Flanagan's Bar, one of Kalgoorlie's oldest pubs, has remained closed since 2020 due to a loss of staff following the onset of COVID-19. Owners Shirley and Gil Johnston, who have run the pub for over 45 years, say the business relied on international workers who were forced to leave Australia during the pandemic.
At the height of the pandemic, the 140-year-old pub stayed afloat by selling takeaway liquor from the cellar door, but has not served food or drinks since closing its doors in 2020. The Johnstons say they have been unable to reopen due to a lack of staff, particularly backpackers and international students.
Australian Hotels Association WA chief executive Bradley Woods said international workers are critical for the hospitality industry, especially in rural areas. He noted that Western Australia felt the worker shortage more acutely due to delayed border reopening, but the issue is nationwide.
Woods said a backlog of over a million visa applications was contributing to the shortage. The federal government has since committed $36.1 million to hire 500 staff to process visas, with Immigration Minister Andrew Giles reporting that the backlog has been reduced to about 880,000.
Curtin University professor Jaya Dantas said changes to work holiday visas, allowing two-year stays instead of one, and removal of hourly caps on student visas could help fill the gap. However, she said it will take time to see how effective these measures are in meeting workforce needs.
