We have one hot off the press today! We are incredibly proud to announce that the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been named as one of four finalists in the 13th World Chambers Congress (WCC) 2023 Competition in the Best Gender Equity Project category for our Chamber Change (Women in Business) program.

The Victorian Chamber welcomes the Federal Government’s 2023-2024 ‘Stronger foundations for a better future’ Budget which delivers a $4.2 billion surplus. The fundamentals of defence, skills and the transition to a net zero economy are clear winners in an otherwise modest budget with few surprises.

Improved careers services and advice is increasingly important in a labour market characterised by skills and labour shortages, skills mismatches and perceptions of vocational education and training (VET).

As we approach the budget season, we are in continuing discussions with the State Government to ensure business remains positioned to provide the growth the State needs. I expect those meetings will continue over the next few weeks as well.

On Tuesday, we reflected on the sacrifice that generations of Australians and New Zealanders have made to protect our way of life. Hundreds of Anzac Day commemorations took place across the State to honour the Anzac spirit; it felt to me as if that spirit was particularly prominent this year, perhaps it was heightened among Victorians because of the war in Ukraine and global instability.

The Executive Council has called a special general meeting of members to consider and, if thought fit, approve the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry's proposed change in entity type from a body corporate established under the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 (Cth) to a company limited by guarantee registered under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). The special general meeting will be held on 19 May 2023 at 9:30am at Level 3, 150 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 and online, using online platform Zoom.

It certainly feels like the year continues to accelerate, and I hope you are doing what you need to ensure your business is in good shape.

I hope you all had a wonderful and safe long weekend. It was certainly great to have a break, and hopefully some of you can enjoy extra time with your children as we enter school holidays.

The shift to a net-zero economy will require a collective effort but is a challenge Victoria can rise to with the right mindset and the right actions, enabling government and industry to work together to reach our emission targets and seize the economic opportunities for Victoria.

We saw Melbourne at its best over the weekend as we played host to a Melbourne-record Formula One crowd of more than 440,000 people at Albert Park.

According to ZEN Energy CEO Anthony Garnaut, while Victoria is not the sunniest place in Australia, “it's a lot sunnier than Germany”, meaning the cost of solar even in Melbourne is a lot cheaper than building a solar farm in the sunniest part of Germany. 

Gone are five-day office weeks in Melbourne but overall average days have trended upwards, according to the latest office occupancy survey by the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

For the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), sustainability is no longer a ‘nice to have’. It’s an expectation from clients, partners and attendees. That’s why it has embarked on its own journey towards net-zero.

The Victorian Chamber is seeking responses to our Business Voice Survey about insurance cost and business composition.

Having come straight from the Albert Park track this morning from the Victorian Chamber and Keolis Downer Grand Prix™ Breakfast, I can tell you that Melbourne is certainly in for a treat this weekend!

A report from independent advisory body Infrastructure Victoria (IV) highlights more choice and housing diversity is needed as Victoria’s population grows.