5 August 2025

Hon. Scott Simpson
Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs
Parliament Buildings
Wellington

Tēnā koe Minister Simpson

Hospitality industry response to the ban on surcharges

I am writing to you on behalf of the Restaurant Association of New Zealand (the Restaurant
Association), the largest representative body for restaurants and cafés in New Zealand, regarding your
recent announcement of a ban on surcharges for in-store payments.

Over the past year, we have been actively engaged with officials from the Commerce Commission on
reforms to our retail payments system, so we were shocked to find out about this policy shift through
the media despite having met with officials from the Commerce Commission less than a week prior to
the announcement being made.

While we are supportive of efforts to make payments clearer and more affordable for consumers — our
customers — we are extremely disappointed by the ongoing commentary which perpetuates the
incorrect narrative that surcharges are a way for businesses to “swindle” their customers for more
money, and the misleading insinuation that businesses have nothing to worry about as a result of this
announcement.

Capping interchange fees

We are concerned by your answers to patsy questions about the impact of these changes on small
businesses in the House last week. Your comments suggested that, because the ban on surcharges is to
be implemented in conjunction with the Commerce Commission’s decision to cap interchange fees,
there is no need for concern.

While the fees that businesses pay to banks will be reduced, they have not been removed entirely —
under your current proposal, business will be left with three options: increase prices across the board,
impacting all customers; restrict the use of certain payment methods, potentially limiting their
customer base; or absorb these fees as a cost of doing business, eating into already slim profit margins
(an average of four percent across the hospitality industry).

The decision of the Commerce Commission to cap interchange fees also included an intent to monitor
the impact of regulating such fees, to ensure that surcharging was reduced by a commensurate
amount. In our opinion, this would have been the appropriate process to follow.

Promoting understanding of our payments system

Throughout our engagement with the Commerce Commission on the retail payments system, we have
stressed the importance of taking a holistic approach to reform — including through addressing
surcharging at the appropriate time to prevent undue negative impacts on both retailers and
consumers.

Our members were clear throughout consultation on changes to the retail payment system that if there
was a way they could remove surcharging for certain card payments without having to absorb the costs
themselves, they would do so. The idea of mitigating the provision of outstanding hospitality service by
ending the experience with a conversation around surcharging and potentially leaving a bad taste in
our customers’ mouths is not one that our industry signs up for voluntarily — it is out of necessity.

Regulating payment providers

To date, it has been our business who have had to constantly explain that the fees they are charged by
payment providers are the reason surcharges exist. While often uncomfortable conversations, they also
lead to giving customers a choice between using a payment method that incurs a surcharge, or those
that do not. The decision to ban surcharges removes that choice for consumers.

Further, throughout engagement with the Commerce Commission, it was clear that further work was
needed to ensure payment providers did not simply increase other fees paid by retailers to cover any
shortfall in their income. As it stands, the ban on surcharges leaves retailers in the lurch, required to
either increase their prices to cover costs or absorb the cost of fees, while there is no guarantee that the
actual fees they pay across our entire retail payments system will actually decrease. This must be
addressed before any further action is taken to ban surcharges.

It is important to also note that while the benefits of a cap on interchange fees are intended to be
passed on through a reduced merchant service fee, the interchange fee is only a portion of the amount
charged to retailers. The full merchant service fee is not being capped — only the interchange fee
portion of the merchant service fee — meaning businesses are still left with large fees that they will not
be able to recuperate through surcharges.

Evidence-based policy

You referred several times to overseas evidence, indicating there would be no need for businesses to
increase prices following the ban on surcharges. Notwithstanding the points we have already raised,
we submit that the Government would have been better off to wait for the reduced interchange fee
decision to take effect and gather domestic, real time evidence to determine if there was still a need to
regulate surcharges — and if so, in what form such regulation would take.

For example, it is unclear whether your current proposal to ban surcharging includes surcharging
during trade on public holidays, which goes towards covering increased wage costs provided for under
the Holidays Act. While we would advocate against such a blanket ban being implemented, any
exceptions will only add to the confusing regulatory system within which our small businesses already
operate.

I would value the opportunity to meet with you in person to discuss how we can work together in
future on this and other matters of shared importance. We remain willing and ready to collaborate on
critical work in the Commerce and Consumer Affairs portfolio, including the work initiated by your
predecessor to amend the Companies Act, which was expected to be introduced to Parliament in the
first half of this year.

Please do not hesitate to contact me directly if I can be of any assistance. I look forward to hearing from
you.

Ngā mihi nui,
Marisa Bidois
Chief Executive
Restaurant Association of New Zealand

cc Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister
Hon Louise Upston, Minister for Tourism and Hospitality

5 August 2025

Hon. Erica Stanford
Minister of Immigration
Parliament Buildings
Wellington
E.Stanford@ministers.govt.nz

Kia ora Minister Stanford

Progressing policy development in the immigration portfolio

As you are aware, immigration policy settings have consistently been one of the most pressing
issues raised by Restaurant Association members over recent years.

