Latest news with #bedlevy
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Hotel operator in favour of bed nationwide bed levy if no alternative options found
Photo: 123RF A hotel operator says he is in favour of a nationwide bed levy, if no alternative revenue-generating options are found. It comes as Auckland's mayor Wayne Brown asked the government to reconsider its opposition to a bed night levy. Brown has long campaigned for a bed tax on visitors to help fund destination marketing and events. Chief operating officer of Sudima Hotels and Hind Management Les Morgan told Morning Report he supported a levy "if no other choice was given to us". "I think that's the starting point that we want to ensure that all sorts of other options for generating funding for these events is explored," he said. "We certainly want to be seen to be supportive. We want to be part of the architecture to ensure that it's designed correctly." Consultation on Auckland Council's annual plan, which included the proposal for a bed night visitor levy, received more than 13,000 pieces of feedback. Morgan said a levy would become too complicated if it was only introduced in Auckland. "We have something like 16 regional councils across New Zealand. If every council was to impose a different rate, how would that be. "If you journey down the country, would you face 5 percent in one town and 10 percent in the other. "A lot of us sell New Zealand Inc overseas. How are we to explain to a tourist that if arrive here you might pay a different tax?" Having the levy ringfenced for major events held in New Zealand made sense, Morgan said. "If you think of New Zealand collectively, there's an opportunity. Auckland alone can't raise enough funds, for instance, to attract a World Cup. But New Zealand can. "So if there was some framework within that where a percentage of the national pot was put aside to attract these major events, "I think that makes sense that we work together." However, he accepted there was some risk of adding further costs on overseas visitors. "I personally have just come back from a sales trip to China and the Chinese market are are very price sensitive at the moment and so are others. "Our visitors to our shores already face a lot of levies and taxes. They face the IVL at the border, potentially face visa costs, they face surcharges on the aeroplane tickets, they get here and pay GST. They play fuel tax like we do, alcohol tax like we do." "Tourism in New Zealand contributes something like $4.1 billion per annum in GST. So there is a lot of tax coming in. The risk is New Zealand is becomes more expensive." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Hotel industry supports calls for bed levy
The hotel industry is broadly in favour of the bed levy Auckland mayor Wayne Brown wants, but is keen to see it extend beyond the supercity. Sudima Hotels and Hind Management chief operating officer Les Morgan spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
'It doesn't cost the government anything' - Wayne Brown calls for bed tax rethink
Auckland mayor Wayne Brown is at odds with the government over a bed night levy. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi Auckland's mayor Wayne Brown is renewing his call for a bed levy for the supercity , as it deals with some serious economic troubles . Its unemployment rate of 6.1 percent is the highest of any region. National Minister and Auckland-based MP Paul Goldsmith told Morning Report on Wednesday there's been a long Covid hangover. "The economy's flat, everybody's feeling it. Of course there's two speeds, down in the south and in rural New Zealand we're getting some growth and some upbeat economic news from the regions but of course it's a real struggle in Auckland so that's what our real focus is on." Brown agreed the government would be focused on the city because it was where the election in a year's time would be decided. He was adamant that what he was advocating for was a bed levy - not a tax - and it wouldn't go to the government. "They [the government] use the word tax so they can say no more taxes. It's just dumb, it's not a tax any more than it would be a targeted rate. The people who've asked for it are the industry it would be collected from." He wanted it to be set at 2.5 percent which would raise $27 million which would be enough to attract the likes of a Taylor Swift concert or a State of Origin match. Cities need around $3 million to $4m to attract concerts by artists such as Taylor Swift, the Auckland mayor says. Photo: AFP Cities needed to pay upfront around $3m-4m to bring in each major event. It would enable Auckland to compete against the likes of Sydney which has a bed night levy, he said. "It doesn't cost the government anything. ... It doesn't make sense ..." When Auckland held large events and the hotels filled up, another $100 could be added to the cost of a hotel room "so noone's gonna miss it". It was also "bollocks" for the government to blame the cost of living crisis, Brown said. Those most affected couldn't afford $500 Taylor Swift concert tickets or to stay at the top hotels. He said the government was focused on tourism but had raised the international tourist levy so it was "cheeky" to deny Auckland a bed levy. Brown believed the government would "cave" on the issue, in part because Auckland was the region that decided the fate of the government at elections. He had built a good working relationship with some of the ministers, such as Chris Bishop and Shane Reti. "We have had a number of wins." He believed it was ACT that was the main handbrake on the government agreeing to the bed levy. Councillor Kerrin Leoni, who is standing against Brown in the city's upcoming mayoral election, said she also supported a bed tax. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Auckland needs a bed levy to attract major events, mayor Wayne Brown says
Auckland mayor Wayne Brown is at odds with the government over a bed night levy. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi Auckland's mayor Wayne Brown is renewing his call for a bed levy for the supercity , as it deals with some serious economic troubles . Its unemployment rate of 6.1 percent is the highest of any region. National Minister and Auckland-based MP Paul Goldsmith told Morning Report on Wednesday there's been a long Covid hangover. "The economy's flat, everybody's feeling it. Of course there's two speeds, down in the south and in rural New Zealand we're getting some growth and some upbeat economic news from the regions but of course it's a real struggle in Auckland so that's what our real focus is on." Brown agreed the government would be focused on the city because it was where the election in a year's time would be decided. He was adamant that what he was advocating for was a bed levy - not a tax - and it wouldn't go to the government. "They [the government] use the word tax so they can say no more taxes. It's just dumb, it's not a tax any more than it would be a targeted rate. The people who've asked for it are the industry it would be collected from." He wanted it to be set at 2.5 percent which would raise $27 million which would be enough to attract the likes of a Taylor Swift concert or a State of Origin match. Cities need around $3 million to $4m to attract concerts by artists such as Taylor Swift, the Auckland mayor says. Photo: AFP Cities needed to pay upfront around $3m-4m to bring in each major event. It would enable Auckland to compete against the likes of Sydney which has a bed night levy, he said. "It doesn't cost the government anything. ... It doesn't make sense ..." When Auckland held large events and the hotels filled up, another $100 could be added to the cost of a hotel room "so noone's gonna miss it". It was also "bollocks" for the government to blame the cost of living crisis, Brown said. Those most affected couldn't afford $500 Taylor Swift concert tickets or to stay at the top hotels. He said the government was focused on tourism but had raised the international tourist levy so it was "cheeky" to deny Auckland a bed levy. Brown believed the government would "cave" on the issue, in part because Auckland was the region that decided the fate of the government at elections. He had built a good working relationship with some of the ministers, such as Chris Bishop and Shane Reti. "We have had a number of wins." He believed it was ACT that was the main handbrake on the government agreeing to the bed levy. Councillor Kerrin Leoni, who is standing against Brown in the city's upcoming mayoral election, said she also supported a bed tax. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
