 to July 23, and Atherton from 

September 26 to November 12. 

Visit portrait.gov.au/exhibitions/pub-rock-2020 for 

more.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL 

The Honourable Shannon Fentiman MP 

LOOKING FOWARD TO BETTER TIMES 


As Queensland hotels continue to recover from the 

impact of severe weather events and two enormously 

challenging years of the COVID-19 pandemic, I look 

forward to the industry returning to more normal 

trading conditions. 

I am hopeful that we can begin to focus on 

Queensland’s long term recovery. This includes our 

exciting preparations for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic 

and Paralympic Games. 

After exceptional circumstances of 2020 and 2021 the 

Games are a bright light on the horizon for many in 

Queensland, including the hotel industry. 

Brisbane 2032 will shine a global spotlight on our 

state, with hotels poised to take their share of the 

economic and social benefits that the Olympic and 

Paralympic Games will provide. These are estimated to 

be up to $8.1 billion for Queensland. 

While hotels across the state will certainly reap the 

benefits associated with increased tourism once the 

event begins, the Games will also help unlock and fast 

track investment and growth across a range of sectors 

in the preceding years. 

The impacts of this investment will be significant with 

Brisbane 2032 set to be the biggest transformational 

event Queensland has ever seen. 

Over the next decade we will also be looking closely 

at how we can create a world-class experience for 

visitors to Queensland during Brisbane 2032. This will 

no doubt include consideration of the key role of the 

hospitality industry. 

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the tremendous 

contribution our young Queenslanders make to the 

thriving hospitality industry and will make to the Games 

as we celebrate Queensland Youth Week (1 to 11 April) 

this month. Today’s emerging hospitality stars are the 

future of Queensland’s hotel industry and Brisbane 

2032 will give them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to 

make a lasting mark on the industry they love.

Victoria Thomson OLGR 

FLOOD HELP AT HAND 

The flooding and heavy rain across Queensland have 

been devastating for many families and businesses 

and this comes on top of the lingering impacts of the 

COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) 

has been working with flood-affected licensees to 

help them get back to business by prioritising their 

applications to change trading hours or licensed areas 

and assisting them with their compliance activities. 

OLGR staff remain available to provide advice to 

impacted licensees on managing their regulatory 

requirements during the recovery period. I encourage 

any flood-affected licensees to get in touch with OLGR 

directly to discuss your personal circumstances. 

With Easter and Anzac Day coming up later this 

month, it is important that licensees are aware of the 

different trading conditions required under the Liquor 

Act 1992 (the Act) during these periods. 

These conditions include a requirement that between 

certain times on Good Friday and Anzac Day, liquor 

may only be sold or supplied to patrons who are eating 

a meal on your premises. Patrons may be served 

alcohol one hour before, during and one hour after 

eating their meal. 

I would like to remind licensees that under the Act 

the food served must be of sufficient substance to 

be ordinarily accepted as a meal. Some common 

examples include a burger and chips, a stir-fry or 

similar noodle dish, fish and chips, curry with rice or 

pizza and pasta dishes. To be clear, a bowl of hot 

chips is not considered a meal under the Act. 

Additionally, liquor and gaming activities will also be 

affected by changes to trading hours on some days 

including Good Friday Eve, Good Friday, Anzac Day 

Eve and Anzac Day. For full details search ‘trading 

hours’ at business.qld.gov.au/liquor-gaming 

On the topic of trading hours, I would like to remind 

hotel licensees that our approach to extended hours 

permits has changed in 2022 in response to feedback 

from industry. 

Under the new approach, extended hours permits 

now apply to the trading day immediately preceding 

the period the approved extended hours apply to. For 

example, permits for New Year’s Eve celebrations now 

count towards the December trading period rather 

than January’s period. 

Importantly, as extended hours permits are limited to 

no more than one event in a calendar month, licensees 

no longer need to choose between obtaining a permit 

for either New Year’s Eve or Australia Day. 

Hotels in Brisbane, Mackay and Townsville were quick 

to embrace this option and contributed to an influx 

of applications for 2022 Australia Day permits. In 

fact, OLGR received almost three times more permit 

applications for January 26 in 2022 than pre-pandemic 

in 2020. 

Don’t forget this also means you will need to factor in 

any intended extended hours permits for New Year’s 

Eve into your December trading plans going forward. 

Finally, whether you have been affected by the recent 

floods or if you’re simply wanting to know more 

about how the Easter and Anzac Day special trading 

conditions impact you, OLGR is here to help. For 

specific advice, I encourage you to get in touch with 

us at: 

• For licence and permit enquiries, contact 

OLGRlicensing@justice.qld.gov.au or 1300 072 

322. 

• For liquor or gaming compliance enquiries, 

contact liquorcompliance@justice.qld.gov.au or 

gamingcompliance@justice.qld.gov.au or (07) 3738 

8404. 


TRAINING AND SAFETY 

with Kellie Hourigan and Lisa Boorer 

STAFF UPSKILLING 


If you read the headlines, watch the news or are 

running advisements for competent hospitality staff 

you know that they are as scarce as hens’ teeth. 

The days have certainly gone where there is a pile of 

resumes on the desk and dozens of people to choose 

from. 

With no backpackers or a limited number, we are 

relying solely on local talent. 

How does the industry ensure that it transitions from 

strength to strength and does not slide backwards in 

our current business climate and uncertain times? 

Every business needs people who are well trained and 

competent. What tools and training programs do you 

currently use in your business? Or are you a business 

that performs the basics only? Most venues include 

a thorough induction, RSA, RSG and RMLV because 

they are required by law for compliance. 

But they do nothing to improve their staff skills and job 

satisfaction. 

The opportunity exists to upskill your current work 

force in areas such as: 

• soft skills 

• people focused skills 

• budgeting 

• stock control 

• work health and safety 

• marketing 

• menu design 

• social media 

• email data collection 

• compliance 

These are to name just a few areas. To get this 

happening you will need to put in a little time and 

investigative effort. 

As an owner or manager do you know what hidden 

talents your current staff have? 

Do you know what areas of the business they are 

interested in learning more of? 

The best way to build morale within the team is 

upskilling staff in areas of need within the business. 

This will also give us a competitive edge on our 

competitors who are still trying to fill vacancies. 

Setting up a mentoring program for the inexperienced 

staff, pairing them with a manager or senior staff 

member who can develop their current skills. The 

knock-on effect is a rise in productivity and job 

satisfaction, the ability to set tasks without the need to 

supervise their efforts to the same degree previously 

required for the business. This is a ‘win win’ situation 

for all. 

When staff feel appreciated, valued and part of a 

progressive team, there is a level of job satisfaction 

that will directly affect your patrons. 

Are you wondering how? Happy staff = greater focus 

on customer service. Better customer service means 

repeat business and a better bottom line. 

The opposite is also true. Staff that do not feel 

appreciated become stale or even bored in their 

position if they cannot see the ability for progress. They 

become dissatisfied. This causes a drop-in productivity 

and customer service, and often the staff member 

looks for another job. 

The challenge for each business owner and manger 

is to mine the hidden talent working in their venues 

and explore ways to bring those talents into the pool 

of opportunities that the venue may not have even 

realised existed. 

Be ahead of your competitors. Increase your bottom 

line. Retain skilled and loyal staff. 

Strengthening your brand will build greater success.

Curt Schatz LEGAL MATTERS 

TAKEAWAY LIQUOR AUTHORITIES 

I would like to begin this month’s column by extending 

my deepest sympathies to those of you who have 

been impacted by the recent flood events that have 

struck South East Queensland. With the 2011 floods 

still a not-so-distant memory, and after a challenging 

few years owing to the COVID pandemic, it is hard to 

imagine that these recent weather events could have 

come at a worse time. 

Though it is a cliché that many of you will have heard 

countless times, Queenslanders, and in particular our 

industry, are incredibly resilient and this fact has been 

demonstrated time and again. I have no doubt that 

same resilience will be front and centre in the months 

to come. 

The topic I want to touch on in this edition is Takeaway 

Liquor Authorities (TLAs). As many of you are no doubt 

aware, throughout the COVID pandemic the Office of 

Liquor and Gaming Regulation (OLGR) had temporarily 

approved TLAs for a wide range of licensees to trade 

in takeaway liquor in circumstances where they would 

not usually be permitted to do so. With the prospects 

of further COVID related restrictions and lockdowns 

seemingly becoming less likely, OLGR has recently 

decided to reign in these provisions. 

The last of the temporary TLAs, which applied to 

commercial hotels, bars, and subsidiary on premises 

(meals) licensees, expired on 28 February 2022. As 

such, if your liquor licence does not provide for the 

sale of takeaway liquor and you are currently trading 

in takeaway liquor on the terms that were contained 

in the temporary TLA, then you do not have OLGR 

approval to do so. 

Additionally, if your liquor licence does provide for the 

sale of takeaway liquor but you have been trading 

in a manner authorised by the temporary TLA and 

not provided for in your liquor licence, then you do 

not have OLGR approval to continue to trade in this 

manner. 

If you fall into one of these categories and find that 

no longer being able to trade in takeaway liquor is 

impacting the profitability of your business, you may 

wish to consider applying to OLGR for a TLA in order 

to add the relevant conditions to your liquor licence. 

Alternatively, if you have an existing TLA and have 

noticed an increased demand for your takeaway liquor 

sales in recent times, you might consider applying to 

OLGR for an extension of your licensed trading hours 

for takeaway liquor sales. 

If any of these scenarios are applicable to you and 

you would like to explore your options further, please 

feel free to contact me on 07 3224 0230 to discuss. 

We will be more than happy to assist you with the 

necessary steps. 


FEATURE 

GREEN CHANGE 

WHEN IT COMES TO BEING HANDS ON IN THIS BUSINESS WAYNE AND JUNE 

ASHCROFT CERTAINLY KNOW WHAT THAT’S ALL ABOUT. 


The couple packed up their lives in Brisbane in 

November 2012 and moved north to the little town of 

Tuan after deciding it was time for a seachange. 

