Steve Armitage: Hospitality NZ CEO on proposed tougher trespassing legislation

The Government says it’s letting shop owners take back control. 

It's proposing legislation to double maximum trespassing fines and allow trespassing people for three years, from multiple sites. 

Hospitality NZ’s Steve Armitage told Mike Hosking the law’s been outdated for some time. 

He says that when it was introduced back in 1980, a $1000 fine was much more material than it is 45 years later – according to the World Bank, the purchasing power of $1000 in 1980 equates to about $50,000 today.  

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So has the Justice Minister had the work of his
life or what? Yet? Another announcement, this time trespassed law's
businesses will now be able to trespass individuals from multiple locations.
Finds increased from one thousand to two thousand. Tresspass period
moves to three years. Steve Armitage's Hospitality in New Zealand's
Boston is back with the Steve Morning, Good morning mate.
Is this a move in the right direction, Yes, it
certainly is.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
As you've outlined the trespassed laws, the black teeth, they've
been outdated for some time. When the law was introduced
back in nineteen eighty, a fine of one thousand dollars
was much more material than it is some forty five
years later. In fact, I we back and looked at
what the world back says in the purchasing pair of
one thousand dollars in nineteen eighty equates to around fifty
thousand dollars today. So on that basis you could say

(00:42):
these proposed fines don't go far enough.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
Good fun. Fact, Steve, nice to bring it to the program. Now,
how big an issue was trespassing generally in hospital?

Speaker 2 (00:50):
It is an issue in our environment. They're mainly issued
for antisocial behavior and intoxication, and that can be quite
challenging if someone's had a few and isn't thinking straight
or listening to reason. So enforcement is really important here.
We're certainly going to need to see every one of
those new recruits that the government's committed to delivering, because
ultimately these are great measures and they're removing the right direction.

(01:13):
But enforcement is going to be key.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
That would anyone pay a fine, Well, that's not really
your problem.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
It's not so much the problem. We're hoping that access
as a deterrein more than anything. But either say, I
think there's room for those fines to move. There's a
much stronger measure.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
And the threat but a new thing. Whatever, would you
boot you one out for three years? Or is that
a bit extreme?

Speaker 2 (01:35):
I think there would be cases where that's warranted. We've
certainly seen incidences where the level of violence has crossed
the threshold, and I know operators out there would much
rather want to keep their staff and their customers safe
than have some of the pavior that happens on site
at times happen.

Speaker 1 (01:51):
Well, it's good, that's good news. I've got consumer spending
numbers out yesterday. I'm noting that HOSPO is down. What
have I got two point four percent? Are you feeling
that scene?

Speaker 2 (01:58):
That?

Speaker 1 (01:59):
Is that about right? Feeling about right?

Speaker 2 (02:01):
Look, I think in the general sense, the hospital is improving.
I think rumors of US decline have been unfounded for
some time. If you look at the number of hospitality
businesses operating now, there's more than there was five years ago,
There's more than there was ten years ago. It's closures
that tend to dominate the headlines, but there's new venues
opening up all the time. So look, I've heard you
say on the show, and I agree with you. You know,

(02:22):
those operators that do a good job and deliver good
experiences for their customers, they'll find a way through. So look,
we're pretty encouraged by the fact that visited numbers continue
to pack up. We're hoping that that'll be the case
over the course of the summer in hospital will continue
to thrive.

Speaker 1 (02:35):
Well said, Appreciate you time, you have a good weekend.
Steve Armatage, Hospitality Can New Zealand CEO. For more from
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