In efforts to address current workforce shortages due to COVID-19 and aid Australia’s economic recovery, the Australian Government has amended visa conditions for student and working holiday makers.

Welcome to our first edition of Victorian Chamber News for 2022. We know that staff shortages, supply chain issues, isolation requirements, density limits and lack of accessibility to Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) continue to cause difficulty and stress and the Victorian Chamber team is working hard to ensure your voices are heard and practical solutions can be found.

In partnership with Crown Melbourne, the Victorian Chamber is running free online seminars designed to help regional businesses bounce back after consecutive lockdowns and sparse tourism.

If you were lucky enough to get in a break over the school holidays, you would have noticed the crippling effect that Covid-19 is having on our small businesses across the state.

After multiple postponements as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry supported by Crown Melbourne has announced its highly anticipated Regional Business Recovery Roadshow will become a free online series. The business recovery sessions will include practical information for farmers, suppliers and producers on how to respond to tenders and understand the decision-making criteria for large hospitality vendors. The Victorian Chamber will also brief attendees on our Federal and State Budget submissions and our visitor economy policy platform.

Did you know that starting a business in Victoria requires operators to navigate more permits and licences than any other state? The time it takes to jump through these regulatory hoops is just one of the costs of doing business in Victoria. The Chamber has listened to our members’ concerns about how these barriers are impacting them and has responded with this comprehensive report that provides the first benchmarking exercise of its kind in Australia.

It’s the report that you helped us create, and one that might well sharpen the focus on what Victoria needs to do to be the best state to operate a business in. I’m very proud of to release the Cost and Ease of Doing Business in Victoria Taskforce Report.

The Victorian Chamber was honoured to host former United Kingdom Prime Minister, The Rt Hon Theresa May MP, with members and special guests at an exclusive luncheon at the Palladium at Crown.

The Victorian Chamber was pleased to partner with Crown Melbourne on business recovery webinars designed to help regional businesses bounce back following consecutive lockdowns and sparse tourism.

The State Government is encouraging Victorians to experience the state’s renowned hospitality, tourism and creative industries with more than $100 million in rebates and vouchers, while businesses are also in line for $100 million in stimulus programs.

Great news this week with several positive developments to set us on a cracking pace for our state’s COVID-19 recovery.

Amid the recent return-to-office announcement, there is no better time to foster a resilient workplace through the Victorian Chamber’s extensive catalogue of training courses, that are now returning to an in-person format.

Belle Lim was an international student in Victoria and had just graduated with a Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences when, looking to the future, she found it hard to form industry connections and seek role models to relate to. From this, Future Female was born.

‘Building back business’ and ‘building for our future’ are the cornerstones of the Victorian Chamber’s submission to the Australian Government ahead of the 2022-23 Federal Budget.

Yesterday we celebrated International Women’s Day, a global event marking the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, and amplifying the call for diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces.

Habits can be hard to break and I’m sure we all felt a bit uncertain last week as office workers started to return after the better part of two years working from home.