A big part of that change was deciding to buy a 

run down tavern and golf course just up the road at 

Boonooroo and see what they could do with it. 

Boonooroo and Tuan are coastal towns on the Great 

Sandy Strait, south of Hervey Bay. Boonooroo’s 

population is about 400 people – Tuan – even less. 

June said prior to moving Wayne was working as a 

transformer fitter based out of Salisbury, while she 

worked full-time as a secretary for a company based in 

Hemmant, a job she still does remotely to this day. It’s 

a job she’s had for more than 40 years. 

“We own a small block of land in Tuan which is the 

fishing village next to Boonooroo,” June said. 

“We had come up for a week’s recovery from illness 

and our neighbours suggested that if we wanted to 

leave Brisbane we could buy a pub and a golf course. 

“We came around and had a look and fell in love with 

it. 

“The course was very run down and the Tavern 

needed lots of work. 

“Our family and friends came up and assisted us 

month after month to clean up the course. 

“Our family has been an integral part of our business in 

helping with all aspects of the business.” 

For the Ashcrofts is was a case of learning as they 

went on all aspects of the business. 

“We came into this business with no knowledge of 

anything so it has been a learning curve all round for 

both Wayne and I,” June said. 

“We did a lot of reading and talked to lots of people 

and have gone from there. 

“We still ask lots of questions and I do lots of googling 

for recipes. 

“We have done lots of functions over the years 

from weddings, high teas, presentation nights, 

fishing comps, Melbourne Cups, Australia Days, 

greenkeepers day, Autism Awareness Day, birthdays, 

fundraising days, breast cancer awareness, golf days 

and lots of other days. 

“When we arrived here there were only three golf 

members in the club. Now we have 60.” 

The business runs with no staff, just Wayne and June, 

and their local helpers. 

“We have no staff, but we always have lots of 

volunteers. We are very lucky. Our family is always here 

to assist when we need them,” June said. 

“When we were closed due to COVID our members 

would come and play golf and use the honesty box to 

try and keep us going. 

“When we reopened our patrons stayed away because 

our patrons were all scared.

FEATURE 

“WHEN WE ARRIVED HERE THERE 

WERE ONLY THREE GOLF MEMBERS IN 

THE CLUB. NOW WE HAVE 60.” 

“WE HAVE NO STAFF, 

BUT WE ALWAYS HAVE 

LOTS OF VOLUNTEERS. WE 

ARE VERY LUCKY. OUR 

FAMILY IS ALWAYS HERE 

TO ASSIST WHEN WE NEED 

THEM,” JUNE SAID. 


FEATURE 

“WE RE-LOOKED AT OUR BUSINESS AND DECIDED TO ONLY OPEN 5 DAYS A WEEK AND MEALS ONLY 1 NIGHT TO 

STOP FOOD WASTAGE – THIS HAS REALLY WORKED FOR US. 


“It has been a difficult time for us as a small business in 

a small community. 

“We re-looked at our business and decided to only 

open 5 days a week and meals only one night to stop 

food wastage – this has really worked for us. 

“We only take bookings. We started Friday night 

takeaways from the 1st of Feb to try and increase 

income. 

“Before COVID we were open 7-days-a-week meals 

were lunch and dinner but the wastage was extreme.” 

While COVID’s been one challenge, mother nature is 

another player when it comes to damage done to the 

golf course by storms and flooding. 

“In 2020 we suffered lots of damage to the golf course 

and again in 2022,” June said. 

“We are going to try and repair the fairways and the 

tee blocks on three fairways. 

“We have also been given two new toilets to install at 

the pub. It’s a big deal for us - probably not for other 

places.” 

“We are a family-owned business and we strive to sell 

cold beer. 

“We always welcome everyone into our Pub. We have 

no pokies so it is really nice that everyone talks to each 

other and there is lots of laughter. 

“Wayne and I have no hospitality experience, we are 

just Mum and Dad cooking meals. 

“Our meals are fresh and large and we have never had 

a complaint on anything we have served up. 

“The only complaint we get is that the meals are too 

big. 

“We always get compliments on our meals even from 

strangers. We often have patrons stick their head into 

our kitchen and say thank you. 

“We do love what we do but we are getting very tired. 

“When it is only two people running a pub and golf 

course for 10 years and you have only had four weeks 

off in that time, the old body is starting to get tired.” 

On the plus side, Boonooroo has spectacular views 

across the Great Sandy Strait to Fraser Island, with 

protected waters to sail, fish and play in and the 

Ashcrofts live in a tight knit community where everyone 

looks out for everyone else. 

Boonooroo Golf Course & Tavern is at 100 Rawson 

Rd, Boonooroo. Phone 07 4129 8428. See www. 

boonooroo.com.au

TEAMS FILLING FAST 

GET IN NOW TO SECURE YOUR SPOT 

GOLF CHALLENGE 

JULY 18-20 

JOIN US FOR THIS 

EXCLUSIVE EVENT 

Hamilton Island 


GOLF CHALLENGE 

FORGET THE STATE OF ORIGIN! 

THE REAL BATTLE OF THE STATES TAKES PLACE 

THIS JULY ON HAMILTON ISLAND WITH THE 

QHA GOLF CHALLENGE! 

For a copy of the itinerary or to register your interest email 

rsvp@qha.org.au or phone 3221 6999. 

NOT A GOLFER? YOU CAN JOIN IN THE FUN OF THE GO-KART CHALLENGE! 

All AHA members & partners are welcome.

EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS with Joanna Minchinton 

FULL TIME EMPLOYEES AND AVERAGING OF HOURS. 

WHAT ARE YOU DOING? 


A common query received by the Employment 

Relations team is on overtime and how it applies to full 

time employees working in positions covered by the 

Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2010 (‘HIGA’). 

When answering the when and how of overtime, 

the first question a member will be asked is what 

averaging of hours arrangement has been agreed to 

by the employer and the employee (which is in most 

cases going to be done through the employment 

contract). 

The HIGA provides, at clause 15.1(a), that an employer 

and employee must agree to an arrangement that 

allows for the averaging of the employee’s 38 ordinary 

hours of work per week. The averaging arrangement 

that applies will dictate how overtime is calculated. 

Averaging of hours options 

Clause 15.1(b) states: 

b) The average of 38 hours per week is to be 

worked in one of the following ways: 

i) a 19 day month, of 8 hours per day; 

ii) 4 days of 8 hours and one day of 6 hours; 

iii) 4 days of 9.5 hours per day; 

iv) 5 days of 7 hours and 36 minutes per day; 

v) 76 hours over a 2 week period with a 

minimum of 4 days off each 2 week period; 

vi) 152 hours each 4 week period with a 

minimum of 8 days off each 4 week period; 

vii) 160 hours each 4 week period with a 

minimum of 8 days off each 4 week period 

plus an accrued day off; 

viii) any combination of the ways set out in 

clauses 15.1(b)(i) to 15.1(b)(vii). 

Clauses 15.1(c), (d) and (e) provide further averaging 

parameters that also must be complied with. 

NOTE: Clause 15.1(b)(viii) refers means that an 

employer might, for example, require an employee to 

work a fortnightly averaging arrangement where ‘week 

1’ involves four days of eight hours and one day of six 

hours, and ‘week 2’ involves four days of nine and a 

half hours per day. 

What does this all mean? 

The averaging arrangements for full time hours of work 

are important because they will impact upon when 

an employee may be entitled to overtime payments 

- where the overtime clause applies, noting that for 

employees in receipt of an annualised salary under 

clause 24 or 25, the salary may relieve the employer of 

the requirement to pay overtime. 

Clause 28.2(a) provides that ‘an employer must pay 

a full time employee at the overtime rates for any time 

worked in excess of their ordinary hours’. 

This links back to clause 15.1, because each of 

the above stated averaging arrangements set the 

expectation for when overtime will start to apply. 

For example, where the stated average in a full time 

employee’s contract is as per clause 15.1(b)(ii), where 

the employee works more than 8 hours on one of the 

four days (as allocated to be 8 hours), or more than 6 

hours (again on the day allocated as a 6 hour working 

day), overtime payments will fall due. 

What’s the more common averaging 

arrangement? 

Often, employers will find the option of ‘152 hours 

each four week period with a minimum of eight days 

off each four week period’ (clause 15.1(b)(vi)) useful, 

given the flexibility it can allow with an employee’s 

hours of work. With this averaging arrangement, an 

employee might work more than 38 hours in a single 

week, but this will not automatically trigger overtime. 

The key is whether the employee exceeds 152 

ordinary hours of work in a four week cycle (or if any 

other ‘daily’ triggers for overtime apply – please refer to 

clauses 15 and 28 in full).

HAVE A 

COLD ONE. 

DON’T BE ONE. 

In certain circumstances, an employer might be able 

to make adjustments to a full time employee’s roster 

if they worked more hours than expected early in a 4 

week cycle, e.g. perhaps an employee was rostered 

to work 38 hours in ‘week 1’ of the cycle, but on one 

particular shift it was busy and the employee agreed to 

work an additional 2 hours. Those additional two hours 

(if not triggering any ‘daily’ overtime entitlement) would 

not automatically attract overtime rates. 

Technically, if these two hours were not originally 

scheduled, and it looks like the employee might 

work more than 152 hours in the four week cycle, 

the employer may be able to amend the employee’s 

roster in accordance with the rostering requirements 

in clause 15.5 so that the employee works two hours 

less in a later week within the four week cycle. If the 

employee then still only worked 152 ordinary hours 

during the cycle (without any daily overtime triggers 

applying), no overtime would be payable. 

Annualised salary under HIGA clause 24 

For employees receiving a salary under clause 24 

it will still be important to ensure that an averaging 

arrangement is in place because of the requirement 

to ensure that, in accordance with reconciliation 

requirements, an employee has received payment for 

what they would have received had they not been on 

a salary. 

WE’RE A 

V E N U E 

WARM 

Further Information 

QHA members seeking more information or wishing 

to discuss a specific employment relations matter are 

encouraged to contact the Employment Relations 

Department for a confidential discussion by calling 

07 3221 6999 or emailing er@qha.org.au. 

