Melbourne has been announced as the host of the 14th World Chambers Congress (WCC), to be held in September 2025 and co-organised by the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

What a year! As this is my last message for 2022, it seems only fitting to end the year on a positive note, with news that office occupancy in Melbourne’s CBD is climbing as Victoria continues its recovery.

Well, we didn’t get the outcome that we wanted for business with Federal Parliament passing the Industrial Relations Reforms Bill last week. So, we will now be ensuring we support you and your business to understand the impact of the changes and how you can navigate them.

One of the great things about Australia is that we live in a democracy. We all had the chance to vote on the weekend and we congratulate Premier Daniel Andrews and the Labor Party on what was a decisive win in the Victorian Election.

The 36th Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry Conference (CACCI) has opened at the Melbourne and Convention and Exhibition Centre.

This Saturday Victorians will go to the polls in what is shaping as a critical election for our business community after the many challenges of the past three years.

This year will be remembered as an epoch in cybersecurity within Australia. The recent events of Medibank Private and Optus have been a major wake-up call to individuals, businesses and government. 

I am delighted that the Victorian Chamber Board endorsed Adrian Kloeden as President and Jeremy Blackshaw as Deputy President at Tuesday’s Victorian Chamber AGM. Congratulations to Adrian and Jeremy and thank you to Karyn Sobels for her successful tenure as President.

I’m excited to be Acting Chief Executive of the Victorian Chamber this week while Paul Guerra is in Paris bidding on behalf of Melbourne to secure the 14th World Chambers Congress here in 2025.

With the Melbourne Cup run and won, the focus now turns to another race - the Victorian Election on November 26. The official campaign began yesterday and the Victorian Chamber released the first of a series of advocacy videos to promote our State Election Platform, Powering Victoria’s Future.

The International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) has released a document that helps Australian employers understand their options to hire and retain international students and graduates.

Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers handed down his first Budget on Tuesday night and the Victorian Chamber was pleased to see our advocacy reflected in a number of primary areas that will assist business.

The floods across the state are another powerful reminder of the natural disasters Australians endure. In Victoria, the pandemic has been bookended by bushfires and floods, causing more disruption for thousands of people.

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.