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| Drinks Biz Magazine column Local Councils and Hospitality 2010 is election year for local government. Is this something that should be of interest to hospitality industry? Of course it is. National Government are increasingly devolving power to territorial authorities and it makes a real difference in how, when and for how long hospitality businesses can operate. The industry has been faced by a plethora of local regulations governing gaming machine numbers and sites, opening hours for hospitality businesses, fees for street dining, tourism levies and much, much more. The Hospitality Association engages with local authorities on these issues on a daily basis. It is our experience however that it is much easier to engage if there are some friendly, knowledgeable hospitality industry faces around the Council table. Now is very good time for high profile leaders in the hospitality industry to consider putting their names forward for Council positions in the election due towards the end of this year. Hospitality people are imminently electable as they generally have a high profile and a very wide network of contacts, colleagues, friends and customers. Campaigning needs to start in the next couple of months so its now time to give serious consideration to taking a leadership role and making a very big difference in influencing the operating environment for hospitality operators in your region. It really does make a difference. It is the Association’s experience that dealing with Councils that have people on the council with hospitality business experience makes it a lot easier to get common sense, practical outcomes which meet not only the industry’s needs but also the needs of the wider community. There is nobody better in-tune with their local community than a top-notch hospitality operator. Please think about the difference you can make and put your name forward for Council. Bruce H Robertson |
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