Are Merimbula businesses faced with the conundrum of wanting to make the most of the holiday periods but up against a shortage of staff - Greg Britten, who runs Robyn's Nest, believes so.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
After reading and hearing comments from visitors particularly over the long weekend, that they had difficulty trying to find food after 8pm or anywhere open to spend their money, he investigated a little further.
"I noticed a lot of businesses were closed or closed early over the long weekend and was hearing the same thing from visitors. This was our best chance at rebranding Merimbula. I spoke to a couple who said they really wanted to spend some money but couldn't find anywhere to spend it," Mr Britten said.
When he looked further, Mr Britten said businesses were telling him it was hard to find staff.
Using Positions Vacant Merimbula, Pambula and Bega Facebook group, he asked whether this was correct adding that this could be the Bega Valley's most important summer season ever.
"We need to make the Bega Valley Shire relevant again in the Aussie tourism market. We don't have the luxury of international self drive tourists propping us up so we need to band together and make this season our best ever," Mr Britten said.
He asked how many people were looking for work as he had been told some businesses struggled to find workers so they could stay open all weekend. Overnight the post lit up with people looking for work and employers with jobs starting to engage with them.
"I'm pretty sure we managed to match some people up. JobKeeper is getting wound up and so there will be more people out there looking for work," he said.
Some employers pointed out that it was hard to justify ongoing employment when the workload suddenly drops by 90 per cent after the long weekend and the town is not busy enough to justify full time/part time staff.
While Mr Britten agreed he thought that on special weekends there might be people - particularly younger ones, would like to make a little extra even if only for a weekend.
"We actually hired an extra staff member basically just for the school holiday rush. They know they are going to get a heap of work for a week or two but then it will be quiet. I think if you are honest with people about what you can really offer them there are good folk willing to just take what ever little work they can get," Mr Britten said.
Carmen Risby at Tathra Beachside said it was the same in Tathra.
"We need chefs, cooks, barista's, waitstaff, cleaners and housekeepers. It's the same across all regional areas of NSW," Ms Risby said.
"We have a staff and skill shortage that's now getting so desperate businesses are reducing opening hours or closing altogether."
However Darryl Flaherty said he joined the Facebook group last week and applied for a job Thursday, interviewed Saturday and started Tuesday. He said the woman who interviewed him said she had been advertising for six weeks without success.