Welcoming. 

Attentive & here to assist. 

Respectful & responsible. 

Manners matter. 

visit our website for 

more info qha.com.au

INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT 

with Damian Steele 

THE SOCIAL AND HEALTH 

BENEFITS OF YOUR LOCAL 


Some may say I am biased or that it is an occupational 

hazard, but I always thought that there was no better 

place to be than in your local hotel. 

As we emerge as a society and industry from COVIDlockdowns, 

restricted travel and less face-to-face 

meetings, I turn my mind back to some pre-COVID 

research which resonates now more than ever, 

confirming the psychological and social benefits of 

having a ‘local’. 

The research was conducted by Western Sydney 

University, on behalf of Lion Beer Australia, and 

expanded on a similar study conducted in the UK by 

Oxford University Professor Robin Dunbar. 

The research looked at the social and health benefits 

of having a ‘local’ (particularly with respect to 

moderate alcohol consumption). The result was a 

robust academic report titled ‘Where Everyone Knows 

Your Name: The social and psychological value of 

having a local in Australia’. 

Being social and interacting with others is a 

fundamental feature of human life and there is a 

growing body of scientific evidence to suggest 

loneliness and isolation are major health problems. 

Interpersonal interdependence is key to human survival 

and evidence suggests that is a defining characteristic 

of what motivates our lives. It relates to important 

psychological outcomes like anxiety, depression, 

jealousy, loneliness and self-esteem. 

We are dependent on social contact, and we use 

crutches like social media and television to substitute 

for the real thing. Ironically, this increasing dependence 

on technology means that actual human contact has 

become rarer than at any point in history (and this was 

before COVID-19 changed our lives). Hotels provide 

a key outlet for many people to connect with other 

people without an intermediating screen. 

Professor Dunbar found that: ‘Pubs play a unique 

role in offering a social environment to enjoy a drink 

with friends in a responsible, supervised community 

setting’. In addition, he wrote: ‘Our social networks 

provide us with the single most important buffer 

against mental and physical illness…pubs traditionally 

have a role as a place for community socialising… 

which promotes social bonding’. 

The key findings of the research were as follows: 

1. People who have a local are more trusting and 

satisfied with life; 

2. They also have broader friendship and support 

networks, and identify more closely with their 

community; 

3. Most people who have a local say they use it for 

socialising and drinking with other people. Only 

six percent of people who identified as having a 

local said they drank there alone; 

4. Beer is the most commonly consumed beverage 

for those who have a local; 

5. Men and women appear to socialise in their local 

in different ways, with men more likely to engage 

in intimate conversations, composed of fewer 

people, and women more likely to converse in 

larger groups; 

6. Those who lived in rural areas, who were light/ 

moderate drinkers, and had a local, had greater 

mental health and less anxiety than those without 

a local. 

The impacts of COVID-lockdowns were far more 

widespread than the direct economic impacts, and 

the results of the research only re-enforce what we 

have always known - the intangible value that a local 

pub brings to a community. It explains why the ‘local’ 

has become an integral part of our culture and society, 

particularly in rural Australia where community meeting 

places are becoming fewer and fewer. 

When it comes to issues that impact local hotels, 

acknowledgement should be given to the broader role 

they play in social connection for communities and 

mental health, particularly in rural areas.

Here's 

cheers 

The 

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FOCUS 

BRING ON EASTER 


EASTER 2022 IS SHAPING UP TO BE A MOMENTOUS 

OCCASION FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND STAFF 

OF AMORA HOTEL BRISBANE, COINCIDING AS IT 

DOES WITH THE RE-OPENING OF THE VENUE TO THE 

TRAVELLING PUBLIC AFTER MORE THAN A YEAR 

OF ASSISTING THE QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT 

WITH ITS REPATRIATION PROGRAM DURING THE 

PANDEMIC. 

The hotel was purchased by Amora Hotels and 

Resorts, a family company based in Thailand, for $68 

million in October 2020 when it was still operating as 

Novotel Brisbane, managed by Accor. It is the third 

hotel for the group in Australia, adding to Amora 

Jamison Sydney and Amora Riverwalk Melbourne. The 

company also has hotels in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and 

Phuket. 

Amora Hotel Brisbane General Manager Tom 

Bloomfield said Amora Hotels and Resorts was 

founded by Dr Tanapun Siriphatrawan and is now 

managed by the late Dr Tanapun’s family, who have 

strong links to Australia and a keen eye on other future 

hotel opportunities here. He said they had only just 

been able to visit the venue in February 2022 and had 

left Brisbane happy with their investment, having put 

a $15 million plan in place for a refurbishment of the 

hotel to start in mid-2022 and bring it up to a five-star 

rating.

FOCUS 

“WE ARE EXCITED TO FINALLY LAUNCH OUR BRAND 

IN BRISBANE, WHICH IS POISED FOR A NEW ERA 

OF POST-PANDEMIC HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM 

EXPANSION, SPURRED ON BY SOUTH-EAST 

QUEENSLAND’S POPULATION GROWTH AND THE 

2032 OLYMPICS, NOW CLEARLY ON THE HORIZON.” 

The initial April re-opening will see all rooms refreshed 

in terms of the soft furnishings, new beds and pillows 

to reflect the Amora standard. 

Mr Bloomfield said the quarantine experience, having 

people living in their rooms almost 24 hours a day, 

seven days a week, had been useful in identifying 

areas of potential improvement to the hotel’s 

infrastructure and technology offerings in particular. 

He said these learnings would be included in the 

refurbishment project, which is to be steered by COHA 

Group based on plans generated by architects Cottee 

Parker. 

The project includes within its scope all 296 guest 

rooms and suites, corridors, lobby, porte cochere, 

food and beverage outlets and 12 conference spaces, 

as well as a new wellness spa. There will also be newlook 

bathrooms and upgraded facilities to appeal to 

the corporate and leisure markets. 

Mr Bloomfield, a seasoned hotelier with tenure at 

Hyatt, Mirvac and Accor, said the project would bring a 

fresh experience for travellers. 

“Amora Hotel Brisbane will offer guests a luxurious 

sanctuary where they can work, play and relax, with 

technology that lets them stay as connected as they 

need to be,” he said. 

“We are excited to finally launch our brand in Brisbane, 


FOCUS 

“AMORA HOTEL BRISBANE 

WILL OFFER GUESTS A 

LUXURIOUS SANCTUARY 

WHERE THEY CAN WORK, 

PLAY AND RELAX, WITH 

TECHNOLOGY THAT LETS 

THEM STAY AS CONNECTED 

AS THEY NEED TO BE,” HE 

SAID. 


which is poised for a new era of post-pandemic 

hospitality and tourism expansion, spurred on by 

South-East Queensland’s population growth and the 

2032 Olympics, now clearly on the horizon.” 

In the short term, as international travellers start to 

arrive in Brisbane again and the former quarantine 

hotels come back online as part of the city’s 

accommodation mix, Mr Bloomfield said he expected 

there would be plenty of competition to attract visitors. 

He said it was shaping up to be an exciting 12 months 

ahead for the venue as the travelling public returned, 

COVID restrictions eased and the business was able to 

re-open its bar, restaurant and conference spaces and 

move towards a brighter, more luxurious, future.

Judy Hill 

ACCOMMODATION UPDATE 

WHAT’S NEW FOR ‘22 

What’s hot and new at AHICE 2022 

The Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and 

Exhibition (AHICE), the hotel event where deals get 

done, returns to Adelaide 3-5 May 2022. 

The theme for the 2022 conference, being held for the 

13th straight year, is ‘The Time Is Now’ and will focus 

on the reopening of borders, international travellers 

and maximising opportunities as the hotel industry 

recovers. 

Over two days, expect over 100 speakers (including 

several CEOs from Europe, the United States and 

Asia), more than 50 keynotes, panels and Q&A 

sessions, and a new gala welcome event that will put 

networking on a whole new level. 

Over three days, AHICE, Design Inn and the all-new 

Future Leaders Forum are expected to attract over 

1,000 leading owners, investors, hoteliers, executives 

and suppliers from across the world, making it one of 

the most significant conferences for the global hotel 

industry. 

In addition to the regular insights into the developing 

trends and deep dive in-market analysis, AHICE 2022 

has a number of new features, including the first-ever 

Future Leaders Forum, an all-new Australasia-Pacific 

Hotel Design Awards and a spectacular gala opening 

event. 

Future Leaders Forum 

The inaugural Future Leaders Forum will be held on 

the afternoon of Tuesday 3 May (2:30pm-5:00pm) at 

SkyCity. 

The Future Leaders Forum is the new, under 35s 

leadership summit featuring the industry’s brightest 

stars. 

This exclusive, invite-only event will feature keynote 

addresses from global and local CEOs and think tank 

sessions spanning higher learning to owners’ forums 

and rising the ranks. 

AHICE this year will also feature a stellar Gala Welcome 

Reception on Wednesday May 4 (6:00pm-9:00pm) at 

the Adelaide Oval, themed ‘A Taste of South Australia’, 

presented in partnership with the South Australian 

Government. 

The welcome reception has always been a highlight of 

AHICE, but the organisers are taking this to an even 

higher level in 2022. 

Thanks to the support of the SA Government’s South 

Australian Tourism Commission, be prepared for an 

extravaganza of local food, wine, beers and spirits and 

some spectacular entertainment. 

The keynote for AHICE 2022 has also been 

announced with headline speaker Gavin Wanganeen. 

He is an AFL legend – the first indigenous player 

to receive the Brownlow medal – and is now an 

acclaimed indigenous artist. Gavin will speak on 

resilience, diversity and inclusion and inspire us. 

This year will also see the return of global CEOs in 

person to speak at the event and AHICE and has 

already confirmed not one, but two of IHG Hotels and 

Resorts’ global leaders, Kenneth Macpherson (CEO 

– EMEAA) and Jolyon Bulley (CEO – Greater China), 

alongside several Australasian leaders including 

Accor’s CEO – Pacific, Sarah Derry, DOMA Hotels 

CEO Jure Domazet, Crystalbrook Collection CEO 

Geoff York, Event Hospitality and Entertainment’s MD 

Jane Hastings, South Australian Tourism CEO, Rodney 

Harrex, IHG’s SVP and MD - Japan, Australasia 

Pacific, Leanne Harwood, IHG’s MD - Australasia 

Pacific, Matthew Tripolone and many more to be 

revealed. 

