Already a subscriber?Neil Perry and some of the country’s other highest-profile restaurateurs have launched a new industry association to push for improvements to skilled migration, tax and industrial relations – threatening the dominance of a century-old lobby group.Chris Lucas
Speaking after ARCA’s first board meeting on Friday, Mr Perry said the industry could have “more than one organisation advocating for them”. One industry insider predicted ARCA would emerge the dominant body, saying the R&CA “had this coming for a number of years”. Mr Lambert said ARCA will be prioritising keeping cooks on the occupational list for skilled visas, reforming payroll tax and simplifying the restaurant award to make it easier for businesses to pay the correct amount.Mr Lambert, who has also served as financial controller to Jamie’s Italian, was a prominent face of the R&CA before he resigned in 2022.