HOSPITALITY businesses in NSW struggling with staff shortages are set to get a bit of a helping hand from qualified staff from over the river and across the country.
The Automatic Mutual Recognition (AMR) initiative comes into effect July 1, and will allow certified Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) staff from Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia and the ACT to work in NSW without needing to get new credentials.
The initiative is a part of JobPass, a new federal government program that aims to support and improve occupational mobility across Australia.
Hospitality Minister Kevin Anderson believes this initiative will help ease the some of the pressure on the hospitality industry.
“Previously, hospitality workers who wanted to temporarily work in NSW has to spend time and money getting additional RSA certification,” Mr Anderson said.
“This initiative makes it easier for RSA holders to get working as soon as they arrive.”
CEO of Murray Downs Golf and Country Club, Swan Hill Club and Spoons Riverside, Gregory Roberts, welcomes the initiative.
“It is great news and has been a long time coming,” he said.
Running businesses in a border-town community like Swan Hill, Mr Roberts says the issue of potential staff not having the right RSA has been a constant issue.
“We have been advocating with the Cross Border Commissioner, through the Murray Regional Tourism Board, to have cross border issues like this addressed,” he said.
The implications of COVID made these staffing struggles only worsen.
“The impacts of COVID have been devastating for our businesses and it is a very real struggle to find quality staff to fill the many positions we have going at the venues at the moment,” Mr Roberts said.
“We look forward to this change assisting in some small way and we continue to seek quality people of all ages to join our team.”
As well as RSAs, other Victorian, ACT and Northern Territory licenses that will be recognised in NSW through the AMR initiative include scrap metal dealers, wool, hide and ski dealers, correctional officers, and community corrections officers.
