Rising beer prices killing country pubs
We’re in the midst of a South Aussie heatwave, where the heat could melt your boots to the bitumen if you stand still too long. Once upon a time it’d be a damn good excuse to call into the local pub after knock off time and rehydrate with a couple of coldies.
But 84 government beer tax hikes later, a pint at the pub has become a luxury many can’t afford. This month pubs will once again be hit with the federal government’s alcohol excise, making the land down under, with fields of golden beer-making barley, one of the most expensive places in the world to enjoy a frothy.
Staff cuts and a “dead” front bar at Auburn’s Rising Sun
Ally Guerin from The Rising Sun Hotel at Auburn is one of the many publicans who has taken to social media to express her concern and call on the state government to step in. She said “enough is enough”.
“We receive five increases a year (including two government increases, two from breweries and one transport increase), and paying $10 for a 425ml pint of beer is now considered cheap,” she said.
While The Rising Sun Hotel does its best to absorb the bulk of the annual price hikes, she said “the front bar has died”.
“Not all pubs are owned by a massive consortium, or have huge gaming rooms that can offset these increases,” she said. “Some, like us, are owned by a local family, one pub owners, who rely mainly on people drinking and eating to ensure their survival.”
Since taking on the hotel eight and a half years ago, Ally’s staff have been cut from 19 to 12 and once busy Saturday nights have become one of the quietest nights of the week.
A beer isn’t just a beer
It’s a cruel irony, really. At a time when mental health issues are skyrocketing, business owners are doing it tough and economic pressures are affecting everyone – that the place that has always brought people together is slipping away.
A beer at the pub isn’t just about alcohol —it’s about connection, chatting about life and keeping up-to-date (in realtime) with people. Many stories we write here at Greater SA, about awesome town events or businesses, were birthed over a drink at the local pub. Because let’s be honest, no one’s gathering around at the local servo to yarn over a five dollar bottle of water.
Dylan Stoddart from Port Wakefield’s Rising Sun Hotel sees first hand, the benefits of people having a place come together.
“Everyone talks about mental health these days. We see a lot of it over the bar, particularly in men. We believe that the price increases of having a drink at the local pub will force many to drink at home, which could be a crisis in itself.
People don’t come to the pub to get drunk these days, they come to be social, and now that’s becoming unaffordable. It’s definitely time to review the policy.”
The SA branch of the Australian Hotels Association has also taken to social media, and this is what CEO, Anne Moeller had to say –
“Australia’s alcohol excise is already the third highest in the OECD! Labor and Liberals alike need to listen and freeze this lazy, hidden tax on beer and spirits sold in pubs, clubs, and restaurants – These are the places where jobs are created, and they are the heart of their communities!”
