A two-and-a-half-year battle to secure a chef through the Skills in Demand Visa program for popular dining spot, The Riverina Hotel, has finally come to an end for hoteliers, Dave and Kelly Sloan.

It has been a hard slog while Hay is not included on the eligible postcode list for hospitality workers to gain a Working Holiday visa.

With the help of Member for Farrer, Sussan Ley, the Sloans have secured a highly skilled chef, Joffy Menoth Poulos, a former cruise ship chef currently working in a restaurant in Malta.

“Joffy has been recommended to us by our previous chef,” Kelly said.

“We do need a skilled person in the kitchen.

“We serve up to 130 meals a night in our restaurant, 75 meals is a quiet night for us.”

Dave and Kelly have been discussing the issue of finding and retaining hospitality staff in Hay with Ms Ley over many years.

“This is a serious issue that is not only affecting our business but most commercial businesses in Hay,” Dave said.

Mayor, Cr Carol Oataway said the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program plays a vital role in supporting regional towns with seasonal workforce shortages.

“The 2019 expansion to include tourism and hospitality work in selected regional postcodes was designed to relieve pressure on small communities whose local economies depend on these industries,” Cr Oataway said.

“Some towns that are demographically and geographically similar end up on different sides of the line because the decision is postcode-based, not based on population size or workforce need.

“Hay’s postcode is excluded from the hospitality list despite having the same labour challenges as nearby towns like Hillston.

“This is an administrative anomaly, not a reflection of community needs and it disadvantages Hay’s businesses.”

Dave and Kelly said they appreciate Ms Ley’s support in trying to get Hay included in the Working Holiday Visa under the hospitality ruling.

“Unfortunately, we are still waiting for the Minister to include Hay,” they told The Riverine Grazier.

“Our hotel runs a dining room that not only services the people of Hay but many tourists and seasonal workers who visit the area.

“It is an essential service to the township of Hay.

“The drinking culture is dying. Alcohol has become too dear, but people always need food.

“Since losing our last chef in April this year, we have been unable to open the dining room at lunch times due to a shortage of suitably qualified staff.

“We now employ juniors at night and they are really good kids. I can run an ad in Hay for six month and not get anyone.

“We have looked at having to close the dining room at nights – leaving not many other options available in Hay.

“A local hotel serves as a community hub where locals gather to talk.

“This provides a much-needed service, including covering mental health during difficult times in regional Australia.

Representation needed to get Hay postcode-specified for hospitality workers

“We have worked tirelessly with our Immigration Agent, but we are still awaiting any update from the Department,” Dave and Kelly Sloan said.

“We have advertised the position on Labour Market and not one person in Australia applied.

“Not even a tyre-kicker.”

They again turned to their local MP and asked Ms Ley to make written representation on their behalf to the Minister, asking for an urgent review of the current Skills in Demand Visa, for Mr Joffy Menoth Poulos.

“The delay in the approval of this application was causing our business to suffer financial loss, and we got to a point of having to look at closing our business altogether as we are now relying on our existing staff to fill gaps in the dining room, leaving us short staffed elsewhere in the hotel.”

With Joffy’s visa now approved for up to three years and as a pathway to apply for permanent residency for him, his wife and child, the next obstacle for the Sloans was finding accommodation for the family.

“So we bought a house,” Kelly said simply.

“Joffy has given notice at his current workplace and he and his family will arrive in Hay soon.

“They need a house.”

But the battle continues for the Sloans – they need more staff and they have asked the Minister to include hospitality workers in the Hay, Booligal, Balranald and Lake Mungo postcode for Working Holiday visas.

The Working Holiday visa (also known as the 88-day visa) (Subclass 417 and 462) can be applied for by visa holders to become eligible for a second-year visa extension in Australia.

They must work in a regional area in eligible industries, such as agriculture, construction, mining, fishing, or disaster recovery.

The work needs to be the equivalent of 88 calendar days of normal full-time work in that role and industry, and must be completed in a postcode-specified area by the Australian Department of Home Affairs.

Hospitality is considered eligible in fewer NSW postcodes, and Ms Ley is working on extending to regional areas such as Hay.

“If we invest in hospitality, we invest in tourism,” Ms Ley said.

This article appeared in The Riverine Grazier, 1 October 2025.