Country pubs feeling the pinch

In the hospitality sector, some country pubs are facing increasing wage, insurance and energy costs, along with higher beer taxes.

Nindigully Pub owner Steve Burns says they're costs he needs to pass onto customers if the business is to remain viable.

"Wage costs are one of the biggest impacts in this business. Business like ours suffer immensely when payroll costs are so high," he said.

"We have 11 employees we need to keep in a job. Some weeks are busier than others and some are very quiet."

Mr Burns has invested in solar battery storage to reduce power costs but other resources like gas remain costly to the business.

At the same time, a twice-yearly tax increase on beer raises the price of a keg by up to $20.

He said flood insurance for the pub, on the banks of the Moonie River, was inaccessible, while other insurance costs were 'through the roof'.

"Individual businesses have to pass that cost onto the consumer, who are seeing the cost of a beer increase," he said.

First opened in 1864, Nindigully Pub is mostly reliant on the domestic tourism market while at the mercy of natural disasters and the weather.

Mr Burns said despite the challenges, the local community and domestic tourism gave him confidence, with the business witnessing a 10 to 20 per cent increase in tourism month on month over the past year.

"The Australian people are still supporting country businesses. They love a bush pub and the atmosphere we have created here. It's really encouraging," he said.

"I will continue to run it. I'm happy here. The business of Nindigully Pub will survive."

At Bell, Bellview Hotel owners Michael Nolan and Carol Lewis said freight issues resulting in lost income were their biggest concern.

"Believe it or not, Bell is considered the middle of nowhere, so trying to get a trucking company to bring in food is just an absolute killer," Mr Nolan said.

"For the better part of 12 months, I've had no packets of Smiths chips. We've ordered them but they never turn up.

"Keeping up the quantity of stock that you need to keep everybody happy is not happening."

Mr Nolan and his partner Ms Lewis took over the hotel in February 2022 after living on the Gold Coast for 20 years.

Despite the issues, they're still optimistic about country pubs.

"We're pretty much busy all the time. We wanted the small country town lifestyle and I planned on retiring to this joint, but it's just way too busy to retire," he said.