THE announced closure of the legendary bar the Holy Grail in Kingston due to the high cost of regulation should be a wake-up call for the ACT Government, says to ClubsACT.

Chief executive Jeff House, pictured, is calling on the ACT Government to convene a business summit to discuss the issue of regulation citing the latest closure is tangible evidence of what his organisation has been arguing for some time.

“The costs of regulation in the ACT have been impacting on the viability of venues and when that’s happening regulation is not doing its job. In those circumstances it is very counter-productive,” House said.

“Over the Christmas period we had a ‘Closed for Business’ sign as many well-known venues decided it was too expensive to trade and now one of Canberra’s high-profile night spots closing for good. Something is very wrong when venues decide they can no longer operate in the ACT environment.”

House said that while regulatory costs are an issue for all industries, the hospitality sector in particular had undergone too many changes in quick succession, including changes to food laws, smoking law management, mandatory training requirements, massive increases in licensing fees and administrative responsibility, outdoor licensing restrictions and fee increases.

“The summit will allow business to collaborate with government to ensure there is a regulatory framework which does its job but allows business to operate and generate growth and jobs in Canberra. This is important because when we look at a number of different industry sectors, we know there is more regulation on the way – not less,” House said.