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Advocacy

 

One of the core roles of the Association is advocating on your behalf, ensuring that Government and Local Body policies are not detrimental to bed and breakfast owners.  We also work with other associations and tourism bodies to ensure the voice of bed and breakfast owners  heard in the tourism industry.

If you know of any local council release their district plan update which contains restrictions for the operation of bed and breakfast properties please let us know so we can work to prevent these from being implemented.

You are more than welcome to adapt any of our previous submissions for your own use.

 

September 2023 - Tourism 2050 - A Blueprint for Impact

Tourism Industry Aotearoa reset the tourism industry strategy, Tourism 2050, a blueprint for impact, request submissions.  Ann-Marie Johnson has submitted on behalf of the Association.

To read our full submission - click here

 

April 2021 - Queenstown Lakes District Council - Visitor Levy

Queenstown Lakes District Council is reassessing its plans to introduce a bed tax from 2024/25.  No alternatives are presented for public consideration. In fact, the basic mechanics of the bed tax and underlying assumptions for accommodation sector revenues from 2024/25 are not described at all in the consultation documentation or draft plan.

To read our full submission - click here

 

March 2021 - Auckland Council - Accommodation Provider Targeted Rate Resumption

Auckland Council have released their 10 year Budget for consultation with focus on the APTR.  Council have recommended three options:

Option 1: Resume the APTR as currently planned from 1 April 2021 raising around $14.2m in 2021/22 to help support $29m of spending on visitor attraction, major events and destination marketing activity.

Option 2: Reinstate the APTR from 1 January 2022 reducing APTR revenue to approximately $7.2m in 2021/2022 and lower spending on visitor attraction, major events and destination marketing activity.

Option 3: Reinstate the APTR from 1 July 2022 and lower spending on on visitor attraction, major events and destination marketing activity to approximately $14.5m in 2021/2022.

Summary:

Bed & Breakfast Association calls on the Auckland Council to suspend the APTR for the foreseeable future.   Of the three options presented in the Budget for consultation Option 3 is the only option that is tenable to the Association.

The Auckland region’s accommodation providers require time to recover from the economic losses of this current covid economic climate; to allow the central Government to plan for the international border reopening and the criteria for doing so; and to assess and plan for the long term impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the international tourism market. 

Adding additional cost to accommodation providers to pay or something they receive very little benefit from is farcical and for many of our members this, combined with the current economic climate, will force the closure of their business.

To read our full submission - click here

 

 

November 2019 - New Plymouth District Council - Proposed District Plan Change

Summary:

Section GRZ-R6 – Residential Visitor Accommodation, specifically the clause that states:

Where ... the activity occurs for no more than 90 days in total per site during any 12 month period;

The Association believes that this is unreasonable to residential visitor accommodation providers and the clause will have a negative impact on the New Plymouth District economy.

To read our full submission - click here

 

August 2019 - Submission to Productivity Commission - Local Government Funding and Financing Draft Report

Summary:

Our submission to the Productivity Council is directed to section 6 Future Funding and Financing Arrangements – with specific focus on section 6.7 Funding to address pressures from tourism of the Local Funding and Financing Draft Report – July 2019.

The Commission has been requested to “look to bring new and innovative thinking to these issues” (terms of reference ii) and “provide practical ways to improve the funding and financing of local authorities” (terms of reference ii).

We are concerned that the Commission appears hesitant to investigate new options when considering funding for tourism and a number of times has suggested funding options for tourism are at direct contradiction to suggestions and comments made elsewhere in the Report. 

We believe the suggestion of an accommodation levy to be a simplistic one.  One that is often touted and one which, when investigated further, raises more issues and associated costs which outweigh the proposed purpose – that of increasing funding for local councils.

The report appears to under estimate the importance and impact of tourism on New Zealand as a whole.  “Beyond the significant economic benefits it also grows employment, business opportunities and is the backbone of many communities”, Stephen England-Hall, TNZ CEO, Jul 18.  The indirect value added of industries supporting tourism is valued at 4.3 percent of GDP. (Dept of Stats. Tourism Satellite Account).

We are concerned that the Commission dismisses other funding options (such as returning a portion of GST from international visitor spend) without investigating these, or the impact of its suggested accommodation levy, sufficiently.

To read our full submission - click here

 

2018 - Queenstown District Lakes Council proposed bed tax

We joined with TIA in support of their opposition to QDLC's proposed bed tax.  We also supported the Wanaka regional group and other parties in opposition.

To see Wanaka Regional Group's response to the Bed Tax Proposal - click here

To see local business submission - click here

To see TIA's full submission (February 2018) - click here

If you would like a full update of what has happened in the Queenstown District Lakes Council region please contact Liz Webster

 

April 2018 - Hawke's Bay Regional Council - Reduction in Tourism Funding

Summary:

Bed & Breakfast Association have a number of concerns about the impact of the proposed reduction of funding of tourism by Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.  The protection of the environment should not be at the expense of economic growth and employment of people in our region. 

To read our full submission - click here

 

August 2017 - Auckland Council Targeted Rates

In August 2017 we joined with TIA in support of their opposition to the Auckland Council's Targeted Rates proposal.

To read TIA's full submission - click here

 

 

 

 

 

Advocacy

 
 
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