After recent engagements with immigration officials that have shown the number of visas expiring
over the coming months, we have work underway as an industry to review our workforce needs
and priority roles within the immigration system.

In the meantime, I would appreciate an update on progress reviewing immigration policy settings,
and when we can anticipate announcements being made which we hope will give our members
some confidence as our industry gets closer to beginning recruitment for the busy summer trading
period.

Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)

Acknowledging that a number of changes to the AEWV scheme have already been announced, I
would appreciate confirmation or otherwise as to whether further changes to the job check stage
— in particular regarding tiered accreditation — is still being considered. My understanding is that
these decisions were due early this year, and despite good early-stage engagement from your
officials, we have not had any updates on whether this option will progress.

Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa

In your speech to the Employers and Manufacturers Association on 16 August 2024, you indicated
that once the AEWV review is complete, work would begin to ensure our skilled residence settings
are appropriately targeted to address skills gaps.

We have not been invited to participate in any consultation on the Skilled Migrant Category
review. As such, we are unclear as to whether the Government considers the AEWV review to be
complete, and whether a review of the Skilled Migrant Category is underway. I would appreciate an update on this work, and the opportunity to provide feedback should consultation already be
underway.

New Pathways for Seasonal Workers

We were pleased to participate in consultation on the two seasonal surge capacity visas being
considered for introduction in November, which will certainly have an impact on the hospitality
industry workforce. Understanding that Cabinet decisions were due to be made in June, we would
appreciate a heads up where possible on expected timing for an announcement on decisions
around these two visas.

As our industry looks to the future, I am committed to doing what I can to ensure that policy
settings across Government are as supportive as possible of our recovery and growth. To that end,
please do not hesitate to contact me directly if I can be of any assistance. I look forward to hearing
from you soon.

Ngā mihi nui,
Marisa Bidois
Chief Executive
Restaurant Association of New Zealand

cc Hon Louise Upston, Minister for Tourism and Hospitality

18 February 2025

Hon. Louise Upston
Minister for Tourism and Hospitality
Parliament Buildings
Wellington
l.upston@ministers.govt.nz

Tēnā koe Minister Upston,

Congratulations and welcome to the Tourism and Hospitality portfolio

On behalf of the Restaurant Association of New Zealand, I want to express our gratitude for meeting with us on day one of your tenure as Minister for Tourism and Hospitality. I have already had feedback from our members who shared how impressed they were by your commitment to engaging with the hospitality sector so soon into taking on this role, and I look forward to meeting with you again soon.

With that in mind, I am writing to invite you to Ignite Hospo 2025, our new-look hospitality conference, and to share with you some information about our industry advisory groups, as well as how we intersect with your Social Development and Employment portfolio.

Ignite Hospo 2025

Ignite Hospo is the new format for our annual hospitality conference. This immersive event will go beyond the traditional conference format and off er intimate workshops that provoke thought and discussion through discovery, exploration, and debate of both new and time-tested business strategies and concepts.

As Minister for Tourism and Hospitality, we would like to invite you to be a keynote speaker at Ignite, which will take place on Monday 19 May at the Hyundai Marine Sports Centre, 8/10 Tamaki Drive, Okahu Bay, Auckland.

With the 2025 budget being delivered on Thursday 22 May, should you wish to use this occasion to make a pre-budget announcement of any hospitality-specific investments in Budget 2025, we would be more than happy to support and facilitate this with your off ice.

Industry Advisory Groups

To better consider the issues, initiatives and future skills needed across the hospitality industry, the Restaurant Association has established five industry advisory groups to facilitate regular dialogue about hospitality needs that builds more cohesive, coordinated insights and support greater decision-making.

The groups are:

• Immigration and Employment Relations Industry Advisory Group
• Economic Development Industry Advisory Group
• Sustainability and Environmental Practise Industry Advisory Group
• Training and Development Skills Industry Advisory Group Page 1 of 2
• Rangatahi Advisory Group

These groups meet quarterly in a think tank-style online meeting to discuss issues, ideas and initiatives to support the growth and development of the hospitality industry. Should you or your colleagues ever wish to meet with one of these groups, or engage in targeted consultation on specific topics, we would welcome the opportunity to coordinate such engagement as we have done in the past with the Commerce Commission.

Intersection with your other portfolios

In partnership with the Ministry of Social Development, our HospoStart programme introduces jobseekers to the basics of hospitality. They graduate with a great attitude, core skills and ready for a career in hospitality.

We train job-seekers over four weeks to ready them for work (or get them back into work) in hospitality, with an overall goal of employment upon completion. The training provided by the Restaurant Association is employer driven and has been created in consultation with the hospitality industry.

Participants gain valuable insight into a career in hospitality and key skills for entering employment and further education in our industry. We designed this course to reflect the key skill set required for job seekers – it is practical and hands on learning.

Upon completion we actively help to recruit the graduates into employment and our programme will continue in the form of pastoral care and mentorship in the first 3 months of their employment. Since its establishment in 2017, more than 900 people have passed through the programme and onto the hospitality industry.

