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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

October is finally here, and we are three weeks or less from hitting the 70 per cent target to start the reopening. It’s within sight now, and we can finally start to think about waving goodbye to lockdowns forever. The Victorian Chamber is continuing our push for the State Government to revise openings at both the 70 and 80 per cent targets.

Businesses and workers have sacrificed, suffered and done their bit to protect us all from COVID-19. They stayed closed, in some cases without work, pivoted their services to keep Victorians employed and many lost what they had spent years building. Businesses across the State are in crisis.

The State and Federal Governments have announced a further $2.27 billion in grants and financial support to assist Victorian businesses and workers struggling through the final weeks of lockdown.

I had a close friend message me from London on the weekend, as he sat comfortably in a coffee shop on Regent Street.

Sunday was not the news we wanted. The roadmap fell short: short of hope, short of NSW and short of where we need to be moving to as a state.

No matter your business, solar power helps. Hear how three businesses from different sectors benefitted from making the change.

Are you a small or medium-sized business struggling to pay the rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic? There’s still time to qualify for the retrospective part of the latest round of the State Government’s Commercial Tenancy Relief Scheme.

Victorian business needs certainty and clarity on the plan for our state’s COVID-19 recovery. The Victorian Chamber has formulated a detailed four-phase roadmap to provide that light on the hill for business, workers, the economy and communities.