What to expect at Design Inn 2022 

DESIGN INN 2022 (8:30am-2:30pm on 3 May at 

SkyCity), Asia-Pacific’s leading architecture and interior 

design symposium, returns to Adelaide as well and 

has again been curated by the best creative minds in 

the business. 

Expect masterclasses, project deep-dives and 

evocative panel sessions featuring leading architects, 

designers, hotel operators, owners and major 

suppliers. 

This year there will be an expanded program 

including an all-new Australasia-Pacific Hotel Design 

Awards, including recognition for the best new-build, 

conversion and refurbishment projects, plus an overall 

winner, which will take out the 2022 Paul Davis Design 

Award (the hotel industry’s most important design 

award). Entries in the Australasia-Pacific Hotel Design 

Awards are now open for projects in Australasia and 

the Pacific (including Hawaii for the first time). 

The full AHICE PROGRAM is available at the event’s 

website (ahice.com.au) register today as tickets are 

limited. 


TOP DROP 

BROUHAHA IPA 

Brouhaha Brewery 

PINE LIME SOUR 

ALE 

Revel Brewing 

PARTY WAVE STONE 

FRUIT SOUR 

Gage Roads Brew Co. 

DYNAMITE BLACK IPA 

8 Wired Brewing Co 


Not too outlandish 

and not too subtle. 

Brouhaha have played 

this one straight down 

the middle with a solid 

malt backbone and 

punchy hops to deliver a 

beautiful thirst-quenching, 

refreshing taste of citrus 

and stonefruit that’s not 

overly bitter. Simply put, 

it works and this is a very 

enjoyable IPA. 

For those who love a Pine 

Lime Splice as a kid like 

me, you’re going to love 

this one. Made with fresh 

pineapple, lime and a 

dollop of ice cream, all the 

ingredients come to the 

fore in this top drop. 

Regular readers of Top 

Drop will know I am 

warming towards sours 

and am indeed quite fond 

of a couple. And whilst 

I do love a sour on a 

hot summer afternoon/ 

night, I’ve never had more 

than one in a session. 

So,I was unsure when 

I was presented with a 

500ml can of Party Wave, 

whether I would finish it. 

Well, I could have easily 

had another. Peach and 

apricot are perfectly 

suited to a sour. With a 

magic tartness it was both 

funky and refreshing. 

Warkworth, New Zealand 

will most definitely be 

on the intinary when the 

international borders 

open back up. That’s 

where 8 Wired ply their 

trade with the expressed 

intent of creating mind 

blowing beers and they 

have certainly delivered 

with this drop that’s 

like combining your 

favourite stout with a 

spicey IPA. Thanks to the 

combination of magic 

malts, roasted black 

wheat and a “hoppy 

cocktail of Centennial, 

Amarillo and Idaho” 

this beer is creamy and 

smooth with a beautiful 

lingering bitterness.

TOP DROP 

IPA 

Two Bays Brewing Co. 

REEF RED ALE 

Ballistic Beer Co. 

REEF PALE 


V PENTA HOPPED 

DOUBLE IPA 

Aether Brewing 

The malted millet, rice 

and buckwheat give 

this beer a unique taste 

which is refreshing, clean 

and crisp. Delicate citrus 

and passionfruit notes 

combined with some malt 

sweetness and an ever so 

slight touch of bitterness 

make this incredibly 

enjoyable and easy to 

drink. Indeed, this is an 

IPA you could drink all 

night long. It also happens 

to be gluten free. 

Thankfully I can now claim 

to be an eco warrior. 

Midway through last 

year Ballistic expanded 

its footprint beyond their 

Brisbane venues and 

merged with two regional 

craft breweries to create 

Ballistic Whitsundays and 

Ballistic Bargara, with 10 

cents from every can of 

beer sold going towards 

supporting restoration 

and research efforts along 

the length of Australia’s 

iconic Great Barrier Reef. 

Yep, as I drink this clean, 

crisp red ale with sweet 

malt notes, I am actually 

saving the reef, one can 

at a time. 

This pale ale is quite 

delicate, just like our 

Great Barrier Reef. Very 

subtle notes of mango 

and pineapple deliver a 

light, crisp, clean taste 

that’s incredibly thirstquenching. 

The great breweries 

develop their own unique 

but distinct flavour profile 

to their beers. This one 

is unmistakably brewed 

by Aether. I have always 

enjoyed their beers. V 

is big and rich. There’s 

a heavy sweetness to it 

of tropical fruits mixed 

with pine and as they 

described, ‘black tea’ 

– and you can most 

certainly taste that flavour 

profile shine through. Like 

indulging in a big rich, 

delicious meal, after it I 

just wanted to lie down. 


A CRAFTY BUNCH

A CRAFTY BUNCH 

MAKING A BROUHAHA 

DROP BY YOUR LOCAL SUPERMARKET. 

TAKE A LOOK AT THE 250GM PACKET 

OF STRAWBERRIES IN THE FRESH FOOD 

SECTION. NOW, IMAGINE USING NEARLY 

8000 OF THOSE A MONTH, BLENDED WITH 

RHUBARB - TO BREW BEER! 

For Sunshine Coast’s Brouhaha Brewery, 

those figures reflect the very real demand for 

its famous Strawberry and Rhubarb Sour – a 

demand that burns through two ton of produce 

a month. 

Brouhaha opened the doors of its first brewery 

and restaurant in Maleny in 2016. 

It opened a second venue, Brouhaha Sunshine 

Coast, in an industrial centre in the fast-growing 

Aura housing estate at Baringa on the southern 

end of the Sunshine Coast, in November 2021. 

Despite all the challenges of the past few years, 

the business is growing and with the addition 

of the Aura brewery, so too is its capacity 

to produce well over a million litres of crafty 

goodness every year. 

Today’s Brouhaha is a big leap from a thought 

bubble that one of the founders had in the early 

2000s when he asked the members of the local 

beer club, Maleny Brew Crew, whether they 

would support a local brewery and was greeted 

with a resounding “yes!” 



That founder, Julian Leigh, owned and ran several 

dental practices, and was serving the community as 

an auxiliary fireman. He got together with his mates 

Dave Lough, a qualified dental technician who he 

had worked with in the same industry as for 20 

years and Jeff Bess, who he’d raced motorcycles 

with socially for more than two decades, and 

they decided Maleny was ripe for a brewery and 

restaurant offering – they just needed to find 

someone who knew how to brew beer. 

Enter Matt Jancauskas, an electrical engineer by 

trade who was returning home to Australia after 

a stint as the production manager at Beavertown 

Brewery in London. Despite thinking his friends were 

having a joke with him sending him a Seek ad for a 

brewer, Matt applied, and won the role. 

Whether by coincidence, or not, that touch of 

England can also be found in the choice of name 

for the brewery with Julian having spent time as a 

student at a Boys Boarding School in Britain where 

the term Brouhaha was used in “good spirits with a 

bit of tongue in cheek”. 

The legend has it that four years before Brouhaha 

opened its doors, Julian had the thought that a 

brewery in Maleny would cause a bit of a brouhaha – 

and that name stuck. 

For Brouhaha’s marketing and event coordinator 

Toby Stodart the growth since launching in 2016 has 

had plenty of highlights. 

“A few of our directors have come from quite 

competitive industries. They have found it refreshing 

to be working in an industry that is as collaborative 

and supportive as craft beer,” Toby said. 

“Opening the doors to our Maleny venue was one 

of the first. Being one of the first three breweries on 

the Sunshine Coast, there was no precedent and a 

lot of hoops to jump through before we could start 

pouring beers. 

“This was quickly followed by James Halliday 

listing Brouhaha as one of four `exciting Australian 

breweries to watch’ in 2017. 


THE LEGEND HAS IT THAT FOUR YEARS BEFORE 

BROUHAHA OPENED ITS DOORS, JULIAN HAD 

THE THOUGHT THAT A BREWERY IN MALENY 

WOULD CAUSE A BIT OF A BROUHAHA – AND 

THAT NAME STUCK.


“Matt was awarded Brewer of the Year at the inaugural 

Beeries Awards in 2017 and our Strawberry Rhubarb 

Sour made it into the Hottest 100 Craft Beers voted 

#77 in 2018 and #93 in 2019 and #71 in 2021.” 

He said Brouhaha had outgrown its original 100,000L 

capacity within two years of opening and moved to 

increase its production to 250,000L in February 2018, 

before adding a canning line in June 2018. With the 

new brewery at Aura they now have the capacity to 

produce 1.25 million litres a year, with the space to 

grow to up to 3.5 million litres a year. 

On the marketing front, the brand has chosen to play 

to the strength of its title, with Brouhaha featuring 

prominently on the cans - a move Toby said was 

designed to set the product apart on the shelves. 

“We noticed a strong trend towards busy, dark or 

masculine can designs and knew that going in a 

different direction would make us stand out on the 

shelves. 

“When our cans were first redesigned, we knew that 

we wanted to go with something bold, yet simple, 

clean, and minimal. 

“And with the word Brouhaha being so fun and a 

perfect representation of what we stand for, it was a 

no brainer to lean into it. 

“Our brewery is all about creating bold beer styles that 

are approachable and sessionable. And our beers and 

supporters are known for breaking the stereotypes of 

what you think of when you hear the term craft beer. 

We wanted to make sure that our packaging reflected 

that. 

“The result is something that we are so proud of and 

speaks to our brand and the beer that we brew. It 

is bold, in type and in colours, to match our creative 

brewing style, and clean and minimal to ensure that it 

is inclusive and welcoming to all beer drinkers, venues 

and events.” 

