Many of the character-filled Outback pubs that grey nomads love to visit on their Big Laps are doing it tough … and, sadly, some of these historic community hubs are being forced to call time permanently.
Even those which are prepared to think outside the square and maybe offer free camping in an effort to lure grey nomad custom can still struggle to make ends meet.
Well, in Queensland at least, moves are afoot to give some of these establishments just a little bit of a helping hand in recognition of their vital importance to the life of many small towns. In some places they are a lot more than a place to have a beer … they are tourist information centres, post offices, meteorology readers, grocery stores, parcel drop-off points, and a much-needed morale-boosting meeting place.
In recognition of the pubs’ community value, The Queensland Parliament is looking at removing the apparent anomaly that often sees pubs in drought-stricken Outback towns slugged with thousands of dollars in licence fees the same as the thriving hotels in the Brisbane CBD are.
The Brisbane Times newspaper reports that the Member for Mount Isa, Robbie Katter, has introduced a bill to create a concessional commercial hotel licence fee for hotels in very remote Queensland.
It would reduce the base fee from $3630 to about $360 for about 110 hotels, and cost the Queensland government about $300,000 in lost revenue.
“We need to move away from a one-size fits all approach and recognise the small operators in remote Queensland and the service they provide to small communities,” Mr Katter said. “Without that pub, the town would collapse completely, along with the social fabric of the town.”
After holding public discussions in Normanton, Thursday Island, Cunnamulla, Charleville, Blackall, Longreach and Hughenden, the Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee has recommended the bill be passed,
Janelle Jackson, from Eulo Queen Hotel, more than eight hour west of Toowoomba, said she should have a tourism information job because nine out of 10 times, people walked in and said: “Where’s this? Where’s that? How do we get there? Who’s this? Who’s that? Where’s that at?”
The bill will next go before Parliament for a vote.
* Click here to see some of the rural pubs offering a particularly warm welcome to grey nomads. And email us here if you know of a good one to add to the list.
* Do you think more should be done to help struggling Outback pubs survive? Comment below
A great initiative, help out the little guy! Hope it gets passed.
About time!!
Bloody Beauty, maaaate.
Now Foxtel just needs to reduce the exorbitant fees they charge such hotels so they can provide live sports coverage for the patrons.
From Walloon and up through the Brisbane River Valley I could not find one hotel with Foxtel, and one had just stopped it because of the expense.
Even if they charged $1000 a year and not the $10k I’ve heard, that’s $1000 more than they are getting now. Multiply by say 50 pubs, that’s would be nearly $50k bottom line
What a great initiative – Robbie Katter is a chip off the old block – He solves problems without fuss and bother – Good for all the rural Qld towns as Pubs bring dollars into the area with beer and food sales also they tend to have a pretty good selection of tourist items, caps bumper stickers, fly nets, fridge magnets, etc – Most Travellers like to get a memento of where they’ve been.
What about an old fashioned “pub crawl” tour? Don’t have to drink. Pubs to organise tours, talks by local characters, dinner at this pub, breakfast at that pub, and swap round each tour. Any further ideas?
We have camped out the back of the Maidenwell hotel not far from Cooyar nice spot also in front of Rudds pub in Nobby Qld between Warwick and Toowoomba both have great food and nice people.
Maude Pub located between Hay and Balranald is a great place to stop for a night or two. Lovely green sights with or without power are available at a fee of course. Located over the road on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, . Very comfy .
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Absolutely. Country pubs are not only places to have a drink and a meal they provide a great meeting place for groups and town folk providing help for struggling farms etc.
Jack Webb