With Victoria’s pandemic declaration expired at 11.59pm last night, it’s time for us to get on with life and for business to continue its recovery as we focus on the future.

The start of daylight saving and the burst of sunshine has put a welcome spring in our step after a long and challenging winter.

Congratulations to Geelong Football Club on a brilliant season and a brilliant win. It may not have been a game to remember but the AFL Grand Final was a moment to celebrate the return of one of our iconic events to Victoria.

It’s Grand Final week in Victoria and you can feel the electricity in the air! For the first time in three years the Grand Final is back in Melbourne where it belongs and oh, how we’ve missed it.

With the State election now coming into view, we are delighted to launch the Victorian Chamber’s 2022 State Election Platform, Powering Victoria’s Future.

There was no better way to kickstart spring than having the State Government lift the work-from-home recommendations and the introduction of shorter isolation requirements for COVID-positive patients and those in low-risk settings.

Well, it’s been quite a week! Today is the start of the Federal Government’s Jobs and Skills Summit in Canberra.

I don’t know about you, but it does seem like there is a lot going on at the moment. I’ve been to a fantastic meeting with members in Mildura, and also managed to get to Canberra and back for a series of meetings with the Australian Chamber in the lead up to the Jobs and Skills Summit.

Greetings from Mildura up on the mighty Murray River where I’m meeting with businesses as part of our series of regional roundtable meetings. It’s been great to get out on the road and engage with members to hear more about the issues impacting business across Victoria.

It’s been a challenging winter, but the end is finally approaching. The days are getting longer and warmer and the AFL Finals, Spring Racing Carnival, Royal Melbourne Show and school holidays are just around the corner. How good will it be to have them back!

Pass the baton because we are ready! If you’ve been watching the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham as enthusiastically as I have, it’s clear that the 2026 Games in Victoria offer massive opportunities for the State that we love.

This week, the Victorian Chamber hosted our first Chamber Change event to celebrate the commencement of our pilot women in business program.

Welcome to the first edition of our new Business First format! I hope you enjoy the content, which we have tailored to your selected interests and preferences. As always, we’d love your feedback.

The chronic nationwide worker shortage is the biggest obstacle to Australia’s economic recovery. In a globally competitive environment, we need to make sure Australia is renowned as a great place to work, build a career and base your business.

The Victorian Chamber welcomes the State Government’s recommendation for businesses to implement their own mask and working from home arrangements as we deal with the current rise in COVID-19 cases and other illnesses.

The end of the financial year is upon us as are the school holidays. It’s great to see so many people travelling again, particularly to our regional areas, and supporting local businesses.