The Brouhaha core range of beers includes the 

Strawberry Rhubarb Sour (4.2%), Coastal Mid (3.5%), 

Maleny Lager (4.5%), Hinterland Pale (4.5%), Milk 

Stout (4.5%), India Pale Ale (6.2%) and Raspberry 

Saison (5.9%). It also produces a range of seasonal 

releases including Watermelon Lime Sour (4.2%) 

and a soon to be released New England IPA (6.7%). 

The beers were recently recognised at the Royal 

Queensland Beer Awards with two golds for the 

Strawberry Sour and Champion Mixed Culture Beer 

title, and silvers for the Watermelon Lime Sour, Maleny 

Lager and Coastal Mid. The IPA picked up a bronze. 

All available nationally in can, and in keg. 

There is also a taproom only Hinterland XPA (4.5%). 

With the opening of the new space at Aura, where the 

focus will be on producing the core range of beers 

Toby said the Maleny venue would become even 

more focused on experimental and creative brewing, 

trending towards the quirky. 

“Our Strawberry Rhubarb Sour is not your average 

beer and it appears in our core range,” Toby said. 

“However, we do love experimenting with different 

flavours, styles and ingredients. We have produced 

many different fruited sours and New England IPA’s; 




Lemon Aspen Sour, Coconut Pineapple & Raspberry 

NEIPA, Watermelon Lime Sour to name a few. 

“In our early stages, we brewed a beer called ‘Raisin 

Hell’- a rum and raisin Dubbel that was aged on rumsoaked 

oak and raisins. Five years on, we still get 

asked about this beer. 

“We collaborated with 3 Ravens Brewery from 

Melbourne to create a 14% imperial stout version of 

our Milk Stout, which we then aged in used whiskey 

barrels for 6 months. To make this beer so high in 

alcohol, we essentially brewed once and then used 

this ‘beer’ instead of water in the second brew. It is a 

process called reiterated mashing. The resulting beer 

was so incredibly lush. It was like a rich chocolate 

dessert that was far too easy to drink! 

When it comes to the process of coming up with new 

ideas Toby said it starts with passion. 

“We have a great team here that are all extremely 

passionate about food and beverage,” he said. 

“We enjoy experimenting with flavour combinations 

and gain inspiration from the weirdest places. 

“Whether it is the fruit that is in season, beers to suit 

the changing seasons, juice combinations, customer 

requests or sometimes even beers that are made to 

pair to a specific food. 

“We have found that our patrons are always open 

to trying something new and enjoy learning about 

unfamiliar beer styles. 

“Even those loyal to one of the major beer brands are 

beginning to crack and see a place for a fruited sour, 

or a juicy IPA. As well as finding an appreciation for a 

craft lager, such as our Maleny Lager, over something 

that is produced on mass. 

“There has also been a growth in interest for a fullflavoured 

mid-strength beer. 

“These beers tend to go under the radar when 

compared to big IPAs or crazy seasonal brews. 

“But there is something to be said about a delicious, 

full-flavoured, full-bodied 3.5% beer. 

“Our Coastal Mid is becoming a crowd favourite at 

both our venues. The tropical aroma, with a touch of 

haze, citrus and gentle bitterness makes it the perfect 

session beer and great for those after-work knock 

offs.”


“EVEN THOSE LOYAL TO ONE OF THE MAJOR 

BEER BRANDS ARE BEGINNING TO CRACK 

AND SEE A PLACE FOR A FRUITED SOUR, 

OR A JUICY IPA. AS WELL AS FINDING AN 

APPRECIATION FOR A CRAFT LAGER, SUCH AS 

OUR MALENY LAGER, OVER SOMETHING THAT 

IS PRODUCED ON MASS. 

As the team, which now stretches to 21 casual and 

full-time staff across the two venues, look toward the 

rest of 2022 there are plans in place for more Brewer 

for a Day Events at Maleny where punters can come 

and learn how to brew their own beer, and new 

Brewery Tours at Brouhaha Sunshine Coast where 

they can see production on a grander scale and even 

get a chance to try a beer fresh from the tank. 

Like many in the hospitality world Brouhaha has had to 

struggle for staff and they are on the look-out for a fulltime 

chef, apprentice chef and wait staff. 

For those who really know their brewing and brew 

gear - the Maleny set up is a three-vessel gas-fired 

12hL Spark (AUS) Brewhouse with a cellar capacity 

of 15,500l. At the Sunshine Coast they have a fourvessel, 

steam-fired 35hL Automated Alpha (USA) 

Brewhouse with a custom double-kettle whirlpool 

for kettle souring. It has a current cellar capacity of 

72,000l with potential to expand the cellar to 300,000l. 

It also has an Alpha (USA) Canning line with an 

automated Alpha (USA) depalletizer and an automated 

Fibre King (Aus) 4 pack applicator. 

Brouhaha’s venues are at 6/39 Coral St, Maleny and 1 

Edison Cres, Baringa. 

Visit brouhahabrewery.com.au 


A CRAFTY 

BUNCH 

W H Y N O T S T O C K & S U P P O R T 

4 Hearts Brewing 

The first brewery to open its doors in 

Ipswich in over 100 years, 4 Hearts’ 

brew masters are committed to 

premium local ingredients and 

profound taste. Preservative free and 

all natural they use the highest quality 

ingredients to consistently deliver a 

tasty beer every brew. Our core range 

features modern spins on traditional 

brews while our ever growing range 

of seasonal beers takes things to 

more adventurous levels, utilising 

local seasonal produce as inspiration 

(honey, rosella or carrots anyone…) 

0439 439 710 

4heartsbrewing.com 


At Ballistic we have a simple theory. 

Fresh beer is the best beer. That’s 

why we brew in small batches, more 

frequently, and store it cold so you get 

the same blast of flavour our brewers 

do. Our pale ales, lagers, IPAs, sours 

and special releases will blow away 

the traditional ideas and expectations 

of what beer should be. 

Set in an old World War II 

ammunitions factory in the historic, 

industrial suburb of Salisbury Ballistic 

HQ is home to a team of innovative 

brewers who believe everyone should 

have the chance to enjoy a well 

crafted, quality beer. 

07 3277 6656 

ballisticbeer.com 

Helios Brewing Company 

Helios is the sun god of Greek myths. 

Each morning the rising sun marks 

Helios’ crossing over into the mortal 

world, driving a chariot drawn by 

wild horses that only he can control. 

Helios Brewing Company harnesses 

the sun’s power to sustainably create 

craft beer. Our brewing infrastructure 

has been custom-designed to 

maximise energy and water efficiency, 

minimize waste and carbon-footprint 

while capitalising upon Queensland’s 

renewable natural resources. We brew 

beers that are malt-forward, balanced, 

and intense using only the best 

ingredients, impeccable technique and 

sustainable practices. 

07 3392 9739 

heliosbrewing.com.au 


Slipstream Brewing 

Slipstream Brewing is an 

independently owned brewery based 

in Brisbane. We are a small but 

passionate team, producing some of 

the most accessible and sessionable 

craft beers in Australia. We’re the 

missing gap between bland beer and 

wanky beer, our beers hit the bullseye, 

brewed with nothing but pure flavour 

in mind. Hops are the heroes and 

we milk them for all their worth. We 

love the freshness, juiciness the zing 

and the zest. One sip, it tastes so 

good – capture that feeling and fill the 

fridge with it. Beer is the last thing you 

should settle on, so come and get 

caught in Slipstream. 

07 3892 4582 

slipstreambrewing.com.au 

Burleigh Brewing Co 

Founded in 2006 by Peta and Brennan 

Fielding, Burleigh Brewing was one of 

the first independent craft breweries in 

QLD. Now celebrating 15 year of the 

brand, Burleigh Brewing has upgraded 

their Taphouse in Burleigh Heads, won 

countless awards for both business 

and beer (a testament to their shared 

and individual strengths), grown to a 

team of 70, and in their own humble, 

hard-working way, helped transform 

the Gold Coast’s craft brewing scene 

into one of the most vibrant and 

thriving in the country. 

07 5593 6000 

burleighbrewing.com.au 

Terella Brewing 

Terella means “Little Earth”, and 

we’re building our vision of a dream 

brewery, drawing inspiration from 

science, a serious love of beer, and our 

connection to the local land. 

We’ve planted ourselves in North Arm, 

a rural setting between the hinterland 

and farms of the Sunshine Coast, 

surrounded by crops and free roaming 

cattle. Our concept is based on a 

sustainable cycle, producing what we 

need and using what we produce. 

22 rotational taps and a new exciting 

beer released every week! Pushing 

the limits of Hops and Grains to 

produce quality small batch brews for 

enjoyment. 

0492 929 357 

sales@terellabrewing.com.au 

terellabrewing.com.au

Q U E E N S L A N D L O C A L S 

A CRAFTY 

BUNCH 

Your Mates 

Your Mates isn’t just a brand, it’s 

a lifestyle. Drinking good beer with 

good mates and having a bloody 

good time. We believe these simple 

pleasures are much sweeter with a 

good beer in hand. Mateship is our 

founding principle, it’s why we exist 

and encompasses everything we do. 

Our beers are represented by a few 

legendary characters we’ve all met 

in our lives, with distinct personalities 

matching their flavour styles. Our vision 

is to inspire mateship through great 

beers, and our mission is to build 

an inclusive beer community at our 

brewery on the Sunshine Coast, our 

beautiful backyard in Queensland and 

beyond! 

0456 492 889 

yourmatesbrewing.com 

Felons Brewing Co 

Founded by Brisbane locals, Felons 

Brewing Co. is a modern-day brewery 

proudly positioned on the banks of the 

Brisbane River. Our brewery is nestled 

down under the Story Bridge, within 

Howard Smith Wharves. We truly 

believe that beer is what binds us all 

to this great part of the world and as 

proud brewers, we believe in brewing 

with passion and freedom. 

07 3188 9090 

felonsbrewingco.com.au 


W H Y N O T S T O C K & S U P P O R T 

A CRAFTY 

BUNCH 

Brouhaha 

In 2016, four Sunny coast locals set 

out to build their ultimate brewpub. One 

that produced premium quality beer 

and serviced fresh, local food. Cut to 

today, Brouhaha has expanded to Aura 

with a seaside production brewery & 

taproom, making Maleny the pilot kit for 

new and bespoke seasonal brews. 

toby@brouhahabrewery.com.au 

0405 707 975 

brouhahabrewery.com.au 

Revel Brewing Co. 

