Queensland\u2019s tourism industry has ramped up pressure on the Federal Government over its controversial Working Holiday Maker visa changes.<\/strong><\/p>\n The warning comes as close to 25,000 fans descend on Townsville tonight for the Socceroos\u2019 clash with Brazil.<\/p>\n The Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) says Working Holiday Makers make up as much as 60 per cent of the workforce at some local restaurants and pubs.<\/p>\n It warned some venues could struggle to operate if the proposed visa ballot goes ahead.<\/p>\n QTIC CEO Natassia Wheeler, who is in Townsville for the match, said the event highlighted how much regional operators rely on Working Holiday Makers.<\/p>\n \u201cIf these changes go ahead as they stand, some of the venues fans are heading to tonight simply won\u2019t have the staff to pull a pint,\u201d Wheeler said.<\/p>\n \u201cLanding a match like this is a huge win for Townsville. Kicking an own goal on the workforce that makes it happen would be a real shame.\u201d<\/p>\n The Federal Government announced changes to the Working Holiday Maker program on 17 September.<\/p>\n Under the proposal, second-year Working Holiday Maker visas will be capped at 45,000. That is down from 57,000.<\/p>\n Third-year visas will be capped at just 5,000, compared with around 31,000 people who qualified this year.<\/p>\n Both second and third-year visas would be allocated through a ballot.<\/p>\n That means travellers who complete the required 88 days or six months of regional work would earn a place in the draw rather than a guaranteed visa.<\/p>\n The Government has not yet announced a start date.<\/p>\n QTIC is calling for the ballot system to be scrapped. It also wants Working Holiday Makers already in Australia to remain under the existing rules.<\/p>\n That would include travellers who have already started their required regional work.<\/p>\n Townsville CBar owner Allan Pike said Working Holiday Makers account for more than half of his workforce.<\/p>\n \u201cWorking Holiday Makers are essential to running a hospitality business in Townsville,\u201d Pike said.<\/p>\n \u201cMore than half my team are here on a working holiday, and I\u2019m hearing the same thing from just about every venue in town.\u201d<\/p>\n Pike said major events such as tonight\u2019s match were particularly important for local businesses.<\/p>\n \u201cNights like tonight are what we plan our whole year around,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWithout these workers, we simply wouldn\u2019t be able to make the most of opportunities like this, and it\u2019s the busy nights that carry us through the quiet ones.\u201d<\/p>\n QTIC acknowledged the Government\u2019s aim to reduce net overseas migration. However, it said businesses and Working Holiday Makers needed greater certainty.<\/p>\n \u201cA lottery is no way to pick a team,\u201d Wheeler said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf someone has done the work in a regional community, they deserve to know where they stand, and so does the business that has rostered them for summer.<\/p>\n \u201cThe people already here have been working in our pubs, hotels, airports, cafes and tour operations and contributing to our communities and our economy.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve played by the rules, and you don\u2019t move the goalposts halfway through the game.\u201d<\/p>\n Wheeler said major events could provide a lifeline for regional tourism businesses heading into quieter periods.<\/p>\n \u201cNights like this are how regional businesses bank the good times to get through the tough ones,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe off-season, weather cancellations and cyclone season are all ahead of us. A big event can be what keeps a business open when the bookings dry up.\u201d<\/p>\n QTIC is working with the Australian Tourism Industry Council and state and territory Tourism Industry Councils on a coordinated national response.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n kabarsula SLOT <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Queensland\u2019s tourism industry has ramped up pressure on the Federal Government over its controversial Working…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1984,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kabarsula"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1983"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1983\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kabarsula.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What\u2019s changing?<\/h3>\n
\u2018Essential\u2019 to Townsville hospitality<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/travelweekly.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Townsville.jpg\"\/)
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/travelweekly.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Townsville.jpg\")
\u2018A lottery is no way to pick a team\u2019<\/h3>\n