400 staff stood down and $60m in construction in doubt due to coronavirus hotel shutdown

A major Brisbane hotel operator has stood down 400-plus staff and its two $30 million construction projects are in limbo in the wake of the Federal Government’s order to close pubs.

More than 400 employees have been stood down by the Comiskey Group and $60 million of its construction projects are in limbo as a result of Monday’s hotel closures.

Comiskey Group director Rob Comiskey said the move had forced him to shut down 75 per cent of the company’s business, including hotels at Eatons Hill, Sandstone Point, Beachmere and Samford, and its 90-room 4.5 star accommodation tower at Eatons Hill.

Its bottle shops are still able to open, as is its BIG4 Sandstone Point Holiday Resort.

Mr Comiskey is now trying to find a way to make the company sustainable in the face of a prolonged shutdown and vastly reduced cash flow while still meeting borrowing repayments.

“I don’t even know (how to do it),” he said.

$1 for 28 days: Full digital subscription

Sandstone Point Hotel, and its staff, are among the casualties from this week’s pub shutdown.

“We’re currently looking at cash flows. We’re looking at what people we can keep on.

“The problem is it is not short term – it’s not two weeks.

“If you’re not talking two weeks it’s a bit scary. It’s a minimum of a month, and it could be up to six months.

“If it was two weeks we could cop that on the chin and get on with it and come back.

“But when you’re talking about a month, and they are talking about up to six months, that is just unfathomable.

“I don’t know how many businesses that can come back from something like that.

“This will affect our company for years.”

Comiskey Group is looking at whether it will have to put on hold the construction of shopping centres it is building at Buderim and Burpengary (which also includes Burpengary Sports Club).

MORE NEWS:

MP alleges council engaged in “bastardry” over $12m project

Brisbane North’s top high schools for OP results in 2019

Casino to threaten viability of suburban RSL and sports clubs

LNP denies Brisbane north side toll road planned

Call for more parking at aqua park

Council urged to buy land to link wildlife habitats

Each would cost $30 million to build each and both were due to open later this year.

He described the impact so far as “devastating”, especially having to lay people off.

“We have employees that are like family. That’s the most upsetting part for us,” he said.

“I understand their (the government’s) concerns but how do these people pay their bills?

“We have so many people that live week to week.”

He said staff were “extremely worried” and there were no jobs around.

“When they talked about thousands of jobs (being lost) this isn’t thousands of jobs, this is millions,” he said.