Star to add 190 jobs
THE Star Gold Coast is looking to grow its workforce by 10 per cent as COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease and leisure-starved Australians boost domestic revenue to the Broadbeach resort.
The casino has invited applications for attendant positions in all its local hospitality venues, including Cherry Bar, Atrium Bar, Sports Bar, Mei Wei Dumplings, M&G Cafe and Bar, Garden Kitchen & Bar, Kiyomi and exclusive Nineteen at The Star.
Staff are also wanted to service The Star’s events calendar and in-room dining and to cater to VIP guests in the premium gaming rooms.
Chief operating officer Jessica Mellor said she was keen to grow her team, but finding enough suitable candidates had been a challenge.
“We currently employ around 1900 team members at The Star Gold Coast and have a further 190 roles available across a variety of departments,” she said.
“Along with the rest of the hospitality industry, we are finding it difficult to fill these vacancies as a result of the ongoing skills shortage.
“However, we look forward to government and industry working together to help solve this issue and ensure the longterm prosperity of Australia’s tourism and hospitality sector.”
The Gold Coast is set to become a key pillar of listed Star Entertainment Group’s bid to compete with rival Crown Casino’s foray into Sydney,
with VIPs encouraged to “Spend in Sydney, play and stay in Queensland”.
In a trading update for the period between January 1 and May 3, The Star said the second half of the financial year was “exhibiting improving trends”.
When compared to the same period in pre-pandemic 2019, group domestic gaming revenue was down 10 per cent and group domestic revenue was down 12 per cent.
Trade on the Gold Coast was a bright spot for the company, with domestic gaming revenue here up 18 per cent on pre-pandemic levels and total domestic revenue up 11 per cent on the comparative period in 2019.
In Brisbane, total domestic revenue was up 3 per cent on the comparative period in 2019, while it was down 24 per cent in Sydney.
As well as searching for food and drink attendants, The Star Gold Coast has also advertised for managerial roles, including a patron liaison manager, assistant venue manager and campaign executive.
An IT professional, refrigeration mechanic, board and company secretariat officer, food and beverage supervisor, facility cleaner, guest room attendant and demi chef for Kiyomi.
The Star cut up to 20 per cent of its salaried staff in 2019, mostly in middle management roles.
The company this week said it continued to cut its fixed cost base, under a program aimed at saving $50m that included restructuring its international business and reducing table games supervisors and “food and beverage labour”.
In its half-yearly financial report in February, Star reported statutory net profit after tax of $51m, down from $77m last year and two thirds lower than the $149m reported for the same period in 2018.