We are proud to be one of 

Queensland’s best independent 

breweries consistently producing 

Australian & International award 

winning beers. 

Bringing brewing back to Bulimba 

where the original Eagle Brewery 

resided in 1883 and the essence of 

QLD brewing began. Our beers are 

bursting with flavour and personality 

whilst possessing drinkability for 

everyone. 

Come and be a part of the Revel-ution! 

Matthew Flexman 

matt@revelbrewingco.com.au 

Boiling Pot Brewing Co. 

Everything we do at Boiling Pot 

Brewing Co. is influenced by our 

birthplace, Noosa, with all its beauty, 

nature and damn fine beer-drinking 

weather. 

We named the brewery in honour of the 

first headland in Noosa National Park, 

Boiling Pot, if you know it, you know it. 

If we could bottle the feeling you get at 

Boiling Pot, it’d be a bestseller. 

At Boiling Pot, we take what we do 

seriously but we know we’re not 

saving the world. Our mission is 

simple: to make life that little bit better 

for beer drinkers, one beer at a time. 

#cheerseverybody 

0414 415 920 

boilingpotbrewingco.com.au 


Granite Belt Brewery 

Granite Belt Brewery is a small batch 

brewery with a passion for creating 

unique, full flavoured beers that are 

perfect for every occasion. Our beers 

are made purely... to be enjoyed. 

We brew and bottle everything onsite 

in Stanthorpe on the Granite Belt, and 

is available for wholesale distribution 

07 4681 1370 

granitebeltbrewery.com.au 

The Catchment Brewing Co 

Catchment Brewing Co, located in a 

beautiful art deco building in West End 

is a fully functioning brewery, bar and 

restaurant and your one stop shop for 

all things craft beer, awesome food or 

functions. 

Whether sampling the medal winning 

core range beers named after iconic 

streets in the local catchment or the 

seasonal smash hits that will amaze 

you, it’s well worth a visit for a taste of 

West End. 

Catchment Brewing Co - For locals, 

by locals, everywhere. 

07 3846 1701 

bookings@catchmentbrewingco.com.au 

catchmentbrewingco.com.au

PLEASE JOIN US AT THE 

QHA & TABCORP REGIONAL 

RACE DAY 

MACKAY 

28 TH APRIL 2022 

OORALEA RACECOURSE

WINE 

SAFE SIPPING 

Ever had one of those days when you’re driving 

around a wine region, having a sip here, and a sip 

there, and not quite sure where you’re up to on the 

glass scale? 

If your answer was yes, then the latest initiative from 

DrinkWise and Australian Grape & Wine may be of 

interest. 

The Stay Tasteful While Tasting campaign, launched 

recently by Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, includes 

resource packs for cellar door operators throughout 

the country including new “scratchie cards” that allow 

cellar door tasters to keep track of their consumption. 

Mr Hunt said the education packs are a great tool to 

ensure that visitors to local wine regions have a safe 

and enjoyable experience. 

“This is a vital initiative from DrinkWise and Australian 

Grape & Wine to help Australians better track their 

alcohol consumption when visiting cellar doors and 

wine festivals on the Mornington Peninsula and across 

the country,” he said. 

“With wineries typically located a long drive away 

from cities, it’s imperative that wine tasters know how 

much they’re consuming in order to make responsible 

choices.” 

DrinkWise CEO Simon Strahan said the education 

campaign is aimed at helping consumers make better 

choices when tasting wines. 

“IN ORDER TO PROMOTE A HEALTHIER DRINKING 

CULTURE, WE NEED TO CONTINUALLY PROVIDE 

EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS ABOUT ALCOHOL... 

“In order to promote a healthier drinking culture, we 

need to continually provide education campaigns 

about alcohol,” Mr Strahan said. 

“DrinkWise works with the industry to deliver these 

important messages when people are purchasing or 

consuming alcohol and this partnership with Australian 

Grape & Wine is a vital component in educating 

Australians who choose to consume alcohol, to do so 

in a healthier and safer way.” 

Australian Grape & Wine CEO Tony Battaglene 

welcomed the new pack. 

“This new resource and education pack is the perfect 

way to display to consumers what they need to know 

to help them make the responsible choices and track 

their tastings when visiting cellar doors and wine 

festivals around the country,” Mr Battaglene said. 

If you’d like to access these resources email info@ 

drinkwise.org.au or visit drinkwise.org.au to find out 

more. 


Paul St John-Wood PUB TALK 

TWO-UP RULES 

Thank you to the hoteliers and QHA partners who 

attended the Sunshine Coast Region Hoteliers Meeting 

in February at the Buderim Tavern and special thanks 

to Endeavour Group for hosting the meeting and 

PFD Food Services for their ongoing support of the 

program. The next Hoteliers Meeting will coincide with 

the Mackay Regional Race Day on Thursday 28 April 

followed by a Pubs, Pots & Profits Forum in Townsville 

on Tuesday 10 May. 

External Advertising and Promotion Management 

Plans for on-premise promotions 

With the Easter and ANZAC Day public holidays 

approaching many hoteliers will be looking to advertise 

upcoming events and promotions at their venues, 

so it is always timely to remind you of the legislated 

restrictions in place for external advertising. The Liquor 

Act states; 

Section 142ZZC (1)(a) to (c) prohibit a licensee or 

permittee from advertising, or allowing anyone to 

advertise: 

(a) the availability of the following for consumption 

on the licensee’s licensed premises or the premises 

to which the permittee’s permit relates (each the 

advertised premises) 

• free liquor 

• multiple quantities of liquor; for example - 2 drinks 

for the price of 1. 

(b) the sale price of liquor for consumption on the 

advertised premises; or 

(c) a promotion that is likely to indicate to an ordinary 

person the availability of liquor, for consumption on the 

advertised premises, at a price less than that normally 

charged for the liquor. Examples of promotions for (c) 

include: 

• ‘happy hours’ 

• ‘all you can drink’ 

• ‘toss the boss’. 

In accordance with s142ZZC(2), a person does not 

contravene s142ZZC(1) if: 

(a) the advertising happens only within the advertised 

premises; and 

(b) the advertisement is not visible or audible to a 

person who is outside the advertised premises. 

Guideline 60 requires you to have a documented 

promotion management plan, or harm minimisation 

strategy, for all on-premise liquor promotions. 

These plans detail the strategies you will implement 

throughout the promotion period to ensure patrons 

consume in a safe and responsible manner. 

If you would like a promotion management plan 

template or require assistance with your external 

advertising contact the QHA. 

Two-Up on Anzac Day 

Many hotels will be looking to host two-up games in 

their venues on ANZAC Day but remember you must 

receive written approval by an RSL sub-branch and 

the following conditions are to be adhered to: 

• people aged under 18 must not play two-up 

• no commission can be charged on money 

wagered 

• all money wagered in the game must be returned 

to players as winnings 

• if an entry fee is charged for those who participate 

in the game, the money raised is to be donated to 

the RSL or RSL sub-branch to support ex-service 

men and women and their families (this could be 

through an association such as Legacy) 

• money raised from entry fees must not be used for 

administrative purposes. 

The QHA can assist members with a template letter for 

seeking RSL sub-branch written approval to conduct 

two-up and can provide information on ANZAC Day 

trading conditions. 



s e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 1 e d i t i o n 

KEEN TO BE FEATURED IN 

TRADE DIRECTORY 


m a g a z i n e 

By AUSSIE OUTBACK PUB 

RENOVATION BRINGS 

NEW LIFE TO A CLASSIC 

George! 

HOLDING REDLICH 

Full range of commercial legal services to assist the liquor and 

gaming industry, including all Liquor/Gaming applications and 

advisory, WHS, employment and property services. 

Robert Lyons | P: 07 3135 0559 

E: robert.lyons@holdingredlich.com 

Darren Anderson | P: 07 3135 0542 

E: darren.anderson@holdingredlich.com 

www.holdingredlich.com 

INSIGHT: 

PELICAN WATERS LIFESTYLE 

ROYAL FAMILY: 

ON TOUR TO MUNDUBBERA 

CRAFTY BUNCH: 

CRIMINALLY GOOD BEER 

ASK FOR OUR 2022 

MEDIA GUIDE 

Detailing our planned editorial showcases 

for the year ahead. 

INSURANCE | RISK MANAGEMENT | CONSULTING 

Your trusted advisor, helping you identify the risks your 

business faces and finding the right insurance solution to 

protect the future of your business. 

Call: 1800 240 432 

www.ajg.com.au 

All queries, be it in relation to editorial, advertising, 

production or distribution can be directed to 

0413 698 630 | qhareview@qha.org.au 

BE PART OF THE 


For more information on cost-effective advertising 

and promotion of your business in the QHA REVIEW 

contact qhareview@qha.org.au 

MARKET LEADING BRANDS IN EQUIPMENT 

No matter the size, shape or demands placed on your 

business, we have the ability to deliver equipment that is 

functional, adaptable and reliable. Convotherm, Waldorf, 

Waldorf Bold, Turbofan, Washtech. 

P: 1300 268 798 E: info@moffat.com.au 

Service department: 1300 264 217


LEADING PUB AND HOTEL LAWYERS IN QUEENSLAND 

Mullins’ hospitality team has unrivalled experience in the liquor 

and gaming sector, developed over 30 years. From greenfield 

applications and integrated developments to liquor and 

gaming compliance and employment advice - we are your 

one-stop-shop to ensure the best outcomes for your hotel. 

Curt Schatz, Managing Partner 

Direct: 07 3224 0230 

Email: cschatz@mullinslawyers.com.au 

mullinslawyers.com.au 

STODDART 

Stoddart are one of Australia’s leading manufacturers and 

importers of a large range of world leading equipment for 

food service and bar applications. 

