Sunday was a good day for most when we heard the State Government’s roadmap had been bought forward. I cannot wait to see the smiles on the faces of business owners, staff and customers when we start to emerge from lockdown in Metropolitan Melbourne this week.

The One Stop One Story Hub Pilot Program aims to ease the burdens faced by people experiencing vulnerability by providing a single access point for a range of support services.

How good was it seeing our state roar back to life over the weekend? It was so exciting to see crowds at events and smiles on the faces of so many as they celebrated Victoria’s reopening over the past few days.

Grab your family, grab your friends, and grab your workmates - it’s time to celebrate and enjoy our state again! The Victorian Chamber was delighted by today’s State Government announcement that it will lift the majority of restrictions across the state which will give all our businesses the best chance to roar back.

Businesses in the tourism sector with project ideas to bolster the state’s visitor economy are encouraged to apply for the latest round of Victorian Government funding – as Chamber member Dal Zotto Wines outlines how a grant helped propel its business growth.

Hindsight is a funny thing. Had we known the COVID-19 wrecking ball was coming for us, we would have ducked for cover. We can’t use that excuse anymore.

Just when we thought it was smooth sailing, we’ve hit a slight bump with the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron. I know many of you may be experiencing familiar feelings of anxiousness this week with the news of Omicron emerging across the world and here in Australia.

Australia really is the lucky country. We are spoilt with some of the most beautiful landscapes and natural environments in the world. From beaches to snowfields, mountains to desert, we have it all.

Industry self-regulatory body for the .au domain, auDA, has released its inaugural Digital Lives of Australians 2021 Report. The report finds Australian consumers and small businesses benefit immensely from the Internet, but cybersecurity threats continue to pose a huge concern.

Well, we made it through, and Christmas is now on our doorstep.

The need to be fast, agile and ahead of the curve on all levels of customer service is no longer a ‘nice idea,’ it’s a business imperative. This tipping point has created an abundance of work for IT teams in Australia and around the globe, and a backlog of work that needs to be delivered now, not next year. If you, like so many companies, didn’t jump early into this digital race, how do you catch up? While I’m here to advise Australian organisations (small, medium or large) on how to do this, you must first understand that the crisis isn’t over.  

The .au domain name space is undergoing significant change in 2022. The Victorian Chamber recommends that businesses with an online presence join us for an explanatory webinar in partnership with .au Domain Administration (auDA), the industry self-regulatory body for the .au domain.

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.