Motion: Closure of Hobart Hospitality Businesses
Tuesday 8 September 2026
[12.54 p.m.]
Mr EDMUNDS (Pembroke) - Mr President, I move‑
That the Council:
(1) Notes that seven well-known Hobart hospitality venues - Cargo Bar, Jack Greene, Post Street Social, Observatory Bar, Republic Bar, Franklin Wharf Restaurant and Bar and Franklin Wharf Function Centre - closed after the Pub Banc Group entered voluntary administration;
(2) Further notes that more than 80 Tasmanian workers were stood down as a result;
(3) Recognises the enormous social, cultural and economic benefits that come from Tasmania’s hospitality sector and acknowledges the significant pressure facing the sector, including rising operational costs and weaker discretionary spending;
(4) Expresses its support for the workers, contractors, suppliers and small businesses affected by the collapse; and notes the impact this will have on younger Tasmanians in particular;
(5) Further notes that these closures come at a time when Tasmanian businesses and workers across the state are already facing significant economic uncertainty and job losses, including from a significant hospitality supplier in Boag's Brewery;
(6) Notes that the hospitality industry has welcomed a growing focus on practical measures to support Tasmania's hospitality industry, saying governments at every level have a role to play in helping businesses through one of the toughest trading environments in recent memory.
(7) Calls on the Rockliff Government to urgently outline what actual action it is taking to support affected workers, help viable venues reopen and address the pressures facing Tasmania's hospitality sector; and
(8) Acknowledges that Tasmanian businesses and workers are paying the price for a weak economy, rising costs and need a government with a plan to grow the economy and protect jobs.
[3.19 p.m.]
Ms ARMITAGE (Launceston) - Mr President, I rise to make a short contribution. As the wife of a former publican whose hotel, The Royal Oak in Launceston, was, and still is, renowned for live music, I do understand that the situation. Hobart's live music scene has taken a real hit. The sudden closure in July of several venues, including the Republic Bar, Cargo, Jack Greene, Observatory and Post Street Social, remove spaces that had been important not just for audiences, but for local musicians just trying to get regular gigs. The concern is bigger than simply having fewer places to hear a band on a Friday night. Venues are the infrastructure of a music scene. When they disappear, emerging artists lose opportunities to play, audiences lose places to discover them, and the city gradually loses part of its cultural identity. Musicians are already saying it's becoming harder to secure gigs because of the cost of putting on live acts and complaints about noise. There are still venues supporting live music, but the loss of multiple smaller and mid-sized venues leaves a noticeable gap. Hobart needs to treat live music as part of the city's cultural infrastructure, not simply as a byproduct of the hospitality industry. If we want a vibrant city after dark, we need places where local musicians can actually play.
Supporting existing venues, making it easier to host live music, addressing noise concerns sensibly and creating more affordable spaces for performers should be a priority, not something we worry about after the last venue has closed. I note the motion obviously by the member. I'm not sure I can support all, I feel that seven and eight are a bit political, so I really don't want to be political calling on the government to do certain things. I certainly support 1 to 6, I'm a little bit reticent about 7 and 8 I said I do feel they probably are a little political.
But I will mention Boag's, because even though it didn't come under the live music scene, it was mentioned by the member and it's been something I've really wanted to mention for some time, seeing the honourable member mentioned Boag's and TasWater and fair enough, but one of the other issues to do with Boag's and I know that it was something that was such an issue for them when it came to recycling and the Recycling Awards and other members in this house and particularly I sort of lobbied for them very hard, went to West Australia, had a look at their systems there and one of the issues that Boag's had said was that they publicly pushed back against the Tasmanian government's chosen split responsibility operational model. I still don't believe it was the right model and nor did Boag's and obviously it was going to cost them considerably. I don't know if it impacted then closing in Launceston, but possibly I'm sure that the extra cost did.
One of their concerns was that Boag's argued that the government's model would lead to higher than necessary price increases for consumers and production costs for local Brewers compared to the alternative industry backed models like Tas Recycle. So as Boag's was mentioned by the honourable member moving the motion, even though it didn't come under the actual heading of the Hobart music scene, I thought it opportune to mention, I believe one of the reasons that could be seen for a cost for Boag's ultimately closing in Launceston. As I said, I do note the motion and I certainly acknowledge the difficulties faced by the music scene in Tasmania as a whole.