Bringing the Michelin Guide to New Zealand

Finally, I understand you have requested a briefing on Michelin, and we were happy to provide what information we had available to your off icials to support this. If there is anything we can do to assist you in this work, please let us know — we are very excited by this opportunity, and have a number of members who have trained in Michelin-starred venues and received Michelin stars themselves who I’m sure would welcome the opportunity to help with bringing Michelin to New Zealand.

I hope you have found this briefing useful, and I look forward to working with you to grow the value of hospitality in New Zealand. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance in your role.

Ngā mihi nui,
Marisa Bidois
Chief Executive
Restaurant Association of New Zealand

Friday 24 January 2025

Hon. Nicola Willis
Minister for Economic Growth
Parliament Buildings
Wellington
n.willis@ministers.govt.nz

Tēnā koe Minister Willis,

Cooking with gas: supporting economic growth in the Hospitality industry

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate you for taking on the new Economic Growth portfolio, and thank you for your work to date across all of your portfolios. I particularly appreciated the opportunity to support your announcement of changes to the rules regarding working from home for public servants, and I hope to continue that relationship in your new role.

At the outset, I wanted to outline the Restaurant Association’s role within the broader hospitality industry, which can be thought of as being made up of three sectors: food and beverage, accommodation, and entertainment. The Restaurant Association is the largest representative body focusing on the food and beverage sector of hospitality; our more than 2,500 members cover the length and breadth of the country and are primarily businesses where food is the hero of their operations – from some of the most renowned restaurants in the country to the casual food truck at a local weekend market, we advocate for them all.

It is in that capacity that I wanted to bring to your attention two opportunities that would significantly raise the hospitality sector’s contribution to New Zealand’s economic growth: bringing the Michelin guide onshore, and a focus on major events.

Bringing the Michelin guide to New Zealand

This would provide a significant boost to the food and beverage sector of the hospitality industry, as well as our culinary tourism off ering as a country. Michelin-starred establishments can often become tourism destinations in their own right, generating and raising up a local economy around them. Anecdotally, we’re even aware of small towns and villages across Europe that have seen substantial increases in visitor numbers after local restaurants have earned a Michelin-star.

While the exact cost of bringing the Michelin guide to New Zealand is usually determined through formal negotiations, it is not uncommon for the guide to be in some financial agreement with tourism boards and international governments to initiate market entry, and we are preparing to engage directly with Michelin to better understand their requirements to enter New Zealand.

What we do know is that Michelin has been travelling further afield of late to launch inaugural country guides around the world. From publicly available reporting, cost approximations to bring the Michelin guide onshore have included 1.5 million euro ($2.7 million NZD) for Tel Aviv, 3.2 billion won over four years ($3.9 million NZD) for South Korea and 144 million baht over five years ($7 million NZD) for Thailand.

Recognising that the up-front cost of attracting Michelin to New Zealand could be a concern for the Government, we are also liaising with the Restaurant and Catering Association in Australia to work together on a trans-Tasman proposal to bring Michelin to both of our countries, in the hopes of agreeing to an arrangement with Australia to ensure that both markets can share both the costs and benefits of Michelin, and avoid one country winning out over the other.

Major events and infrastructure

I have heard from many of our members that they are particularly interested in the Government’s approach to major events, particularly in response to an article published by Stuff on 14 October. In response, I have written to your colleague Dr. Carlos Cheung to express our support for his members’ bill (the Resource Management (Concerts) Amendment Bill) which would ensure that consent authorities must grant on application a minimum of 15 consents per year, per major stadium, for concerts.

We see this as a significant step forward for major stadia across the country, however, we also recognise that live music and stadium tours alone are not the solution to all of our challenges. As such, I would value an opportunity to meet with you to learn more about your plans for the economic growth portfolio, both with regard to major events, but also to identify potential synergies which could be accelerated by partnering with hospitality.

I would be happy to host you at our Head Off ice in Mt Eden, to meet with you in Wellington, or to meet online should that be most convenient. Appreciating the pressures on your schedule which may make a meeting diff icult to schedule, I look forward to hearing about your priorities for the Economic Growth portfolio over the coming weeks as relevant announcements are made.

While the past few years — marked by the pandemic, natural disasters and economic uncertainty — have wreaked havoc on the hospitality industry, we are optimistic about what 2025 will bring. Our businesses are preparing for a busy year ahead, with the adage “thrive in ‘25” being adopted by many as a sign of hope for the year ahead.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance to you in the meantime, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Ngā mihi nui,
Marisa Bidois
Chief Executive
Restaurant Association of New Zealand

Friday 24 January 2025

Hon. Chris Penk
Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing
Parliament Buildings
Wellington
c.penk@ministers.govt.nz

Tēnā koe Minister Penk,

Congratulations and welcome to the Small Business and Manufacturing portfolio/

On behalf of the Restaurant Association of New Zealand, I want to congratulate you on taking up the mantle of Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing, and welcome you to what is an exciting and inspiring portfolio representing an overwhelming majority of businesses in New Zealand.

