Many pubs won't open doors under proposed model of reopening
While Melburnians are champing at the bit to get back to their favourite local, many pubs and hotel say a contentious blanket rule on patron capacity will stop them opening their doors on November 2.
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Pubs and hotels say three quarters of their venues will struggle to open their doors due to tight caps on indoor patrons outlined in the premier’s restrictions road map.
With Melburnians champing at the bit to get back to their favourite local, strict limits will be in place on November 2 — or earlier if coronavirus cases fall quickly — when the industry is allowed to open its doors again.
The Australian Hotels Association says this would include one person inside for every four square metres of floorspace, but with a cap of 20 people regardless of size and layout.
Under the plan, pubs would be able to welcome back up to 50 people outdoors, as long as there is only one patron per two square metres.
Ballarat pub owner and Victorian AHA president David Canny said the four square metre-rule was manageable as a first step if there wasn’t such a tight cap on numbers.
“We all want to meet the Premier’s goal of ‘opening and staying open’, but we cannot do this with the government’s proposed model,” he said.
Mr Canny said 75 per cent of venues would remain closed under the model outlines but if the four square metre rule was applied to the whole venue it would be manageable as a first step.
Over time and with COVIDSafe measures, this could be expanded to one person for every three square metres, and eventually one person for every two square metres.
“This model would help to avoid the deepening financial disaster facing our industry where debt levels had reached unrealistic proportions and personal and mental hardship was being felt not only by managers and owners, but also the 52,000 employees of the industry.”
The Herald Sun revealed last week the heavy financial toll on publicans, with many drowning in debts of $250,000 racked up since lockdowns began.
A spokesman for the Andrews Government said there has been 166 rountables with industry during the crisis and plans would be based on health advice.
“We’ll have more to say soon about how and when metropolitan Melbourne will welcome a further easing of restrictions based on the public health advice that continues to guide our decision-making,” he said.
Mr Canny said although footpath and carpark accessibility is welcomed, it is not a financially viable option for many pubs and may raise vehicle traffic and amenity-related concerns.
“Our patrons are pushing us to re-open because of our importance to community wellbeing and social engagement and we have been pushing government to have faith in us to implement our COVIDSafe Plans which are the best customer-health-and-safety plans in the retail sector,” he said.
“No other business has our measures of contact tracing, along with staff training, the CovidSafe plan, all staff wearing masks, 1.5 metre social distancing between tables, regular sanitisation and cleaning, and the requirements of customers to wear masks unless seated.
“Regional pubs had done a great job over the past six weeks in proving the industry can manage the risks. It’s now time to give all pubs a chance to re-open in a meaningful way.