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Business View Oceania - January/February 2017
For instance, supporting good infra-
structure that w ill hopefully attract
more visitors is part of their focus
on demand drivers. Securing better
outcomes for the industry around
penalty rates, public holidays, and
part-time provisions is vital for the
employment sector. Lobbying for
better payroll tax and standing off
against companies and services like
Airbnb and online travel agencies is
also an important part of their work.
While the government has the last
word in regulation, the accommoda-
tion industry largely operates within
itself and the AAoA tries to protects
their interests at all times so they in
a constant communication with fed-
eral bodies.
Making the effort to
address national issues
To that end, the AAoA has to stay up
to speed with the latest developments
in the accommodation industry as well
as any changes in legislation that may
affect them. For instance, the AAoA
has been lobbying the government to
provide clearer definitions of the Build-
ing Code of Australia. Right now, differ-
ent types of accommodation fall into
varying categories. While residential
homes fall under a different class than
hotels and motels, for instance, ser-
vices like Airbnb are blurring the lines
as people are renting their homes for
short-term stays. As one might expect,
this has a direct impact on the accom-
Richard Munro, CEO