The Restaurant Association runs a number of industry advisory groups, made up of member businesses who provide us with an on-the-ground view of different policy areas relevant to the hospitality industry. I wanted to take this opportunity to set out two key opportunities that our Economic Development industry advisory group has regularly raised with us, and which we had begun discussing with your predecessor Hon. Andrew Bayly in this role: celebrating an annual New Zealand Small Business Month, and establishing a fund for small business growth.

New Zealand Small Business Month

This proposal started out initially as an annual Restaurant Month, but has grown to become a more holistic recognition of small businesses across the country. We believe a centrally coordinated and supported Small Business Month would help to boost business confidence, and would be a relatively simple and cost effective solution to delivering direct government support for small businesses across the country.

Small Business Months have been used internationally (celebrated in May in the United States, Queensland and New South Wales, and in October in Canada and the United Kingdom) to recognise the importance of small businesses to their economies, and are all delivered in their own unique way.

Our proposal for a New Zealand Small Business Month would see central government (i.e. the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) take on a coordinating role, leading the promotion and publicity for Small Business Month and providing a repository of resources for participants.

In support, we envisage local councils, BIDs and business chambers taking a more granular approach in supporting and promoting local events and “Shop Small” campaigns, while industries themselves would be responsible for delivering actual events and promotions to support central and local campaigns.
Our suggestion is that July is designated as New Zealand Small Business Month – being the middle of winter, it is a traditionally quieter time for businesses and a concerted eff ort to support small business during a slow period will go far in boosting confidence in both our businesses and our economy.

Funding for business growth

At the Small Business Workshop on 25 January 2024, three priorities were identified by those in attendance as important for further work:

• Increasing the vehicles for investment in New Zealand SMEs, including through funds held in KiwiSaver, the SuperFund and ACC.
• Targeting business support to firms with high growth potential.
• Financial incentives for SMEs to invest in their own capabilities.

Many of the discussions regarding access to funding that we have had with our members have been focussed on growth, rather than establishment. An example of a fund that we would like to see replicated in New Zealand is the Queensland Government’s Business Growth Fund, which can be used to purchase equipment that facilitates business growth. At least 40 percent of a total project cost must be funded by the applicant business, with up to $70,000 available per project.

While the specific details would need to be worked out for a New Zealand specific fund, we support the idea of a co-funded model that delivers financial support specifically to small businesses trying to take the next step in their business journey and grow their enterprise.

I would value an opportunity to meet with you to learn more about your plans for the Small Business and Manufacturing portfolio, and to hear your thoughts on the opportunities raised by our Economic Development industry advisory group.

I would be happy to host you at our Head Off ice in Mt Eden, to meet with you in Wellington, or to meet online should that be most convenient. Appreciating the pressures on your schedule which may make a meeting difficult to schedule, I look forward to meeting with you as part of the Small Business Advisory Group.

Once again, congratulations on your new role, and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly if there is anything that I can assist you with in the meantime.

Ngā mihi nui,
Marisa Bidois
Chief Executive
Restaurant Association of New Zealand

2 May 2024
Hon. Erica Stanford
Minister of Immigration
Parliament Buildings
Wellington
E.Stanford@ministers.govt.nz

Tēnā koe e te Minita,

Hospitality sector priorities for the immigration portfolio
Further to my previous letter setting out the hospitality sector’s priorities for the incoming Government, I am writing to brief you on our priorities as they relate particularly to your immigration portfolio.
Immigration is by far the most pressing issue raised by our members, and I have been concerned about the lack of consultation with industry on our immigration policy settings. The announcement made last month on changes to the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) scheme came with no consultation with the hospitality industry, and appears to be a continuance of the trend toward a generalised, one-size-fits-all approach to achieving what are ultimately commendable goals for our immigration system.

While the hospitality sector has specific priorities, we acknowledge the economic and infrastructure impacts of record net-migration and would welcome the opportunity to work with the Government in developing unique approaches to addressing these challenges. The priorities in this list are not exhaustive, and the Restaurant Association remains ready to develop further programmes of work in partnership with the Government to address challenges in the immigration system as they arise.

Migrant worker exploitation
To address migrant worker exploitation within the hospitality industry, the Restaurant Association created HospoCred, an industry accreditation programme for hospitality that sets a platform for standards within the hospitality industry, promoting employers committed to fair and ethical employment and business practices. This initiative is a collective force to prevent worker exploitation, and not only safeguards workers but also strengthens our industry’s reputation and contribution to the economy. We have been approached by several industry bodies who have sought to replicate this initiative for their sectors, because of the way it is designed and the results it is delivering, and we believe that government investment in industry-led initiatives like this will help to address migrant worker exploitation.

As you will no doubt be aware, one of the key challenges for exploited migrant workers is bonding to a single employer. Exploitation often occurs when this happens, where workers are unable to escape their exploitative employment arrangements. Our members have reported workers approaching them seeking help to leave their exploitative employment arrangement, and we at the Restaurant Association are always ready to help with facilitating this. However, to say that the answer is to fill out more paperwork to apply for another visa (whether a variation of conditions or a Migrant Exploitation Protection Work Visa) puts a layer of bureaucracy in the way of what should be the most important goal – enabling these workers to leave an exploitative environment as quickly as possible.

