The accommodation industry has welcomed today’s State Budget initiatives, according to Hotel Motel Accommodation Association (HMAA) Chairman Ms Carol Douglas.

"HMAA has again been successful in its lobbying for changes to land tax after championing the cause on behalf of the industry - the Budget offers savings of $167 million over four years for land tax relief, with cuts in the land tax rate at all levels.

Ms Douglas has welcomed this change saying that land tax has been a crippling factor for the accommodation industry, and that this relief package is a positive step in the right direction.

"The HMAA will be continuing to encourage the Government to give due recognition and support to tourism, which contributes 5.2 per cent to State output, directly underpinning around 150,000 jobs or 6 percent of all persons employed in Victoria," says Ms Douglas.

"In this Budget, the Victorian Government will be helping the accommodation industry with the following measures:

• A 10 percent cut in WorkCover premiums;
• $50 million in Major Events funding over four years;
• An additional $12 million over four years for a Marketing Melbourne and Victoria campaign;
• $27 million through Moving Forward to support regional tourism initiatives;
• A reduction in Payroll Tax, from 5.25 per cent to 5 per cent over three years; and
• Initiatives to cut red-tape for businesses

"HMAA welcomes the Government’s commitment to tourism, and the broader changes to business taxes and regulations will also benefit the accommodation industry," says Ms Douglas.

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