Neil Perry, Chris Lucas set up new restaurant lobby group Australian Restaurant Cafe Association

Top chefs and restaurateurs including Neil Perry and Chris Lucas have formed a new restaurant lobby group. Here’s what they say the government can immediately do to save the industry.

The country’s top chefs and restaurateurs have formed a new national body to lobby the government for immediate change to the struggling industry.

The Australian Restaurant Cafe Association (ARCA) was established in the last couple of months, to create a stronger voice for the restaurant and cafe sector.

The body is helmed by hospitality advocate Wes Lambert, with top chef Neil Perry and Chin Chin boss Chris Lucas among the founding board members.

“Ultimately the industry is facing some of the difficult headwinds … and they felt that there was a time for change and an organisation that would drive meaningful change to local, state and federal governments and departments,” Mr Lambert said.

“The restaurants and cafe segment is facing challenges with taxes, worker shortages, training and education, with business specific policies and the rapid increase in cost of doing business that has come post-Covid and on the back of rising inflation.”

Veteran chef Neil Perry will serve as a founding board member of the new lobby group. Picture: Nikki Short

Melbourne restaurateur Chris Lucas will serve as another founding board member. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Business owners and executive level representatives from Melbourne’s Lucas Restaurants and The Delia Group, Farmer’s Daughters and The Lake House Daylesford were in attendance.

While Sydney chef Luke Mangan, and Margaret Group, Van Haandel Group, Swillhouse Group, Merivale and The Big Easy Groups and restaurants Bennelong, Firedoor, Quay, Hinchcliff House, Easy Tiger, The Grounds of Alexandra and The Big Easy also in attendance.

ARCA chair Neil Perry said “The current policy framework is not supporting the restaurant and cafe sector to continue to contribute to Australia’s economy,”

“We’ve been calling out for change, and today, we’ve gathered Australia’s leading restaurant owners together to drive impactful change in legislation and policy shifts to allow the industry to survive and thrive.”

Mr Lambert used to head up the nation’s other industry body, Restaurant & Catering Industry Association of Australia, until 2022.

ARCA will lobby local, state and federal governments for change, with the most urgent agenda items including:

— Calling for more tax concessions, the development of payroll tax abatement plans and revamped dine and discover programs akin to the dining vouchers used to reignite the industry post-Covid.

— Stopping the removal of chefs, cooks and restaurant managers from the skilled priority sponsorship list, making it harder for non-citizens to get traineeships.

— Preventing caps on the number of holiday maker and student visas.

— Raising awareness of the cost of doing business and the extreme pressures faced by restaurants and cafes such as rising utility bills, rents and the upcoming minimum wage review decision.

ACRA said it aimed to work with all levels of government.