Accredited Employer Work Visa
The cost and processing times of working through this process are completely out of kilter with what can realistically be considered reasonable. Restaurant Association members have raised the overall cost and processing times of the scheme as significant barriers, with some opting to let their accreditation expire due to these barriers.

Our members have noted that the cost of applying for a work visa for a chef in 2009 was approximately $120, increasing to $200 in 2010. Compared to the current cost of the AEWV scheme, an almost 900% increase in visa application and processing fees is unsustainable – our members have reported paying $740 at stage one, $610 at stage two and $740 at stage three for a total cost of $2,090 for a single application. This does not take into account the cost of becoming an accredited employer, nor the costs associated with job checks and proving that a role cannot be filled by the domestic market.

Exploitation often occurs when the exorbitant cost of a visa is used as a weapon against workers by unscrupulous employers, and the cost hikes associated with the current scheme only add to the risk of this occurring more often. We recognise the Accredited Employer Work Visa was implemented with what were seen as protections against migrant worker exploitation, however making it nearly impossible to apply for a visa by increasing the cost of doing so is not the way to achieve better protections for migrant workers.

Further, the changes to the length of AEWV’s are significantly impacting both employers and workers in our sector. These retrospective changes mean that many staff who came to New Zealand expecting to be able to work and live here for five years, and employers who paid thousands of dollars in visa fees expecting to have those staff in their businesses for that time, are now at a loss both personally and financially.

Definition of low and unskilled migrants
New Zealand’s immigration system needs to recognise that an individual can still be highly qualified and skilled without a doctoral degree. Immigration and education policies are regularly treated as separate topics, however a common issue in our industry is the inability of the government to determine a visa applicant’s level of skill and often making incorrect assumptions based on formal qualifications.
This strict interpretation of the rules without any knowledge of the context of our industry has led to both a shortage of appropriately skilled staff and a bottleneck in visa processing, which must be addressed. A priority for the Restaurant Association is the development of frameworks against which overseas registrations, certifications and training can be measured against domestic qualifications and standards.

English language requirement
Much like the median wage requirement is an inadequate proxy for skill, we submit that an English language requirement is an inadequate proxy for real action on migrant worker exploitation. We recognise that for many industries, language and culture of origin is not an integral part of a migrant worker’s job. In the food and beverage sector, however, cultural identity and competency is a crucial part of the broader hospitality experience. Authentic Thai, Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine, for example, is most often prepared by those who have limited formal training and whose training has taken place in the home or through on-the-job training in their country of origin.

We submit that this requirement is an unnecessary restriction while there are a myriad of other actions that Immigration New Zealand can take to ensure those with limited English language competence are properly protected from exploitation. For example, it is already a requirement for accredited employers to provide the employee with specific work-related settlement information and support, and this could (and should) include information on worker’s rights and how to seek support in the appropriate language. Exploitation occurs when workers do not know their rights, and we believe providing them with the appropriate information in the appropriate language is a key tool to preventing exploitation.

Acknowledging that the English language requirement introduced to the AEWV scheme is set at IELTS Band 4, we submit that, given the description of language competence at Band 4 is that of a limited nature, the actions above should be introduced irrespective of whether the requirement is removed.

Seasonal work and working holiday visas
It is important to note that the hospitality industry will always be reliant on some level of a short-term, temporary workforce that is filled through the immigration system. The seasonal and events-based fluctuations in demand for workers in our industry are a perfect fit to support our immigration system in places like the Working Holiday Visa scheme, as well as supporting the broader tourism ecosystem when marketing New Zealand as a place to visit.

Currently, agreements with 20 countries¹ restrict travellers with a working holiday visa to working for an individual employer for no longer than three months. For any business, but especially hospitality businesses, three months is just enough time to onboard and train a new staff member on the systems and procedures that are unique to their workplace. Where staff are then required to move on after three months, both the employee and employer find themselves in a constant cycle of training and recruitment. Extending the maximum period to at least six months will help to ease recruitment and training costs and pressures on our businesses, while also providing security for those employees on a working holiday visa to know they aren’t required to constantly look for other work.

As an Association, we are progressing the industry-led work necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the hospitality industry. What we need from the Government to ensure this is achieved is short-term support to address our immediate pressures, and partnership to accelerate the long-term goals we are determined to achieve.

The Restaurant Association’s Immigration and Workplace Relations Industry Advisory Group meets quarterly to identify the challenges for hospitality in our immigration system, and develop solutions to these challenges – including the ongoing development of our industry accreditation scheme HospoCred. A key priority for this advisory group is the balancing of the Government’s objectives for immigration policy with the needs of businesses and employers in our sector, and I would be happy to facilitate an opportunity for you to meet with the group and hear from hospitality business owners first-hand how they see a future immigration system working for New Zealand.