Darrin Miller 

P: 0417 867 979 E: dmiller@stoddart.com.au 

stoddart.com.au 

RAMSDEN LAWYERS 

The commercial team at Ramsden 

Lawyers has extensive expertise in 

hospitality, liquor and gaming law. 

Call us today for a free 30-minute 

consultation. 

P: 1300 749 709 

www.ramsdenlaw.com.au 

CASINO CONSOLES 

Footrest, slimline and cashless bases 

available. Casino Consoles, the only 

name you need when it comes to 

professional poker machine bases 

and screening. 

P: 07 3890 2969 

www.casinoconsoles.com.au 

SCIENTIFIC GAMES 

This new generation of exciting game 

content draws on the strength of 

Scientific Games to create one of 

the most dynamic game libraries 

in the market. 

P: 07 3458 9180 

www.sggaming.com/australia 


MEMBER 

OFFER 

ELECTRICA SOUND & VISION 

Trust the experts in CCTV / Facial 

Recognition, Alarm and access 

control Systems plus all your data 

needs. Get the competitive edge with 

the latest digital advertising displays, 

LED screens, Music and TV systems 

P: 0411 799 914 

darren@electrica.net.au 

www.electrica.net.au 

CITY PROPERTY SERVICES 

Over 25 years of commercial cleaning services | Triple certified 

Quality assured | EcoClean Certified using environmentally 

friendly products. Get 2 weeks free with any 12 month 

contract when mentioning this advert. 

Free Quotations P: 1300 630 636 or 07 3391 2005 

www.citypropertyservices.co 


QHA PARTNERS & CORPORATE MEMBERS 

QHA PARTNERS AND CORPORATE MEMBERS ARE VALUED PREFERRED SUPPLIERS TO THE QUEENSLAND HOTEL INDUSTRY. 

THE BUSINESSES LISTED IN THIS DIRECTORY ARE KEEN SUPPORTERS OF HOTELS IN QUEENSLAND AND THE QHA ENCOURAGES 

MEMBER HOTELS TO UTILISE THEIR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. IF A BUSINESS WISHES TO FIND OUT HOW TO BECOME A QHA 

PARTNER OR CORPORATE MEMBER, PLEASE CALL DAMIAN STEELE, QHA INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER ON (07) 3221 6999. 


ACCOUNTING/ TAX 

BDO Australia 

Ph: 07 3237 5999 

bdo.com.au 

HLB Mann Judd - 

Chartered Accountants 

Ph: 07 3001 8800 

hlb.com.au 

Prosperity Advisers QLD 

Ph: 07 3007 1971 

prosperity.com.au 

SW Accountants & 

Advisors 

Ph: 07 3085 0888 

sw-au.com 

Clarity Management 

Ph: 3058 9732 

claritymg.com.au 

Hotel Accountants Pty Ltd 

Ph: 07 5560 8988 

hotelaccountants.com.au 

McGrathNicol 

Ph: 07 3333 9800 

mcgrathnicol.com 

Professional Client Services 

(QLD) P/L- Accountants & 

Business Advisors 

Ph: 07 3209 4452 

pcsqld.com.au 

ARCHITECTS / REPAIRS 

REFURBISHMENT/ 

RECONSTRUCTION / 

CONSTRUCTION 

Ashley Cooper 

Construction 

07 3142 5915 

ashleycooper.com 

BSPN Architecture 

Ph: 07 3851 9100 

bpsn.com.au 

Paynters - Design & 

Construction 

Ph: 07 3368 5500 

paynters.com.au 

Rohrig Constructions 

Ph: 07 3257 4411 

rohrlg.com.au 

Open Projects 

Ph: 1800 461 421 

openprojects.com.au 

BWC Constructions Pty Ltd 

Ph: 0403 579 997 

bwcgroup.com.au 

Hot Concepts Design and 

Construction 

Ph: 07 3277 7740 

hotconcepts.com.au 

ICM Construction 

Ph: 1300 798 107 

icmco.com.au 

IQ Construct 

Ph: 3667 8202 

iqcontruct.com.au 

BEVERAGES 

Accolade Wines 

Ph: 07 3252 7933 

accolade-wines.com 

Brown-Forman 

Australia P/L 

Ph: 07 3010 2000 

brown-forman.com 

Campari Australia Pty Ltd 

Ph: 07 3253 1801 

camparigroup.com.au 

Carlton & United 

Breweries 

Ph: 07 3666 4104 

cub.com.au 

Coca-Cola Amatil 

Ph: 13 26 53 

ccamatil.com 

Coopers Brewery 

Ph: 07 3275 3732 

coopers.com.au 

CUB Premium 

Beverages 

Ph: 07 3666 4104 

cub.com.au 

Diageo 

Ph: 07 3257 0800 

diageo.com 

Ice & Beverage Solutions 

Ph: 0414 938 276 

iceandbeverage.com.au 

Lion 

Ph: 07 3361 7400 

lionco.com 

Liquid Specialty 

Beverages 

Ph: 07 5440 2006 

liquidsb.com.au 

Pernod-Ricard Australia 

Ph: 07 3340 5471 

pernod-ricard.com 

Red Bull Australia 

Ph: 02 9023 2892 

redbull.com.au 

Samuel Smith & Son 

Ph: 07 3373 5777 

samsmith.com 

Sirromet Wines 

Ph: 07 3206 2999 

sirromet.com 

Southtrade International 

Ph: 07 3085 7418 

southtradeint.com.au 

Treasury Wine Estates 

Ph: 03 9685 8000 

treasurywineestates.com 

Your Mates Brewing 

Company 

Ph: 07 5329 4733 


4 Hearts Brewing Co. 

Ph: 0428 236 436 


Heads of Noosa Brewing 

Co. 

Ph: 0401 399 625 

headsofnoosa.com.au 

Nextgen Liquor Marketing 

Pty Ltd 

Ph: 0414 654 778 

nextgenlm.com.au 


0408 920 759 

terellabrewing.com.au 

BUILDING SUPPLIES 

& SERVICES 

Bunnings 

Ph: 07 3452 5725 

bunnings.com.au 

Artistic Flooring 

Ph: 07 3890 7799 

artisticflooring.com.au 

EDUCATION, TRAINING 

& EMPLOYMENT 

Best Security - Security 

and Training 

Ph: 07 3212 8460 

bestsecurlty.net.au 

Frontier Leadership 

Ph: 0423 097 246 

frontierleadership.edu.au 

Federation Academy 

Ph: 0423 097 246 

federationacademy.edu.au 

Lighthouse Safety & 

Compliance 

Ph: 0422 669 631 

www.lighthousesafety.com.au 

MLKA Hospitality 

Recruitment 

Ph: 07 4128 8400 

mlkarecruitment.com.au 

TAFE Queensland 

Ph: 1300 308 233 

tafeqld.edu.au 

Tribe Workforce Solutions 

Ph: 07 3238 0808 

tribeworkforce.com.au 

Zenith Hospitality Staffing 

Solutions 

(07) 3002 4000 

zenithhospitality.com 

ENERGY GAS/POWER 

BOC Limited 

Ph: 07 3212 4135 

boc.com.au 

TransTasman 

Energy Group 

Ph: 1300 118 834 

tteg.com.au 

Building Tuner 

Ph: 0422 218 375 

buildingtuner.com.au 

ELGAS 

Ph: 02 9672 0777 

elgas.com.au 

Sun Flux Solar Australia 

Pty Ltd 

Ph: 0421 082 828 

sunfluxsolar.com.au 

FINANCES, BANKING, 

INSURANCE & 

INVESTMENTS 

Beyond Payment 

Systems Pty Ltd 

Ph: 07 3505 2217 

beyondpaymentsystems. 

com.au 

BDO Australia 

Ph: 07 3237 5999 

bdo.com.au 

Commonwealth Bank of 

Australia 

Ph: 0476 824 307 

CommBank.com.au 

Gallagher Insurance 

Brokers 

Brisbane: 07 3367 5000 

Nth QLD: 07 4753 5311 

Toowoomba: 07 4639 7102 

ajg.com.au 

Shift 

Ph: 0498 137 007 

shift.com.au 

Green Finance Group 

Ph: 0457 883 700 

greenfinancegroup. 

com.au 

GSA Insurance Brokers 

Ph: 02 8274 8138 

gsaib.com.au 

Waratah Debt Capital 

Ph: 0448 681 783 

waratahmanagement. 

com.au 

Westpac Banking 

Corporation 

Ph: 0438 701 195 

westpac.com.au 

Austcover 

Ph: 0412 286 511 

austcover.com.au 

Banktech 

Ph: 1800 080 910 

banktech.com.au 

BUPA - health insurance 

Ph: 134135 

(quote ID 2109197) 

bupa.com.au 

Trinitas Australia Pty Ltd 

Ph:1300 836 025 

trinitas3.com.au 

FURNITURE SUPPLY 

Table Top Innovations 

07 5532 7191 

tabletopinnovations.com.au 

FOOD & ASSOCIATED 

BUSINESSES 

Bidfood Australia Limited 

Ph: 0434 939 134 

bidfood.com.au 

PFD Food Services 

Ph: 131 733 

pfdfoods.com.au 

CTB & Co 

(Cooking the Books) 

