There will be “significant casualties” over the next 18 months as South Australia’s hotel sector tries to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, warns the Australian Hotels Association.
The AHA’s Ian Horne told FIVEAA Breakfast’s David & Will on Tuesday that while relaxed restrictions announced this week will give pubs a fighting chance, “there will be those that just can’t make it”.
“The real crunch will come in September,” Mr Horne said. “There’s been so many things deferred – bank loans have been deferred, rates and taxes have been deferred, gaming taxes have been deferred and if the JobKeeper stops then, then all of a sudden the entire weight of the wage bill comes back on the venue…
“It’s hard to imagine in two or three months we will have returned to our normal spending habits.
“We’ve still got some dark days to go. I think there will be significant casualties not just over the next three months, over the next 18 months. This has got a long way to run.”
This week Premier Steven Marshall announced up to 80 customers – subject to distancing restrictions – will be allowed inside pubs from 1 June as part of the state’s second stage of easing.
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