I trust this briefing on the hospitality industry’s priorities for immigration is helpful, and would appreciate an opportunity to meet with you to discuss these priorities and how the Restaurant Association can work with you to support the ongoing work of improving our immigration system. My team is able to assist with scheduling a meeting at a time and location that is most convenient for you – I am often in Wellington and able to visit you at Parliament, or would love to host you at our head office in Auckland.
Please do not hesitate to contact me directly if I can be of any assistance in the meantime, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Ngā mihi nui,

1 Brazil, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Hong Kong, Israel, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam

Marisa Bidois
Chief Executive
Restaurant Association of New Zealand

19 Mei 2023

Hon Peeni Henare
Minister of Tourism

E te rangatira, tēnā koe

He Mahere Tiaki Kaimahi – Better Work Action Plan

As the representative body for hospitality businesses across the country, we are keen to ensure
that leading into this year’s election, Hospitality is not lost within the wider Tourism landscape.
As Minister of Tourism, you will no doubt be aware of the significant contribution the Hospitality
industry makes to the wider Tourism sector—over 19,428 businesses employing 135,000 people
across Aotearoa, while contributing more than $13 billion to the national economy.

Despite this, our sector regularly finds itself left out of policy processes, so I would appreciate an
opportunity to meet with you to discuss how we can work together to better integrate the
Hospitality industry into the development and implementation of Government policy.

The Tourism ITP Better Work Action Plan has been a fantastic opportunity for this to occur, and
our team has already identified a number of opportunities for the Government to work more
closely with our sector to ensure that the initiatives in this plan are a resounding success.
We were pleased to see the recent budget allocating funds to support the Better Work Plan. It is
encouraging to witness this investment being made to bolster the hospitality industry.

Specifically, we would like to see Hospitality explicitly mentioned throughout the plan, extending
beyond just the Accord. It is important for the industry to be named in this crucial piece of work,
particularly in the key headings. This seemingly small adjustment can make a significant
difference, as it ensures that those in hospitality feel acknowledged and included.

My team would be happy to work with your office to find a time for us to meet, whether in Tāmaki
Makaurau, Te Whanganui a Tara or online. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any
assistance in the meantime.

Ngā mihi nui,

Marisa Bidois
Tāhūhū Rangapū (Chief Executive)
Restaurant Association of New Zealand

1 o Hui-tanguru 2023

Hon Grant Robertson
Minister of Finance

Hon Peeni Henare
Incoming Minister of Tourism

Kei te rangatira, tēnā kōrua

Minister Henare, congratulations on your appointment as the Minister of Tourism. We have
enjoyed working with you in your previous roles, including as Minister of Civil Defence and
Associate Minister of Tourism, and we look forward to continuing that work as you take on this
new role.

I would like to thank you both for the work you are doing to support businesses impacted by the
recent extreme weather events. As the representative body for more than 2,500 hospitality
businesses across the country, our members were very appreciative that I was able to both
provide them with an update from the Government and communicate some of their worries
directly at the meeting, as part of the Auckland Business Roundtable, on Sunday 29 January 2023.
Despite it being the previous Minister of Tourism present at that meeting, I believe that this update
will be helpful to you both.

During the meeting we outlined some of the most pressing concerns raised by our members,
including the importance of clear and targeted communications as well as financial support. Since
our meeting, we have conducted a member survey and can now provide more information on the
immediate impact to our members of the recent extreme weather events. The results of that
survey are attached, and I want to draw your attention to some of the key findings:

• 75 percent of respondents have seen a significant downturn in trade, particularly in
• Auckland, Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty areas where the anniversary weekend is
• traditionally a busy weekend for the hospitality industry.
• 54 percent of respondents have experienced material damage to their business as a
• result of the weather.
• 55 percent have been forced to close their doors due to:
  • damage to their building (60 percent)
  • staff unable to travel to work (68 percent)
  • road closures (40 percent) and
  • reservation cancellations (20 percent).

Other issues of note include interruptions to the supply chain causing shortages of food, and
insurance contracts not covering financial downturns or damage due to natural disasters. Several
of our members have also raised issues with negotiating a variation with their landlords, which is
an area of particular interest that you mentioned at our meeting.

We appreciate that this is an ongoing and dynamic situation that is likely to be with us for some
time – and despite its framing as a 1-in-100-year weather event, it is clear that the impacts of
climate change mean these extreme weather events will become more frequent.

Our businesses need certainty during these trying times, and we’ve learnt from the pandemic that
such certainty is delivered through clear policy responses developed in partnership with our
sector, as well as relevant communications to small businesses like ours. The Restaurant
Association remains ready to assist with the development of these responses, and to support the
dissemination of such communications across our industry.

Please do not hesitate to let us know how we can assist at this time, or if you require any further
information. Thank you for your support and ongoing engagement.

Ngā mihi nui,

Marisa Bidois
Tāhūhū Rangapū (Chief Executive)
Restaurant Association of New Zealand

4 February 2022
Hon Grant Robertson
Minister of Finance

Kei te rangatira, tēnā koe

Targeted financial support for businesses impacted by the traffic light system

After almost two years of operating under the 4-tiered COVID-19 Alert Level system, it is understandable that it would take the public some time to get used to the COVID-19 Protection Framework and what this means in practice for businesses and public safety.