Ph: 1300 911 282 

cookingthebooks.com 

Simon George and Sons 

Ph: 07 3717 1400 

simongeorge.com.au 

Goodrop Oils 

Ph: 0439 206 664 

goodropoils.com 

GAMING & RACING 

Ainsworth Game 

Technology P/L 

Ph: 07 3209 6210 

ainsworth.com.au 

Aristocrat Leisure 

Industries 

Ph: 07 3727 1600 

aristocrat.com.au 

IGT 

Ph: 07 3890 5622 

igt.com.au 

Konami Australia 

Ph: 02 9666 3111 

konamiaustralia.com.au 

MAX 

Ph: 0436 839 857 

max.com.au 

Scientific Gaming 

Ph: 02 9773 0299 

scientificgames.com


QHA PLATINUM PARTNERS 

Simtech 

Ph: 07 5596 6993 

simtechcreations.com 

The Card Network 

Ph: 1300 375 346 

thecardnetwork.com.au 

Tabcorp Keno 

Ph: 07 3243 4113 

tabcorp.com.au 

TAB 

Ph: 1800 823 888 

tab.com.au 

Grub Lab 

Ph: 0437 875 134 

grublab.io 

Nightlife - Music & Video 

Freecall: 1800 679 748 

nightlife.com.au 

QHA DIAMOND PARTNERS 

UTOPIA Gaming Systems 

Ph: 1800 200 201 

utopiagaming.com.au 

Australian Pokie Consoles 

Ph: 0413 261 777 

clubsandpubs.com.au 

HOSPITALITY 

CONSULTANTS 

AHS Hospitality 

Ph: 07 5512 6143 

ahshospitality.com.au 

Clear to Work 

Ph: 07 3399 2894 

cleartowork.com.au 

Commercial Licensing 

Specialists 

Ph: 07 5526 0112 

clslicensing.com.au 

DNS Specialist Services 

Ph: 0433 906 809 

dnsspecialistservices.com.au 

DWS Hospitality Specialists 

Ph: 07 3878 9355 

dws.net 

Sculpture Hospitality 

Queensland 

Ph:0427 532 925 

sculpturehospitality.com 

Now Book It 

Ph: 1800 265 726 

nowbookit.com 

Nuvho 

Ph: 07 3357 9951 

nuvho.com 

Prostaff Events Pty Ltd 

Ph: 07 3061 8644 

facebook.com/Prostaff-Events 

HOTEL ENTERTAINMENT 

Pro Score - Sporting 

Promotions 

Ph: 0431 366 800 

proscore.com.au 

Rooks Entertainment 

Ph: 07 4068 8633 

rooks-entertainment.com.au 

HOTEL & BAR SUPPLIES 

BOC Limited -Gas/ 

Reticulation Supply 

Ph: 07 3212 4322 

boc.com.au 

Reward Hospitality 

Ph: 07 3341 5929 

rewardhospitality.com.au 

Stoddart 

Ph: 0437 576 447 

stoddart.com.au 

HOTEL BROKERS / 

REAL ESTATE / 

PROPERTY VALUERS 

Off Market Hotels 

Chris Cameron 

Ph: 0477 271 875 

offmarkethotels.com.au 

Power Jeffrey & Co - 

Hotel Brokers 

Ph: 07 3832 6000 

powerjeffrey.com.au 

CRE Brokers 

Ph: 07 5371 0165 

crebrokers.com 

HTL Property 

Ph: 02 8016 3810 

htlproperty.com.au 

JLL 

Ph: 07 3231 1311 

jll.com.au 

BDO Australia 

BSV 

Cashzone 

Ice & Beverage 

Solutions 

QHA GOLD PARTNERS 

QHA SILVER PARTNERS 

Off Market Hotels 

Prosperity 

Advisers QLD 

Tanda 

Trans Tasman Energy 

Group 

UTOPIA Gaming 

Systems 


Company 

Fox Sports 

Ph: 0403 061 412 

foxsports.com.au 

Foxtel for Business 

Ph: 1300 720 630 

austar.com.au 

Sky Channel 

Ph: 07 3228 6344 

Freecall: 1800 251 710 

skychannel.com.au 

LEGAL 

Mullins 

Ph: (07) 3224 0222 

mullinslawyers.com.au 

Corrs Chambers 

Westgarth – Lawyers 

Ph: 07 3228 9778 

corrs.com.au 

13cabs 

Best Security 

Beyond Payment 

Systems 

BOC Limited 

BSPN Architecture 

Coopers Brewery 

Green Finance Group 

GSA Insurance 

Brokers 

HLB Mann Judd 

QHA BRONZE PARTNERS 

Liquid Specialty 

Beverages 

me&U 

MSL Solutions 

Open Projects Group 

Paynters 

Payo 

Platypus Print 

Packaging 

Power Jeffrey and 

Company 

Rohrig Constructions 

Red Bull Australia 

Shift 

Simtech 

Southtrade 

International 

SW Accountants 

& Advisors 

The Card Network 

Waratah Debt Capital 



APPROVED 

MANAGER’S 

LICENCE 

Commercial Licensing 

Specialists 

Ph: 07 5526 0112 

clslicensing.com.au 

Holding Redlich 

Ph: 07 3135 0500 

holdingredlich.com 

HopgoodGanim Lawyers 

Ph: 0419 762 469 

hopgoodganim.com.au 

MBA Lawyers 

Ph: 07 5619 7319 

mba-lawyers.com.au 

PRINTING / PACKAGING 

Platypus Print Packaging 

Ph 07 3352 0300 

www.platys.com.au 

SECURITY / CLEANING 

Best Security 

Ph: 07 3212 8460 

bestsecurity.net.au 

CMBM Facility Services 

Ph: 07 3391 1040 / 

0419 708 715 

cmbm.com.au 

JB Hi-Fi Commercial 

Division 

Ph: 07 3360 9925 

jbhifi.com.au 

Mr Yum 

Ph: 0448 504 121 

mryum.com.au 

MyVenue Pty Ltd 

Ph: 0407329 953 

myvenue.com 

onPlatinum ICT 

Ph: 0402 281 561 

onplatinum.com.au 

RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT 

OF LICENSED VENUES 

TRAINING 

“HONESTLY THE BEST TRAINING 

SESSION! FUN AND LIGHT-HEARTED 

WHILE BEING VERY INFORMATIVE AND 

KNOWLEDGEABLE. THANKS, QHA.” 

Ramsden Lawyers 

Ph: 07 5554 1964 

ramsdenlaw.com.au 

LIQUOR 

BUYING GROUPS 

Bottlemart 

Ph: 1300 733 504 

bottlemart.com.au 

LIQUOR 

BUYING GROUPS 

Independent Liquor 

Group 

Ph: 07 3713 2751 

ilg.com.au 

Liquor Legends 

Ph: 07 3107 7422 

liquorlegends.com.au 

Future Business Technology 

Group 

Ph: 1300 706 155 

fgtgroup.com.au 

JC Eco Blasting 

Ph: 0417 702 227 

jcecoblasting.com 

Lotus Commercial Pty Ltd 

Ph: 1300 653 536 

lotusfilters.com.au 

Luxxe Outsourced Hotel 

Services 

Ph: 0426 263 636 

luxxe.com.au 

Tru Security Services 

Phone: 0452 377 662 

trusecurity.com.au 

SUPERANNUATION 

Scantek Solutions 

Ph: 1300 552 106 

scantek.com.au 

Schmick Cards 

Ph: 07 5514 6616 

schmick.com.au 

TableTime Pty Ltd 

Ph: 0405 052 682 

tabletime.com.au 

Ticket Solutions Pty Ltd 

Ph: 3503 6806 

oztix.com.au 

Vix Vizion Pty Ltd 

0413 026 918 

www.vixvizion.com 

13001 COMMS Pty Ltd 

Ph: 1300 126 667 

13001comms.com.au 

OTHER COURSES OFFERED: 

Online RSA/RSG Training 

Gaming Nominee Training 

Employment Relations Training 

Employment Relations Webinar 

Responsible Management of Licensed Venues 

Training is a mandatory training requirement 

for those applying for a liquor licence, and 

applicants for an Approved Manager’s Licence. 

Training is offered face to face at regional 

centres throughout Queensland. 

LIQUOR 

WHOLESALE GROUPS 

ALM (Australian Liquor 

Marketers) 

Brisbane: 07 3489 3600 

Townsville: 07 4799 4022 

Cairns: 07 4041 6070 

almliquor.com.au 


Company 

Ph: 07 5329 4733 


4 Hearts Brewing Co. 

Ph: 0428 236 436 



0408 920 759 

terellabrewing.com.au 

POINT OF SALE / 

PAYMENTS 

Cashzone 

Ph: 0466 148 752 

cardtronics.com.au 

HOSTPLUS 

Ph: 1300 467 875 

hostplus.com.au 

TECHNOLOGICAL 

PRODUCTS & SERVICES 

BSV 

Ph: 1300 244 727 

bigscreenvideo.com.au 

me&U 

Ph: 02 9057 8500 

meandu.com.au 

Payo 

Ph: 0450 240 622 

payo.com.au 

Tanda 

Ph: 1300 859 117 

tanda.co 

Compassify Pty Ltd 

Ph: 0406 624 677 

compassify.com.au 

DQ VIP Systems 

Ph: 0448 749 008 

getdqd.com 

TRANSPORT 

A.P. Eagers Limited 

Ph: 07 3109 6731 

apeagers.com.au 

13cabs 

Ph: 132 227 

13cabs.com.au 

WASTE MANAGEMENT 

Bottlecycler (QLD) Pty Ltd 

Ph: 1300 306 039 

bottlecycler.com 

Envirobank Recycling 

Ph: 07 3063 7677 

envirobank.com.au 

OTHER SERVICES 

Student One Pty Ltd 

(Accommodation) 

Ph: 07 3085 3050 

studentone.com 

For more information please contact the 

QHA Training Centre 

Ph: 07 3221 6999 Fax: 07 3221 6649 

Email: training@qha.org.au 

Web: www.qha.org.au 

MSL Solutions 

Ph: 0448 134 625 

mslsolutions.com 

Bepoz Retail Solutions 

Ph: 1300 023 769 

bepoz.com.au 

Banktech 

Ph: 1800 080 910 

banktech.com.au 

Harris Data Systems 

Ph: 07 5535 7677 

harrisdata.com.au 

Our Kloud 

Ph: 1300 700 929 

ok.com.au 

Future Business Technology 

Group 

Ph: 1300 706 155 

fgtgroup.com.au 

IDU Technologies Pty Ltd 

mitch@idu-identification.com 

idu-identification.com

venture 

across 

Q 

land 

empty 

TUCKER BAG in hand 

fill it up as you go 

spread some dough 

A 

support 

your mates 

across this great State 

A ravaged 

get behind those communities 

drought, flood, fire 

Acovid-19 

come 

a waltzing 

queensland 

for more info qha.com.au

QHA-Review_April

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