We also appreciate the traffic light system was established to ensure sectors such as ours do not continue to be disproportionately impacted as we were in the previous Alert Level system. However, we are beginning to see a marked increase in patron hesitation, which can be directly linked to the presence of Omicron in the community and a resulting traffic light change to red.

I am getting feedback about patron hesitation from Auckland-based businesses the most, however it is a sentiment shared across the country. You may have experienced it yourself; friends or family who interpret the new red alert level as a new lockdown setting.

I have written to Hon Chris Hipkins offering our assistance to support the government in realigning its communications strategy in the wake of Omicron. It is our view that the current messaging appears to be perpetuating an undercurrent of fear and uncertainty, which in turn impacts public confidence in their safety and flows through to patronage.

My ask is for the reintroduction of the support provided to businesses under the Alert level system. Given the public confusion about the COVID-19 Protection Framework, I ask in particular that the following financial supports are once again made available following any move to the red setting:

• targeted wage subsidies for hospitality venues
• a one-off COVID-19 resurgence support payment with the same benchmark of a 30% drop in revenue, as this has occurred with many hospitality businesses following the move to the red setting.

Over the past two years we have learnt all too well that there is a long tail to all lockdowns for hospitality – diners taking time to rebuild their confidence in returning to our establishments, which then creates anxiety for business owners and a slower recovery than other sectors. However, we have not seen it as pronounced as it is with Omicron – despite the alert level change not being a lockdown. We have work underway with other business organisations to further assess the situation, and I will be able to provide a more fulsome briefing on the state of the hospitality sector in the coming weeks.

Meantime, we would value the government considering the introduction of targeted support for industries such as hospitality that are experiencing patron hesitation as a result of a change to the red light setting.

Ngā mihi nui,

Marisa Bidois
Tāhūhū Rangapū (Chief Executive)
Restaurant Association of New Zealand

16 November 2021
Hon Kris Faafoi
Minister of Justice

Kei te rangatira, tēnā koe

Alcohol Licensing Extension – outdoor dining

In late September I wrote to Rajesh Chhana, Deputy Secretary, Policy at the Ministry of Justice, to enquire about the possibility of an extension to alcohol licensing for outdoor dining across Auckland at Alert Level 2. This was proposed as a way to provide restaurateurs the ability to trade that is viable and operationally practical, while helping to stimulate the economy.

While we now have the new staged Alert Level process for Auckland and the impending traffic light system, we would still like the Government to consider a temporary legislative amendment to allow outdoor dining extension to cover the extension of alcohol licences. This approach has been adopted in a number of comparative jurisdictions, and proven highly successful. For example, England took steps to extend outdoor alcohol licences in March, encouraging hospitality operations to adopt pavement dining.1 Other jurisdictions, such as Canada and Australia, are also enacting similar measures and we believe it would go some way to support the recovery of New Zealand’s hospitality sector.

Over the past several weeks, Rajesh and his team have been working with us on these settings, to see what – if anything – could be done. I have valued the transparent engagement and communication from Rajesh and his team.

I understand officials have sent through a briefing for the consideration of Ministers. This matter is becoming more pressing as we move closer to transitioning to the new protection framework, so if there is any further information required by you or your colleagues, please do not hesitate to let me know. I look forward to hearing from you.

Ngā mihi nui,

Marisa Bidois
Tāhūhū Rangapū (Chief Executive)
Restaurant Association of New Zealand

1 Source: “UK Hospitality reacts to Government decision to extend pavement licence”
2 Source: “B.C. offers to make temporary patio licences permanent”; Source: “Embrace our summer of freedom’: Al fresco future to revive Sydney”

15 October 2021
Hon Chris Hipkins
Minister for COVID-19 Response

Kei te rangatira, tēnā koe

Urgent (sector-specific) review of the Alert Level 3.2

On 4th October the Prime Minister announced the Auckland Roadmap, which includes new proposals for transitioning from tough restrictions at level three, to a three step phased approach. The three step phased approach is based on analysis of the restrictions currently in place by, and assessing which restrictions have played a key role in controlling the current outbreak. The analysis has then been used to identify the restrictions the government believes can be eased. The Prime Minister’s recent announcement about easing restrictions at Level 3 was positive news for our sector however in the three phases of level 3 we do not see our business able to open until the last phase.

I would like to propose that hospitality businesses who have outdoor areas be able to serve guests outside their premises at level 3.2. Guests would be seated and separated and there would be no more then 25 allowed in any one outdoor space at a time.

We have all been dealing with COVID-19 for over 18 months now. In that time I have made the case to Ministers to work with us to improve the Government’s response to better support our struggling sector: to keep businesses open, workers in jobs, and livelihoods intact.

The framework is outlined below:

New Alert Level	Currently	Proposed change	What this will look like
Alert Level 3 Step One (3.1)	Reconnect with family and loved ones again – outside only. Outdoor gatherings to 10 (two families only).	Nil	Nil
Alert Level 3 Step Two (3.2)	Retail is able to open their doors again. Public facilities will also be able to open again. Outdoor gatherings to 25.	Hospitality premises can operate tables outside, for up to 10 people dining, appropriately socially distanced, wearing masks when not eating Max of 2 diners in one group (same household) No longer than 2 hours onsite	Up to 25 guests (outdoor)
Alert Level 3 Step Three (3.3)	Hospitality (bars, cafes and restaurants) can open with the precaution of seated, and separated, with a limit of 50 people. Close contact businesses (like hairdressers) are able to reopen at this stage, with mask use and physical distancing. Outdoor gatherings to 50.	Hospitality premises can operate tables outside, for up to 50 people dining, appropriately socially distanced, wearing masks when not eating Max of 4 diners in one group	Looks like current level 2 settings.

I am asking that this be considered as a way to allow some of our business to allow some of their customers back on the businesses outdoor areas. Bearing in mind that our businesses particularly in Auckland remain largely immobilised by the current alert level settings. We have done the heavy lifting for sector-specific change work, and we now ask that you consider this request. We must chart a course for improvement because improvement to the alert level guidance is necessary for our businesses survival.

Ngā mihi nui,

Marisa Bidois
Tāhūhū Rangapū (Chief Executive)
Restaurant Association of New Zealand

13 o Mahuru 2021

The Mayor

Phil Goff
phil.goff@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Kei te rangatira, tēnā koe

Targeted assistance for Auckland hospitality businesses affected by Level 4 lockdown and further Alert Level changes

As you will be aware, Alert Level 4 lockdown impacts all sectors differently. For us in hospitality, every Alert Level 4 lockdown sends our businesses scrambling – scrambling to save thousands of dollars’ worth of stock, scrambling to pay wages as per normal, and scrambling to pay ongoing overheads, all while revenue remains at $0.

Not only is the hospitality sector disproportionately impacted, our Auckland hospitality member businesses have had to endure the crippling impact of the alert level changes far more heavily than any other region.

While our members are committed to doing their part for our nation, there is a need to acknowledge and compensate those businesses that are bearing the majority of the cost associated with the current response to COVID-19.

Now, more than ever, business owners are in need of targeted support in order to mitigate fixed costs. This is felt exponentially across our industry because at Alert Level 4 our businesses suffer a 95% drop in revenue; at Alert Level 3 this is between 60% – 40%.

For context, many of our industry has been barred from earning any income at all for 101 days of the last 468 days (20%), and then restricted to earning no more than 50% of our income due to seating, safe distancing & single server rules for an additional 76 days, (another 16% roughly). It does not add up in the eyes of industry.

Targeted support for Auckland hospitality businesses

Extending outdoor dining and food registration licences

In recognition of the trading restrictions at Alert Level 3 and Alert Level 2, we are asking that the Council extend the expiry date for existing and new food registration licences, as well as outdoor dining licences, for at least for the period of time Auckland has spent at heightened alert levels. As I have indicated above, our businesses have been affected for more than 170 days over the past year and a half.

Extending alcohol licences

Alcohol licence fees are another significant cost for licensed hospitality businesses, yet at both Level 4 and Level 3 an on-licence business has no ability to sell or supply alcohol, for which the licence covers. We recognise that there are other organisations involved in the alcohol licensing process, however we ask that Auckland Council work with the relevant bodies to co-ordinate licence extensions for a commensurate period of time.

In addition, we ask that Auckland Council work with Police, Ministry of Health and District Licencing Boards to fast-track new on-premise alcohol licenses.

Outdoor dining space

In August last year, the Council made a commitment to fast-track new food-only outdoor dining licence applications during Alert Level 2 and issue them within 24 hours of receipt. This was to help businesses make use of outdoor space. We ask that this is reinstated now.

We also support the proposal to enable businesses to have bigger outdoor dining areas (given the restrictions to 50 people indoors at Level 2), and this could include taking over local carparks or extending their immediate outdoor footprint.

Regional economic development agency leading the way

We were thrilled to see the recent announcement from Development West Coast (DWC) offering a rebate of up to $500 per business, for those that are offering deliveries during COVID-19 Alert Level 3.

We work closely with Auckland Unlimited and support the work they doing to attract people to Auckland when we are able to open up again as a city, in particular the work around driving people into restaurants.

Level 2 trading around the country is more subdued than it has been previously, and this is something we need to consider as a region. It is encouraging to see this is currently being considered as we plan for the future.

Next Steps

I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you on these options and explore what additional efforts could be made by Auckland Council to provide support for hospitality businesses locked out of trading and those that will have restrictions on trading at other alert levels.

We are also working with the Heart of the City on these matters and support the proposals they have submitted.

Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions or need anything further. I look forward to hearing from you in due course.

Ngā mihi nui,

Marisa Bidois
Tāhūhū Rangapū (Chief Executive)
Restaurant Association of New Zealand